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In a randomized trial of 67 women with osteopenia or stable osteoporosis, those assigned to French maritime pine bark extract reported better bodily-pain scores than those given placebo after three months. The trial was small, and its six-month extension gave the supplement to both groups, so it cannot establish longer-term benefit or prove that the extract treats bone loss.
A six-month clinical trial found that women with osteopenia or stable osteoporosis who took French maritime pine bark extract reported better bodily-pain scores after three months than women assigned to placebo. The study, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, involved 67 participants; its results concern self-reported quality of life, not proof that the supplement strengthens bones or prevents fractures.
Researchers tested Pycnogenol, a standardized French maritime pine bark extract, in a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Thirty-three women were assigned to the supplement and 34 to placebo for the first three months. The supplement dose was 100 milligrams twice daily. Participants then entered a three-month extension in which everyone received Pycnogenol.
The researchers assessed quality of life using questionnaires, including the SF-36v2. In that questionnaire, higher bodily-pain scores indicate better health status and less pain. After three months, the Pycnogenol group had significantly better bodily-pain scores than the placebo group, including after adjustment for baseline scores. At six months, the group treated continuously had higher scores than the group that started on placebo, but that comparison does not show a continuing placebo-controlled effect because both groups were then taking the extract.
Vitality scores were also significantly higher in the supplement group than in the placebo group at three months, but that difference was not maintained at six months. The researchers reported no moderate or serious adverse events and no clinically relevant laboratory abnormalities. One participant in the supplement group experienced dizziness and one in the placebo group experienced vomiting; both stopped treatment. Four people in the initial supplement group and three in the placebo group withdrew during the study.
Pain Scores, Not Bone Protection
The findings speak to reported pain and quality of life, outcomes that can affect day-to-day functioning for people living with low bone density. They do not establish that Pycnogenol reduces bone loss, raises bone density, prevents fractures, or can replace established osteoporosis care. The study’s authors described quality-of-life measures as secondary or exploratory outcomes; the trial was powered for bone-turnover markers reported separately.
The short-term safety observations may also be of interest, but a study of this size and duration cannot rule out uncommon or delayed harms. Readers should not interpret the results as a recommendation to start or stop a supplement or prescribed treatment. Decisions about osteoporosis care and supplements should be discussed with a qualified health professional.
Pycnogenol pine bark extract supplement
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How the Trial Was Structured
Osteopenia and osteoporosis involve reduced bone mass, while osteoporosis is associated with increased fracture risk. Clinical management commonly includes medicines that reduce bone breakdown or promote bone formation. The study examined a dietary supplement as a possible adjunct, against a background in which the source report says direct clinical evidence on Pycnogenol in people with osteopenia or osteoporosis had been limited.
Eligible participants were adults meeting German guideline criteria for osteopenia or osteoporosis, assessed using fracture risk and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. People taking ongoing antiosteoporotic medication, those with recent osteoporotic fractures, and those using other nutritional supplements were generally excluded, with specified exceptions. Researchers assessed participants at baseline, three months and six months, with telephone follow-ups at weeks six and 18. Blood tests covered blood counts, liver and kidney function, inflammation, and markers of mineral metabolism.
The trial ran from October 2021 to January 2024. Its first three months provided the main placebo-controlled comparison. In the following extension, all participants received the extract, limiting what the six-month results can say about effects relative to no treatment.
Limits of the Pain Findings
The available report does not provide the numerical size of the bodily-pain score difference, confidence intervals, or enough detail to judge how large the change may feel in everyday life. It also does not establish whether participants’ reported improvements corresponded to changes in pain medication use, mobility, or fracture risk.
Because the study was small and conducted at one center, its findings may not apply to all people with low bone density. The six-month phase cannot provide a continued placebo comparison: participants initially assigned to placebo switched to Pycnogenol. The report also notes that long-term safety remains uncertain, and the trial did not establish that the extract improves bone health outcomes.
Evidence Needed Beyond Six Months
The report does not specify a date for further results or a planned follow-up study. The researchers’ separate analysis of bone-turnover markers may add relevant information, but those markers would not by themselves establish fewer fractures or lasting improvement in symptoms. Larger, longer trials that retain a suitable comparison group would be needed to test how durable the pain-score finding is and to assess bone outcomes and safety over time.
For now, the finding is best read as an early, limited signal in self-reported pain scores, not as evidence that pine bark extract is a proven treatment for osteoporosis. Patients considering it should consult a qualified health professional, especially if they take medication or have a diagnosed bone condition.
Key Questions
What did the study find?
Women assigned to Pycnogenol for three months reported significantly better bodily-pain scores than women assigned to placebo. The trial measured quality of life and did not establish that the supplement prevents fractures or strengthens bones.
How many people took part?
The trial enrolled and randomized 67 women: 33 to Pycnogenol and 34 to placebo. Four participants in the initial supplement group and three in the placebo group withdrew during the six-month study.
Did the study show the supplement was safe long term?
No. Researchers reported no moderate or serious adverse events during the study, but the trial lasted six months and was small. It cannot establish long-term safety or rule out uncommon harms.
Did the extract improve bone density?
The reported quality-of-life findings do not show that Pycnogenol improved bone density or prevented fractures. The trial was powered for bone-turnover markers, which the source report says were covered separately.
Can the six-month results confirm lasting pain relief?
Not on their own. After the first three months, both groups received Pycnogenol, so the extension no longer included a placebo group for comparison. The study does not establish how long the reported pain-score difference lasts.
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