Looking to give your professional life a competitive edge? A report published in the December 2014 issue of the Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences revealed that Pycnogenol®, a proanthocyanidin supplement derived from maritime pine, improved memory, focus and decision-making among healthy professionals between the ages of 35 to 55.
The study, conducted at Chieti-Pescara University in Italy, included 59 professional men and women assigned to a controlled health plan with or without supplementation with 150 milligrams Pycnogenol® per day for 12 weeks. Tests of attention, memory and executive function were conducted before and after the study period and blood samples were analyzed for free radicals and other factors.
Plasma free radicals were lower by the end of the study among those that received Pycnogenol®, while varying nonsignificantly among the control group. While aspects of cognitive function improved in both groups, the increase was more significant in the Pycnogenol® group. These subjects showed improvements in mood, mental performance, sustained attention and subjective memory, as well as in daily tasks such as simple decision making and dealing with people.
“This study completes a number of research observations indicating that Pycnogenol® can naturally help improve some aspects of cognitive functions throughout life,” stated lead researcher Gianni Belcaro, of Chieti
Pescara University’s Department of Biomedical Science. “Multiple studies have been conducted using Pycnogenol® and showing its positive effects in managing and improving some attention parameters in children with ADHD, in improving results of specific cognitive test in students and in improving several aspects of cognitive functions in adults over 60.”
“These latest findings are supported by decades of research on Pycnogenol®’s ability to naturally regulate oxidative stress levels (that may significantly affect some cognitive functions) and confirm the positive impact on overall cognitive function,” he concluded.
References
Life Extension (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.lifeextension.com/WhatsHot/2015/1/January-Whats-Hot-Articles/Page-01#Pycnogenol-boosts-cognitive-function-in-middle-aged-professionals
