U.S. Patent Number: 5,720,956, Date: Feb. 24, 1998 Decades of Proven  Cardiovascular Benefits for Masquelier's® OPCs and Pycnogenols  

"Europeans for forty years have benefited from OPC treatment to relieve capillary and circulatory disorders, primarily varicose veins. And the research, much of it done by Dr. Masquelier (the patent inventor) and colleagues, is compelling." 

  Masquelier's® Original OPCs  Research for Vessels and Arteries

"Several European medical studies show that Pycnogenol improves peripheral circulation, restores lost capillary activity, and strengthens weak blood vessels...  

Professor Artmann of the Department of Physical Engineering of Fachhochschule Aachen in Germany demonstrated in a series of experiments that Pycnogenol stabilizes red blood cells and maintains their proper flexibility. Pycnogenol not only stabilizes the leaky blood vessels by the proper cross linking of collagen, it stabilizes the red blood cells so that it is harder for them to squeeze through tiny leaks in blood vessels... 

"It has long been known that the capillary resistance is pathologically decreased in a considerable proportion of hypertensive subjects...Special mention should be made of the observation that, if hypertension is associated with a low capillary resistance, the incidence of cerebral insults (apoplexy or stroke) and retinal hemorrhage is essentially higher... 

"Hypertensive persons have greater risk of stroke and retinal hemorrhage. It is not the high blood pressure that was bursting the vessels, but it is the decreased capillary resistance and increased permeability that is the cause. The blood vessels do not have to burst. Our studies reveal that pathologically low vascular wall resistance can be normalized by treatment with Pycnogenol." 

"Fantastic Blood Vessel Fixer"

"It’s your lifeline—that intricate network of blood vessels, from tiny capillaries to large arteries and veins, that feeds blood to every bit of tissue from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. The integrity and strength of these blood vessels, combined with the proper functioning of your heart, are unquestionably paramount factors in your health and survival. If blood vessels grow old or diseased, fragile, thin, and leaky, your health is compromised. If blood-carrying oxygen doesn’t flow through properly, your heart muscle can be damaged, your brain cells may die or malfunction, your leg muscles may cramp and cause pain, your vision may diminish. If a blood vessel leaks or bursts, you may suffer a brain hemorrhage or “bleeding stroke,” or tiny spider veins may appear on the surface of your skin. Your gums and nose may bleed; varicose veins may bulge in your legs. Fluid may leak through permeable blood vessels, causing swelling or edema. Nothing is more critical than the vitality of those miles of capillaries, veins, and arteries that make up your circulatory system. 

"Yet has anyone ever told you of a (nutrient) that can actually strengthen fragile and weakened blood vessels, restoring them to normal health, reversing and preventing circulatory disasters? 

"There is such a unique natural remedy ... extensively used in Europe with amazing success. There’s no other medicine like it anywhere. Derived commercially from grape seeds and the bark of the pine tree, it is a mixture of antioxidant molecules, variously called proanthocyanidins, procyanidins, proanthocyanidolic oligomers (PCO), oligomeric procyanidins (OPC), pycnogenols...  

"OPC, as it’s commonly called in scientific circles, is expert at treating vascular diseases because it actually increases the structural strength of weakened blood vessels. It also has other biological activity and is one of the most potent antioxidants known—fifty times as powerful as vitamin E, according to some tests. Antioxidants can help neutralize the underlying chemical cause (free radicals) that promotes most diseases.  

"Research on OPC is just beginning in the United States, so there are few scientific data in American medical journals or textbooks to back up therapeutic claims. But there are four decades of proven use in Europe, especially France, to be excited about. Many Americans are already raving about the wondrous relief they have experienced from taking OPC, and its popularity is sure to soar as its benefits become even better known. Some experts call OPC a superstar among botanical supplements, the one with the most potential of all for benefiting human health." 

