A daily supplement of the French maritime pine bark, Pycnogenol, could reduce the markers of inflammation by 15 per cent, says a joint German-Slovak study.

Inflammation is a normal protective and tissue repair response. However, chronic inflammation, brought about by an over-expression or lack of control of the normally protective mechanism, can lead to a range of inflammatory related diseases, including cardiovascular disease. The study, published recently in the Journal of Inflammation (Vol. 3), supplemented the diets of seven young, healthy volunteers (five men) for five days with Pycnogenol (200 mg). Blood samples were taken at day one after a 24 hour abstinence from flavonoid consumption, and again at day five.