Pine Bark Extract Against Hay Fever Symptoms

Filed in archive Allergy: Research and Development , Hay Fever on June 27, 2010

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Hay fever or allergic rhinitis affects about 60 million people in the United States, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology.

Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen or fungal spores, most commonly grass pollen and symptoms are worse during the spring season.

Now, according to a new Canadian study, daily supplementation of an extract from the bark of the French maritime pine may ease the symptoms of hay fever. In the market today, the said extract is available as the branded ingredient Pycnogenol which has been found to reduce the level of non-prescription antihistamine medication use to only 12.5 per cent.

The said study, led by KGK Synergize's Dale Wilson, said: "The present study demonstrated that Pycnogenol decreases nasal and ocular symptoms in allergic rhinitis patients. It is possible to suggest that Pycnogenol may represent a new and promising therapeutic modality for subjects with allergic rhinitis."