Tree Bark Supplement Reduces ADHD

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- According to new research, a plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, the antioxidant Pycnogenol, significantly reduces Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children when used daily for one month.

In the randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study, researchers from Germany found Pycnogenol helped reduce hyperactivity and improve attention, concentration and motor-visual coordination in children with ADHD.

"These findings are especially notable for parents who are concerned about overmedicating children diagnosed with ADHD. Many families are seeking natural options to avoid the potentially dangerous side effects of prescription drugs," said senior study author Peter Rohdewald, Ph.D., at the University of Munster in Germany.

Participants underwent a basic psychiatric examination by teachers and parents one month after the study began and one month after the end of the study.

Results revealed a decrease in hyperactivity compared to psychiatric examination scores at the start of the study. Participants who took placebo showed no significant improvement in these scores. The researchers also found one month after treatment ended, symptoms returned to their levels as measured before the study started in the Pycnogenol group.

In conclusion, investigators say these results strongly suggest the antioxidant's effect on reducing ADHD symptoms. They report, "The results of this study show Pycnogenol may serve as a safe effective treatment children diagnosed with ADHD."

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SOURCE: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2006;15:4