is pycnogenol(pine bark extract) harmful?

here is pycnogenol info from iHerb

i know i already read that, hmm, where's mrs D when u need her.

if it's safe- then why is it not a more popular herb?? then say resveratrol?-which is in the same category.

Bruegger... I am leaving for a long break/hiatus.

But antioxidants are basically not harmful. They can be used
typically without harm in recommended doses. This holds true for those companies that have GMP...or other claims of clean and uncontaminated manufacturing practices.

Pycnogenols are more expensive than Grape Seed extract, which will do the same thing for less money.

Another useful antioxidant is quercetin. It is fairly expensive too.

I won't be here for about 7 weeks, so will be unable to answer your questions. I am leaving for an extended vacation with no internet access.
Please be careful and try not to try things willy nilly. There are many good reputable sites on Google to research what interests you or that you think you may need.

I'll see you in September...not a firm return date yet, I'm sorry.

ok, well the only things i tried willy nilly are these garlic oil(children's) ear drops, which are safe and pretty much not as strong as the other ones out there, and it is working quite well for the minor ear problems i was having. and this dry mouth spray which was also pretty much safe. and i was gonna try out butterbur for migraines, but there wasn't any good products out there for me to try with the butterbur so.

i think you may be wrong about one thing mrs D. pine bark extract is not the same thing as grape seed extract. grape seed extract you can find in many things, lotions, face cleansers. but pine bark extract you do not. also if u look into iherb's description, there are plenty more additional uses for pine bark that grape seed doesn't touch, periodontal disease, cholesterol(for the most part), hypertension, ADD, asthma, and allergies.

quercetin i can see helping out with some of them, but grape seed(resveratrol) i dont think so.

and onehttp://www.raysahelian.com/pycnogenol.html

and as suggested, when my pycnogenol(25mg)comes in the mail in a couple days, im probably gonna take it once or twice a week, with breakfast or a meal, just to see what it is/does, how my body reacts, etc etc. and probably continue that, for awhile.

You may find this interesting:

http://borntoexplore.org/pinebark.htm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...ycnogenol.html

We use grapeseed extract (which does not have high levels of resveratrol in them BTW) for allergies. It works well for both of us.

The resveratrol supplements out today, are very distinct from
grapeseed extract. Grapeseed extract has very small microgram amounts normally of resveratrol.
The resveratrol supplements are concentrated, and mostly do not come from grapeseed, but from Polygonum cuspidatum.
Even red wines vary considerably in the amount of resveratrol they have, some have next to nothing...other may be higher depending on type of grape and manufacturing processes.

More here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resveratrol

i may have to try this grape seed extract, which product do you use? the one with the resveratrol.... the jarrow formula?

believe you me, I'm the most fearful and cautious one out there when it comes to going into a vitamin/herb/supplement shop. in fact they are astounded, when they hear something like, "i dont think i want to put that harmful substance into my body" or "that substance wont react well in my system"\



i havent been able to find the pycnogenol chewing gum anywhere tho, maybe i can take a little powder out of the capsule and mix it with some chewing gum, as referred to in medline, it was said once thatmanny ramirez once wrapped his chewing tobacco in a piece of pine bark, or pine bark extract of some sort cuz he liked the taste of pine

I have bought grapeseed extract at both Puritan's Pride and Costco. We use 100mg a day during allergy season.

The resveratrol I bought was NOW brand 200mg from iherb.
http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Natur...aps/14767?at=0