A new peer-reviewed and published study is revealing a natural option for the millions of women and men who suffer from recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs). The open pilot registry study found the natural antioxidant Pycnogenol French maritime pine bark extract to be effective at reducing the number of urinary tract infection episodes, increasing the number of infection-free and symptom-free patients, and decreasing oxidative stress in patients with urinary tract infections. In addition, researchers found daily supplementation with Pycnogenol to reduce the number of episodes and decrease oxidative stress in patients with interstitial cystitis (IC).
Recurrent urinary tract infections are the result of a bacterial infection and defined as three episodes in the previous year or two episodes in the last six months. About 50 percent of women worldwide contract at least one urinary tract infection in their lifetime and 25–30 percent of women have at least one episode of recurrent urinary infections. Around 12 percent of men will experience urinary tract infections in their lifetime. Urinary tract infections cause up to 10 million visits to health care providers each year.
Similar to UTI, interstitial cystitis (IC) is a painful, often chronic disorder of the bladder, typically indicated by serious sensory lower urinary tract symptoms and pelvic pain but without bacterial occurrence in the urinalysis, estimated to impact between 3 and 6 percent of adult women.
“Patients who suffer from recurrent urinary tract infections often experience painful, disruptive symptoms including pain, burning and itching in the pelvic area, and a constant need to go to the bathroom. This study shows, Pycnogenol, a natural ingredient, may reduce those symptoms,” said Steven Lamm, MD, researcher, internist and a leading expert on sexual health.
Published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the study encompassed 64 participants between the ages of 35 and 41. The test group was comprised of patients who reported at least three symptomatic urinary tract infections in the past year, reported at least two urinary tract infections in the past six months, or reported symptoms of urinary tract infections without bacterial occurrence in the urinalysis, such as interstitial cystitis.
Three groups were tested in the study: a control group, a Pycnogenol group, and a cranberry group. Each group was tested for 60 days and followed a standard management routine. The control group only followed the standard management routine, which consisted of accurate hygiene, improved bladder care, avoiding too much caffeine, spices, and alcohol, careful hydration, and mild exercise.
The Pycnogenol group supplemented with 150 mg of Pycnogenol per day. The cranberry group supplemented with 400 mg (two 200mg capsules) of dried cranberry extract (19 mg proanthocyanidins each) per day.
After 60 days of daily oral supplementation with 150 mg of Pycnogenol, results included:
- 62 percent reduction in the number of urinary tract infection/interstitial cystitis episodes (vs. 45 percent reduction in the cranberry group and 29 percent reduction in the control group)
- 100 percent of participants showed infection-free urine (vs. 35 percent of participants in the cranberry group and 36 percent of participants in the control group. At study start, 40-50 percent of the patients showed infection-free urine.)
- 91 percent of participants were symptom-free (vs. 80 percent of participants in the cranberry group and 82 percent of participants in the control group)
- 11 percent decrease in oxidative stress (vs. 4 percent decrease in the cranberry group and 2 percent decrease in the control group).
For more information, visit www.pycnogenol.com.
