According to the American Heart Association, nearly 37 percent of all female deaths in America occur from cardiovascular disease.  It outranks all types of cancer, alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and accidents as the leading cause of death for women.  Keeping this in mind, we take stock of the promising heart and vascular research on Pycnogenol, a natural plant extract from the bark of the maritime pine tree, which grows exclusively along the coast of southwest France in Les Landes de Gascogne.

Lowering cholesterol levels is essential in maintaining a healthy heart, since high cholesterol can increase the risk factors for atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.  A University of Texas, Dallas, clinical study recorded that supplementation with Pycnogenol significantly reduced the bad (LDL) cholesterol while elevating the good (HDL) cholesterol.  An additional three research studies have demonstrated these same results, bringing Pycnogenol to the forefront as a viable natural choice in managing cholesterol levels.

Dr. Ronald Ross Watson at the University of Arizona concluded in his research that subjects with mild hypertension showed a significant reduction of blood pressure in response to supplementation with Pycnogenol.  Additional research confirmed that 60 percent of participants who took prescribed high blood pressure medication were able to reduce their dosage by half when they supplemented with Pycnogenol.

What steps do you take to keep your heart healthy?