Over the past few years, a bundle of health secrets have been discovered surrounding one promising natural remedy. It is a supplement derived from the bark of a French pine tree. First tied to helping varicose veins, pine bark’s possible roles are reaching much further these days. Now menopausal women might want to ask their doctors about it.
Half of all women experience menopause, and they have it for about one-third of their lifetime. That is to say, it is very prevalent. Alternative medicine supplies easy, effective ways to improve symptoms linked to menopause, without side effects. The latest on the scene is pine bark, an antioxidant supplement that has been found to significantly improve signs and symptoms of menopause.
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The study included 70 women on the verge of menopause, between 40 and 50 years old. The use of 100 milligrams (mg) of pine bark (50 mg twice a day), taken for two months, was tested against placebo. Researchers measured symptoms by a scoring system, based on a total of 33 common signs and symptoms. The scoring system ranged from zero (absent) to four (very serious).
The results:
— Pine bark substantially improved signs and symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, irregular periods, loss of libido, and vaginal dryness after eight weeks. Patient scores dropped an average of 2.67/4 to 1.45/4.
— Pine bark decreased the severity of hot flashes, decreased bloating, improved irregular heartbeat, and improved digestive problems.
— Pain symptoms improved significantly with the group taking pine bark.
— Oxidative stress levels decreased significantly, improving quality of life and helping to control signs and symptoms of menopause.
(Plus: Two herbs that may fight menopausal symptoms.)
The researchers suggest that pine bark may be quite an effective basic supplement for menopausal women due to its extended range of health benefits. That includes benefits for the heart, such as the ability to lower blood pressure. Protecting the heart is important, as menopausal women are at increased risk of heart disease.
This study backs up another that found that 200 mg of pine bark taken over six months led to improvements in most signs and symptoms of menopause. This new one suggests that the supplement can do so with a smaller dosage and over a shorter period of time.