Hoboken, NJ --A new peer-reviewed, published study shows natural French maritime pine bark extract Pycnogenol effectively reduces lower leg swelling known as edema and relieves jet lag often associated with long-haul flights and road trips.

The study, published inMinerva Cardioangiologica, tested 295 individuals at varying risk levels for thrombosis, flying in economy class twice a week for more than eight hours. Three groups were tested -- a control group, a group wearing compression stockings and a group supplementing with Pycnogenol. These participants supplemented with 150 mg of Pycnogenol daily during the three days leading up to their travel, and the three days following.

Study participants were tested using D-dimer tests to detect blood clots and ultrasound scanning to study vein compression before and after each flight. Results show that along with standard measurement practices, study participants who supplemented with Pycnogenol experienced significant improvement of their edema symptoms, including:
  • Reduction of edema in the lower legs and ankle circumference compared to control groups (22.4 cm Pycnogenol /23.3 cm control/22.6 cm stockings)
  • Decrease in study participants who reported leg pain after flights (6% Pycnogenol/17% control/ 19% stockings)
Edema is one of the major risk factors of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and can result from lack of activity or being confined in a small space, like an airplane or car, for long periods of time. According to the CDC, each year as many as 900,000 people in the U.S. are affected by life-threatening blood clots formed in the lower leg, known as DVT, and studies show that 10% of long haul air passengers may be at risk, and hypertension can put individuals at higher risk.