According to the CDC, osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder in the U.S., affecting over 30 million Americans. A new peer-reviewed, published study shows that the polyphenols found in the French maritime pine park extract, Pycnogenol, are absorbed directly into joints, supporting the vast catalog of research on Pycnogenol for osteoarthritis symptom relief.
 
Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative joint disease which can significantly limit joint mobility and cause discomfort for the individual, and in severe cases, can warrant the need for invasive surgeries such as knee arthroplasty, a procedure for total knee replacement.
 
Pycnogenol is a super-antioxidant shown in decades of research to reduce inflammation in patients experiencing osteoarthritis symptoms. The new study, published in the MDPI Journal of Nutrients, is the first to measure the polyphenol distribution of Pycnogenol in joint synovial fluid.
 
“This is the first evidence that polyphenols distribute into the synovial fluid of patients with osteoarthritis. That supports rationalizing the results of previous clinical efficacy studies that show reduced inflammation and improved comfort by supplementing with Pycnogenol,” said natural health physician Dr. Fred Pescatore.
 
“Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that have been associated with numerous benefits for human health. This is good news for patients suffering from osteoarthritis – and all of the patients in this study were preparing for knee arthroplasty,” said Dr. Pescatore.
 
The double-blind study examined 33 individuals diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis scheduled for knee arthroplasty. Participants supplemented with 200mg of Pycnogenol daily over the course of three weeks leading up to the scheduled surgeries. Synovial fluid samples were collected during surgery to detect and measure the presence of polyphenols.
 
Results from the synovial fluid samples show that the polyphenols found in Pycnogenol including taxifolin, ferulic acid, and catechin were distributed throughout the synovial fluid in the Pycnogenol-tested group. Taxifolin and ferulic acid were not detected in control group serum samples.
 
This new study supports previous research examining Pycnogenol’s versatile benefits for joint health and proves that polyphenols are distributed into joints. A 2008 study demonstrated Pycnogenol’s benefits for alleviating inflammation in joints by reducing inflammatory mediators COX-2 and 5-LOX effectively alleviating joint discomfort. This super-antioxidant is shown to naturally reduce C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels and acts as a natural nuclear factor-kappa B inhibitor to reduce inflammation at the on-set and manage swelling and oxidative stress that are associated with osteoarthritis.
 
Previous research published in the Journal of Phytotherpy Research in 2008 also indicates that supplementing daily with Pycnogenol reduces overall knee osteoarthritis symptoms by 20.9%. Pycnogenol is shown to naturally stimulate new production of hyaluronic acid and collagen in joints to improve joint comfort.
 
“Absorption by the body is key to realizing the benefits from natural supplements. This research shows that Pycnogenol is readily absorbed into the bloodstream and these nutrients can reach areas of need,” said Dr. Pescatore.