"In 1995 a major review of the research by Italian investigators concluded that OPC indeed worked, sometimes better than other potent human-made pharmaceutical drugs. One 1981 well-conducted (double-blind) study of fifty patients with varicose veins found that 150 milligrams of grape seed OPC (Endotelon [Masquelier's® tradename in France*]) a day worked faster and longer than a commonly prescribed pharmaceutical drug (Diosmine) in reducing pain, sensations of burning and tingling, and the degree of distention of the veins. All symptoms improved within thirty days. In another study, giving patients with widespread varicose veins just a single dose 150 milligram dose of OPC improved the tone of their veins, as meticulously measured by a standard test. Another 1985 double-blind controlled study of ninety-two French patients with 'venous insufficiency' or varicose veins, showed that 300 milligrams of grape seed OPC daily for twenty-eight days reduced pain, tingling, night leg cramps, and swelling by more than 50 percent. Seventy-five percent of the patients improved on the grape seed OPC, making it twice as effective as the dummy pill." 

Masquelier's® Original OPCs  Research for Brain Function

"Pycnogenol is important to brain function, not only because it protects blood vessels, but also because it is one of the few dietary antioxidants that readily crosses the blood-brain barrier to protect brain cells. The blood-brain barrier protects the brain from compounds that normally circulate in the blood. Brain cells are very sensitive to some compounds, even though they may not damage other cells in the body or even be needed by other cells... 

"There are indications that even sluggish memories are improved, perhaps due to better circulation and cell nourishment... 

"The strengthening of capillaries and other blood vessels helps protect against stroke. In earlier sections, I discussed how Pycnogenol increases capillary resistance and strengthens blood vessels. It has significantly increased the life span of rats that are genetically hypertensive and prone to early death from stroke. "

"In laboratory experiments in which blood is rapidly injected into brain blood vessels, dramatically increasing the blood pressure within those vessels for a brief time, Pycnogenol shows a significant protective effect." (5) 

Masquelier's® Original OPCs is an approach that is totally safe to use, employing a 100% non-toxic and natural -- and powerfully effective -- nutritional method. It involves the use of an antioxidant nutritional compound from France that has produced stunning health results across Europe for over a decade, and that many progressive doctors are now beginning to recommend here in the United States and Canada.  

This compound is a patented extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree and grape seeds (U.S. Patent Number 4,698,360). In an easy to swallow tablet form, Masquelier's® Original OPCs has been hailed by researchers as the most potent, natural antioxidant compound ever discovered.    

Professor Dr. Masquelier named the OPC mixture "PYCNOGENOL" from the Greek "PYCNO" meaning to "thicken or condense," "GEN" meaning "to generate" and "OL" from their chemical name. 

United States Patent 4,698,360: "The invention provides a method for preventing and fighting the harmful biological effects of free radicals in the organism of warm blooded animals and more especially human beings, namely cerebral involution, hypoxia following atherosclerosis, cardiac or cerebral infarction, tumour promotion, inflammation, ischaemia, alterations of the synovial liquid, collagen degradation, among others. The method consists in administering to said animals and especially to human beings an amount, efficient against said effects, of a plant extract with a proanthocyanidins content which has a radical scavenger effect, the extract being in the form of a medicament and coming more especially from the bark of conifers." 

This patented compound is not a drug and is now readily available in the U.S. without a prescription. Moreover, it is far less costly than traditional drug therapy. It is as safe to use as vitamin C. However, as an antioxidant supplement, it is actually 20 times more powerful than vitamin C, and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E.  

United States Patent 5,720,956: "A method of inhibiting platelet aggregation with an agent which is able to normalize and enhance platelet reactivity without adversely affecting the bleeding time. The method additionally prevents adrenaline-induced platelet aggregation." 

"As an antioxidant, Pycnogenol, is a blend of special bioflavonoids, reduces free-radical-caused tissue damage many times more effectively than vitamin E, potentiates the health-giving effects of vitamin C, and protects brain and nerve tissue with its nearly unique ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier."

