Maritime pine trees grow in countries on the Mediterranean Sea. The bark is used to make medicine. Maritime pine trees that grown in an area in southwest France are used to make Pycnogenol, the US registered trademark name for a commercially available maritime pine bark extract
Early research suggests that taking a standardized extract of maritime pine bark by mouth three times daily for 6 months lowers triglycerides, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure, and increases high-density lipoprotein ("good" or HDL) cholesterol in people with metabolic syndrome.
A more recent study was done with French Maritime Pine Bark for bone loss Osteopenia is characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD). It is an indicator and precursor for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects 200 million women worldwide; more prominently in older women. Some reports show three out of five postmenopausal women have osteopenia
The study was published in the Herbal Clips of the American Botanical Council. Supplementation of 250 mg/day of FMPBE may prevent bone loss and improve bone formation. This may be due to the inhibition of the bone remodeling rate. A possible mechanism may be through decreased oxidative stress and inflammation.