A new double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of Nutrients found that supplementation with Robuvit, an antioxidant extract derived from French oak wood distributed in North America by New Jersey-based Horphag Research (USA) Inc., improves general health, mood and social functioning of patients within four weeks of a surgical procedure. Nearly 50 million outpatient surgical procedures are conducted every year in the U.S., according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and as many as 15 percent of emergency surgeries can lead to complications in recovery (JAMA Surgery).

This new research was conducted on 66 female patients who had just undergone hysterectomy procedures. Study participants supplemented with 300 mg of Robuvit daily for a period of eight weeks. A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a woman’s uterus and may be medically necessary for women with risks of certain types of cancer, chronic pelvic pain or serious complications during childbirth. According to the National Women’s Health Network, hysterectomies are the second most commonly performed surgical procedure for women in their reproductive years. In a recent study conducted by Mayo Clinic, women who underwent surgery for a hysterectomy were nearly twice as likely to develop depression than women who did not undergo this procedure.

Researchers compared results to a placebo control group using a questionnaire and biochemical analysis of blood samples. Evaluations took place before supplementation began, and again after three and seven days, and four and eight weeks after surgery.

Following four weeks, participants in the Robuvit supplementation test group showed significantly improved physical and mental health recovery compared to the placebo test group, including:

• 1 percent improvement of general ability to perform physical tasks (compared to 3 percent decline in the placebo group)

• 5 percent improvement in ability to take part in social activities (compared to 7.4 percent decline in the placebo group)

• 5 percent improvement of energy and mood (compared to 2.3 percent improvement in the placebo group)

In addition, after eight weeks of supplementation, analysis of blood samples showed significant reduction of oxidative stress levels in participants who supplemented with Robuvit (6.3 percent increase of oxidative stress in the Robuvit test group compared to 57 percent increase in the placebo group). Also, the enhancement of MMP-9, an enzyme involved in the degradation of the extra-cellular matrix, was significantly reduced compared to placebo.

For more information, www.robuvit.com.