"Still, this information will be new to many, including health professionals. We mentioned that the pace of antioxidant research is quickening, but it hasn't been an easy accomplishment. In the 1970s, whenever one of your authors described the health benefits of antioxidants, medical professionals would scoff at the idea that so many conditions could be alleviated or prevented with antioxidants. The health professionals did not understand how free radicals attacked the body to cause or be involved with nearly eighty diseases. Nor did they understand how antioxidant nutrients protected against free-radical damage. Without this knowledge, it was impossible for them to understand how antioxidants protected us from so many different diseases. Thus the typical reaction was disbelief and ridicule. Fortunately, through the years many research reports appeared in medical as well as scientific journals. Now cardiologists, oncologists and many other medical specialists and health professionals understand how one group of nutrients can protect us against so many different - and seemingly unrelated - diseases."   atherosclerosis, Angina, Heart Attack and Stroke

  When these blockages become severe

"We know that the arteries that supply the heart with blood can become progressively clogged over time with cholesterol and other deposits. When these blockages become severe, the heart does not receive enough blood and it become starved for the oxygen carried in the blood. If this deprivation is brief, the result is chest pain (angina); if prolonged, the part of the heart not receiving enough blood actually dies and turns into scar tissue. This is called a heart attack... Similarly, blockages in an artery that lead to the brain can cause a stroke, in which part of the brain dies from lack of blood flow.

"On one level, therefore, blockages in the coronary arteries lead to chest pain and heart attacks, and blockages in the brains' arteries leads to strokes." 

"Strokes are the result of brain cells being damaged either by not receiving blood or by excessive pressure from blood pooling in brain tissue. The former is caused by blood clots that block flow, while the latter is caused by arteries bursting and leaking." "Q. How do cholesterol deposits form?

A. The process is very complicated, but it’s important to remember that free radicals are involved and that Pycnogenol, as an antioxidant, is protective. Cholesterol is not, soluble in blood, so it is carried in particles called lipoproteins. Two important lipoproteins are low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). The cholesterol carried by LDL, often called the “bad cholesterol,” is carried to the cells from the liver. The cholesterol carried by HDL is often called the “good cholesterol” as it is being carried away from cells and back to the liver. Cholesterol deposits form only when LDL becomes damaged by oxidation—that is, by free radicals. It’s then called “oxidized LDL.” Oxidized LDL can infiltrate the artery wall and initiate a series of events that traps the cholesterol in the oxidized LDL. White blood cells, sensing that something is wrong, are attracted to the site and help form a lesion (cholesterol deposit).  

"Q. How does Pycnogenol protect against cholesterol deposits? 

A. LDL is oxidized only when the amount of antioxidants is insufficient to protect the LDL against oxidation. The prime antioxidant that protects LDL is vitamin E. Pycnogenol can recycle vitamin C, which, in turn, can recycle vitamin E. Pycnogenol can also destroy the free radicals before they reach LDL to cause damage. The tendency to form oxidized LDL, and hence the cholesterol deposits (atherosclerosis), is dependent on two factors: the amount of LDL and the balance between antioxidants and free radicals. Both are important, but the antioxidant/free radical balance is the more Important of the two. 

"It’s also important to recognize that the so-called bad cholesterol, the LDL, is not bad unless it is deprived of antioxidants LDL is needed to transport fat-soluble antioxidants (such as vitamin E) through the blood stream, which means it’s essential for health. But like the rest of the body, LDL cholesterol also needs antioxidants to stay healthy." 

The Arterial lining

"Pycnogenol also maintains the health of the endothelium, the arterial lining. A 1994 study showed that blood vessels subjected to a strong oxidant (free radical) were not damaged nearly as much if they were pretreated with Pycnogenol. Cell viability was better, there was less evidence of lipid peroxidation, and fewer signs of tissue damage in the arteries. The reason was simply that the endothelium was protected from oxidative damage by the OPCs in Pycnogenol. If the endothelium is not damaged, there is no place for oxidized LDL to plant itself and the vessel remains healthy and flexible. Pycnogenol does double duty against atherosclerosis." 

Masquelier's® Pycnogenols and OPCs "Normalize and enhance platelet reactivity"

"Cholesterol deposits by themselves don’t cause a heart attack. They are a major contributing factor to forming the blood clot that causes the heart attack. As long as the blood can squeeze by the narrowing caused by the cholesterol deposits in good volume, the heart will receive sufficient oxygen and nutrients to keep the heart tissue alive.  

