Maritime pine

What is Maritime pine?

Maritime pine is a tall pine tree from the Atlantic coasts of Portugal, Spain and France. The remedy comes from its inner bark, not the needles, nuts or resin. It is sold as a dried extract, often under the brand name Pycnogenol.

People take it for heavy, swollen legs and varicose vein symptoms. Others use it for skin, blood pressure, blood sugar or focus. It is sold as a supplement, not as a medicine.

Here is the short verdict on the evidence. Small human trials point to modest help for leg vein problems, and much less for everything else. Many studies were funded by the makers, and traditional use is not proof that a plant works or that it is safe.

How does Maritime pine work?

The honest answer is that no one has shown exactly how maritime pine bark works in people.

The bark is rich in plant compounds called procyanidins. In test tubes, these mop up free radicals, which are unstable particles that can damage cells. Whether that happens at useful levels in your body after a capsule is not established.

In cell and animal studies, the extract appears to calm signals linked to swelling and inflammation. It also appears to help small blood vessels hold fluid in rather than leak it into the tissue. This is the leading idea behind its use for puffy legs, but it remains a theory.

Some lab work suggests the extract helps blood vessels relax by raising nitric oxide, a natural signal that widens vessels. A few small human trials measured better blood flow readings. These were short, and the results have not been confirmed in large trials.

Most procyanidins are not absorbed whole. Gut bacteria break them down into smaller compounds, and those may be what reaches the blood. This makes it hard to say which part of the extract, if any, does the work.

What forms does Maritime pine come in?

Most products are capsules or tablets of standardised bark extract.

You may also see: - Loose powder, sometimes blended into drinks - Combination supplements with vitamin C, grape seed or horse chestnut - Creams, gels and serums for the skin - Compression stocking creams and leg gels sold for tired legs - Pine bark tea, the older folk form, which is not standardised

Labels differ a lot. Check whether the label gives milligrams of extract and a procyanidin percentage. Products without that detail cannot be compared with the ones used in trials.

Where it comes from:

Maritime pine has a long record in European folk use. Coastal people in Portugal and Spain knew it as pinheiro-bravo or pino rodeno.

The tree was tapped for resin and burned for tar. Folk healers used the resin and tar on wounds and boils. Bark and needle brews were taken for coughs and chest complaints.

Pine brews also had a winter reputation as a source of vitamin C. A popular story ties this to a French crew saved from scurvy in Canada in 1535. That tree was a North American conifer, not the maritime pine.

Modern interest began in France in the mid-twentieth century. Researchers there extracted and patented the bark's procyanidins in the 1950s and 1960s. Today most bark is a by-product of plantation forestry in southwest France.

None of this older use was tested the way a medicine is tested now.

What does Maritime pine help with?

• Chronic venous insufficiency (poor blood flow in the leg veins): This is the best studied use, and the evidence is still only moderate. Several small trials report less leg pain, less heaviness and less fluid build-up over four to twelve weeks. Most of these trials were small and run by groups tied to the product. It may ease symptoms for some people. It does not repair damaged vein valves.
• Leg swelling and heavy, aching legs: Small studies have measured less ankle swelling, including on long flights. Effects were modest and short-term. Swelling in one leg only, with pain, heat or redness, is different. That can mean a clot and needs same-day medical care, not a supplement.
• Varicose vein symptoms: Folk use in pine country tied bark brews to tired, aching legs. Modern trials suggest some symptom relief, in line with the vein findings above. It does not shrink or remove varicose veins. Compression stockings and medical treatment have far stronger support.
• Mild high blood pressure (hypertension): Pooled analyses of small trials show a small drop in blood pressure. The size is usually a few points, which is less than standard treatment gives. The trials were brief and varied in quality. Do not use it in place of prescribed blood pressure medicine.
• Skin ageing and sun sensitivity: A few small trials report better skin hydration and elasticity after some weeks. Others suggest skin reddens a little less in sunlight. These studies were small and often industry-run. It is not a sunscreen and must not replace one.
• Blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes: Small trials report modest drops in fasting blood sugar. The results are mixed and the trials were short. Treat this as unproven. If you take diabetes medicine, the combination needs medical supervision.
• Leg cramps and muscle soreness: A handful of small studies report fewer cramps in athletes and in people with vein problems. The work is thin and rarely repeated by independent teams. Cramps have many causes. Frequent night cramps are worth a medical check.
• Hay fever and mild asthma symptoms: A few small trials in adults and children suggested milder symptoms and less rescue inhaler use. The studies were small and not confirmed since. Never reduce asthma medicine on the strength of this. Asthma can be life-threatening when undertreated.
• Attention and memory: Some short trials in students and older adults report small gains in attention scores. Reviews rate the evidence as weak and at risk of bias. There is no good evidence it helps dementia. Treat memory loss as a reason to see a doctor.

What are the side effects of Maritime pine?

• Stomach upset or nausea
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Mouth ulcers
• Bad breath or a dry mouth
• Tiredness
• Itchy rash or allergic skin reaction

Good to know:

Most people who took it in trials had no problems. When side effects happened, they were mild and faded after stopping.

Stomach upset is the most reported complaint. Allergic reactions are rare but possible, mostly in people sensitive to pine or tree pollen.

Long-term safety data is limited. Most trials lasted under six months.

How much Maritime pine should you take?

• Recommended daily: Labels on standardised bark extract usually carry 50 mg to 150 mg a day, often split into two or three doses. Trials have used up to about 300 mg a day for short periods. This is what products typically state, not advice for you. Generic pine bark powder is not interchangeable with a standardised extract.
• Best time of day: Timing does not seem to matter. Products that are split into two or three doses are usually spread across the day. Pick a time you will remember.
• With or without food: It is usually taken with food or just after a meal. That lowers the chance of stomach upset, the most common complaint.
• Time to effect: In leg vein trials, changes appeared over two to eight weeks. Blood pressure and blood sugar studies ran for similar lengths. It may do nothing at all for you. There is no quick, obvious effect to judge it by.
• How long to take it: Most trials ran from four weeks to three months. A few ran up to six months. Safety beyond about a year has not been well studied. If symptoms do not change after a couple of months, there is little reason to keep going.