| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Composition An open-label pilot study (n=24, ages 55-75) observed significant reductions in body weight and body fat percentage after 12 weeks of 480mg Enzogenol with vitamin C. No placebo control and confounded by vitamin C co-administration. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | 24 people | ||
Supplement
New Zealand pine bark extract, sold as Enzogenol, is a concentrated source of plant compounds called flavonoids from the bark of Pinus radiata trees, which act as antioxidants in the body. Its best-supported finding is for blood glucose, though the evidence is limited: in a small crossover trial of 25 healthy people, blood sugar peaked lower after a meal. Most of the other work was in diabetic mice, and the few human findings on blood pressure and blood flow came from one small pilot without a placebo group.
Sources: PMID 32075228; PMID 24611864
- Updated
- How we grade
- 5 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 2
- Outcomes
- 5
- Graded outcomes
- 0014
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Glucose An acute placebo-controlled crossover RCT (n=25) found 400mg Enzogenol significantly reduced postprandial glucose iAUC and peak glucose (8.9 to 7.9 mmol/L, p=0.025) in healthy participants with monophasic glucose responses. An animal study in db/db diabetic mice showed improved glucose tolerance and reduced HbA1c via AMPK activation, and in vitro assays demonstrated inhibition of α-glucosidase (IC50 13.02 μg/mL), α-amylase, and DPP-4 enzymes. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 3 studies | 25 people | ||
Studies that measured blood glucose
| ||||||
| Hepatic Lipid Metabolism In a diabetic mouse model (db/db mice), Enzogenol at 12.5-50 mg/kg reduced hepatic free fatty acids, cholesterol, and triglycerides via enhanced AMPK pathway activity. No human data available for this outcome. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 1 study | |||
Studies that measured hepatic lipid metabolism | ||||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Pressure An open-label pilot study (n=24, ages 55-75) found significant reductions in systolic blood pressure after 12 weeks of 480mg Enzogenol plus 240mg vitamin C. However, the study lacked placebo control and the co-administered vitamin C confounds attribution. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 24 people | ||
Studies that measured blood pressure | ||||||
| Blood Flow An open-label pilot study (n=24) reported increased basal and hyperaemic blood flow in forearm resistance vessels and reduced plasma viscosity after 12 weeks supplementation. Findings are preliminary due to lack of placebo control and vitamin C co-administration. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 1 study | 24 people | ||
Studies that measured blood flow | ||||||
Key findings
- Blood GlucoseImproves (the measure goes down)
- Body CompositionImproves (the measure goes down)
- Blood PressureImproves (the measure goes down)
Shop New Zealand Pine Bark Extract
Third-party tested New Zealand Pine Bark Extract products. The evidence above is limited, so read it before you buy.
- Grade C
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Studies cited
5 studies from PubMed
- The Inhibitory Effects of New Zealand Pine Bark (Enzogenol®) on α-Amylase, α-Glucosidase, and Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP-4) Enzymes.
- An Acute, Placebo-Controlled, Single-Blind, Crossover, Dose-Response, Exploratory Study to Assess the Effects of New Zealand Pine Bark Extract (Enzogenol®) on Glycaemic Responses in Healthy Participants.
- Enzogenol improves diabetes-related metabolic change in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice, a model of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
- Production, composition and toxicology studies of Enzogenol® Pinus radiata bark extract.
- Pilot study on the clinical effects of dietary supplementation with Enzogenol, a flavonoid extract of pine bark and vitamin C.