"A critical factor then is to maintain the proper “slipperiness” of the blood cells and prevent a blood clot from forming in the coronary arteries. Pycnogenol has a protective anti-aggregation (anticlotting) effect on blood platelets. It is particularly effective against the damage to platelets from stress and smoking." (8) 

Masquelier's® Pycnogenols and OPCs Maintains adequate nitric oxide levels

"Pycnogenol is great at neutralizing peroxynitrate. It also reduces the amount of superoxide available that makes the peroxynitrate and it helps to regulate the nitric oxide production so that it stays in balance. That means that your immune system works better, your joints hurt less, and your blood flows better, all because of Pycnogenol. Why didn't we mention this awful free radical before?... Other antioxidants may help, but presently researchers have only noticed OPCs working on this problem." (10) 

"Blood pressure is strongly influenced by nitric oxide levels in the blood, a compound that controls the relaxation of blood vessels and inhibits the angiotension converting enzyme (ACE), which raises blood pressure. Pycnogenol maintains adequate nitric oxide levels, controlling vasorelaxation and inhibits angiotension converting enzyme (ACE)... 

"Several researchers, including Dr. David Fitzpatrick of the University of South Florida and Dr. Lester Packer of the University of California, Berkley, have conducted research on Pycnogenol and nitric oxide... Dr. Fitzpatrick conducted tests to determine the effect of Pycnogenol on portions of the aorta (the main artery of the heart). He found that it improved the production of nitric oxide in the endothelium, which in turn had a relaxing effect on the aorta. The results were published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology... 

"Dr. Miklos Gabor and his colleagues at the Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Medical University in Szeged, Hungary along with Dr. Peter Rohdewald of the University of Muenster, Germany, found that Pycnogenol has a dose-dependent action in blocking ACE from raising blood pressure. Based on their study, published in Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Letters, the researchers described the hypotensive effect of Pycnogenol as “moderate” and people with normal or low blood pressure will not be affected, whereas those with high blood pressure due to too much ACE will benefit." 

"It also appears that Pycnogenol relaxes the blood vessels by counteracting the effects of adrenaline, the excitement hormone that is found in stress cases. This is particularly important in capillaries, where Pycnogenol has been shown to strengthen the vessel walls and open them for greater blood flow. Like the sprinklers in an irrigation system deliver the water, it is capillaries that actually deliver blood and nutrients to the body cells. That means every tissue in the body benefits."   Masquelier's® Pycnogenols and OPCs Can reduce the inflammations  linked to Heart Disease

"Evidence shows that chronic inflammation from ordinary bacterial infections significantly increase the incidence of heart disease. It may seem strange to find that ordinary infections, such as periodontal (gum) disease, are linked to heart disease, but inflammation activates white blood cells, which use free radicals to destroy bacteria and other “foreign” objects in the blood. Some of these free radicals leak out, oxidizing LDL and damaging the linings of arteries. Pycnogenol helps in a couple of ways. As an antioxidant, it neutralizes these free radicals. It also decreases the body’s production of cellular adhesion molecules, which help bacteria stick to blood vessel walls." (8) 

Masquelier's® Pycnogenols and OPCs Regenerates vitamin C which, in turn, Regenerates vitamin E

"Vitamin E is important to the heart and arteries in more ways than protecting LDL from oxidation. As an example, vitamin E is vital to maintaining a healthy lining of the arteries. Tears in the lining of arteries are another way in which deposits can form. Pycnogenol is a secondary factor in every way that vitamin E helps, as Pycnogenol regenerates vitamin C, which in turn, regenerates vitamin E. All of the antioxidants together form one terrific team to prevent heart disease. 

"Q. How does Pycnogenol protect us from stress? 

 
A. When we are under stress, our adrenaline really flows. Unfortunately, adrenaline activates the blood platelets, so that they have a greater tendency to clump together and form a blood clot. While Pycnogenol can’t make the cause of your stress go away, it can help by keeping your blood “slippery” (as an anticoagulant) to reduce the chances of heart attacks and strokes." 

