Ever since my inquiry for hard data on the much-vaunted antioxidant
Pycnogenol, a bioflavonid extracted from some sort of pine bark
existing only in France, I've had numerous private messages asking
if I'd received any info regarding Pyc's extravagant curative
claims. By accident, reading this May's issue of _Muscle & Fitness_
magazine, I ran into an article of objective reporting on precisely
this subject. It turns out that the active ingredient in Pycnogenol
is available in less expensive form--and perhaps more effective
form also--as an extract from mere grape seeds. In France the
grape-seed extract outsells Pycnogenol (the tree-bark form)
four to one. No wonder, given the ridiculously high price
of Pyc. As to whether this particular antioxidant does you any
good anyway, the article doesn't get into that too much.
Dan Pearlman
