Benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH), a condition that affects half of men older than 60, is related to increased prostate gland size and a reduced flow of urine from the bladder. To test the effectiveness of the pine bark extract Pycnogenol on BPH, researchers from Italy’s D’Annuncio University divided 75 men with the condition into three groups: One was given 150 milligrams a day of Pycnogenol, another received standard non-drug management and the third was given conventional drug treatment. The researchers found that urination frequency, urgency, intermittency and nighttime occurrences significantly improved after 60 days of treatment among the pine bark extract group.

This article appears in the March 2019 issue of Natural Awakenings.