Platelet Aggregation (Heart Attack & Stroke)

"Platelet aggregation is a serious problem in cardiovascular disease. Platelet aggregation simply means that blood cells are abnormally clotting in the bloodstream. If platelets accumulate and clot in the coronary arteries near the heart muscle, blocking blood flow to the heart muscle itself, the result is myocardial infarction (the most common type of heart attack). If the same situation occurs in the brain's arteries, the result is stroke. Pycnogenol keeps platelets from clumping together, reducing the risk of both heart attack and stroke. A number of other factors cause platelet aggregation, including smoking and blocks adrenaline to stop both of these factors from producing more clotting." 

"Q. How does Pycnogenol help keep the blood slippery and free flowing to prevent the clots that cause heart attacks? 

 
A. Studies conducted by Dr. Peter Rohdewald in Germany and Dr. Ronald Watson in the United States show that Pycnogenol blocks the effect of the stress hormone adrenaline on blood platelets, thereby reducing the platelets’ tendency to clump together to form blood clots. When a person is under stress, large amounts of adrenaline are released, which cause the blood platelets to clump together. Pycnogenol is particularly effective against increased platelet aggregation (stickiness and increased clotting tendency) caused by smoking.  

"Dr. Watson’s research was presented at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting in May 1998 in Washington, D.C., and his research has since been submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific journal for publication. In the study, a single dose of 100 mg of Pycnogenol protected subjects’ platelets for 12 hours after ingestion and a dose of 200 mg protected for up to two to three days. Regular daily doses at lower doses are expected to show the same benefit, and studies are planned to verify this. 

"This protective effect of Pycnogenol is achieved by blocking the hormonelike substance prostaglandin, which activates platelets so that they can form clumps when the body needs to stop bleeding. Pycnogenol inhibits platelet aggregation by inhibiting the enzymes thromboxane A2, 5-lipoxygenase, and other clotting compounds. Furthermore, this protection comes without an increased risk of prolonged bleeding times, or the side effects common to aspirin. 

"Q. Isn’t this the same way that aspirin works to prevent heart attacks? 

 
A. Not exactly — and the difference, though technical, is important. Pycnogenol inhibits the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase, whereas aspirin inhibits the enzyme cyclooxygenase. 

"Aspirin is widely prescribed by cardiologists to protect against heart attacks. The first studies showed that the proper dosage of aspirin can reduce the incidence of another heart attack in heart patients. Later studies showed that aspirin can also reduce the risk of having a first heart attack. So far, this sounds good, but unfortunately, many people develop serious problems with prolonged aspirin use. They can develop ulcerated linings of the gastrointestinal tract and an increased tendency to bleed. This can cause internal bleeding serious enough to result in death. Some people have been known to develop this condition suddenly and without warning. While aspirin therapy has benefit for many people, you should check with your doctor before taking it on a long-term basis." 

What does Aspirin do?

"A large clinical trial was established to see if aspirin prevented heart attacks. The Physicians’ Health Study, as it was called, randomly divided over 22,000 doctors into two groups: one group took an aspirin every other day, the other group took a placebo. Until the study was completed, only an independent data monitoring board knew who took which. (Bristol-Myers, maker of Bufferin aspirin, helped to fund this study.) Neither group was asked to make lifestyle changes. 

"After five years of follow-up, the group that took aspirin had 44 percent fewer nonfatal heart attacks than the placebo group. For ethical reasons, the study was stopped early, news was made, and it seemed that everyone should start taking aspirin.  

"A closer look at the results of that study revealed that while aspirin did reduce the incidence of heart attacks, it increased the risk of hemorrhagic strokes: bleeding into the brain. The group that took aspirin had over twice the incidence of moderate to severe hemorrhagic strokes when compared with the placebo group. Also, the incidence of sudden cardiac death was almost twice as high in the aspirin group, and the incidence of gastric and duodenal ulcers was almost twice as high in the aspirin-treated group. Although the group taking aspirin had fewer heart attacks, overall, there was no difference between the two groups in number of deaths resulting from heart disease or from all causes of death. Similar results were found in the British Doctors’ Trial. 

"This is not surprising. Heart attacks usually occur when a small blood clot lodges in an artery that is already significantly blocked with cholesterol and other deposits—so the blood clot is the final blow in a person who already has significant coronary atherosclerosis. Since aspirin interferes with blood clot formation, the incidence of heart attacks decreases. For the same reasons, though, the risk of bleeding in your stomach or brain or heart increases." 

Compared to Masquelier's® OPCs  and Pycnogenols?

"On the other hand, Pycnogenol is safe and does not cause increased bleeding or the side effects of aspirin. In the studies by Drs. Rolidewald and Watson, it was found that 100 mg of Pycnogenol achieved the same desired effect on blood platelets in smokers as 500 mg of aspirin—and without the prolonged bleeding and other side effects of aspirin." 

In Review

"Since OPC is an antioxidant, research shows it fights cholesterol by discouraging deposits from forming in artery walls. OPCs anti-inflammatory activity may help relieve inflammatory conditions... OPC also corrects dangerous blood clotting tendencies that trigger heart attacks and strokes. Dr. Ronald Watson ... recently confirmed that OPC (Pycnogenol) normalizes platelet aggregation - blood stickiness leading to hazardous blood clots. He showed that when people smoked, their platelets clumped together in a tendency to form clots. But about twenty minutes after taking OPC, their platelets returned to normal." 

Masquelier's® OPC is "a patented peak performance nutrient. It is among the best new weapons I use in my program to maintain overall good health for longer and longer periods of time." - Steven Lamm, M.D. In France, Masquelier named his product PYCNOGENOL, but now he cannot use his trade name within the United States because of Horphag. However, he has won the rights back to his PYCNOGENOL trade name in many other countries, including Australia. Therefore, until the trademark issue is resolved in the United States, Masquelier's® true OPCs patented invention is known by his name, MASQUELIER's®.  

*How can I identify the  Masquelier's® Original OPCs in the American market?

While the legal issues of terminology are settled in the United States courts, Masquelier and INC have added the newer trademark to identify his invention across the world, his name, MASQUELIER's®. Masquelier's® name GUARANTEES Masquelier's® genuine extract and to distinguish his original OPCs products from inactive bioflavonoids, generic grape seed and pine bark extracts and other offshoot products, passed off by unauthorized competitors. 

Don't rely only on "OPCs" Look for MASQUELIER's® Name and Patent...

Most certainly "OPCs" is the group of active principles that has brought the "grape seed extract" category of products to fame. But OPCs or OPC is a term that covers many different and complex molecules. When it comes to comparing health benefits, the complexity of the OPC extracts squarely prohibits equating the benefits of untested products with the well-tested authentic MASQUELIER's® patented OPC. And because the term "OPC" is often abused and misunderstood, "OPC" is an insufficient yardstick when it comes to measure the health-benefits of differing products. Look for Masquelier's® name and patent on the bottle. 

Masquelier's® routine and extensive analytical testing serves as a guarantee of constancy and uniqueness for this classic, most authentic, most researched and most renowned product in the branded & tested product category.  

To FEEL the best results, look for MASQUELIER's® name and patent on the bottle. 

The Safety Factor

"Pycnogenol studies carried out at the Pasteur Institute in Lyon, France, have shown it to be nontoxic to humans. In one study, daily doses of up to 35,000 mg were given for six months, with no adverse effects. Pycnogenol should be viewed as a completely safe nutrient." 

Analytical batch testing serves consumers in an important but indirect way. It is the supplier's guarantee to purchasers and authorities that the consumer gets the product that was tested in research. 

Masquelier's® Original OPCs routine and extensive analytical batch-to-batch consistency testing both in France and in the USA serves as a guarantee of constancy and uniqueness for this classic, authentic, researched and renowned product.  

Also especially gratifying is that so many are finding this patented compound is literally providing a non-drug, 

new lease on life for many thousands of people.  

 Order Masquelier's®  Original OPCS/Proanthenols