The wide-ranging health benefits of Pycnogenol for women of all ages

Dr Franziska Weichmann, Manager of Scientific Communications and Product Development at Horphag Research, highlights benefits of Pycnogenol, a French maritime pine bark extract, offering women across all life stages a natural way to manage the physical and emotional challenges tied to hormonal changes

Women, regardless of age—whether young, middle-aged, or older—experience the ongoing effects of their reproductive health throughout their lives.

Every woman of reproductive age regularly experiences the impacts of menstruation. While for some it may be a minor monthly inconvenience, for others, it can significantly interfere with their daily life. Depending on their age, between 16 per cent and 91 per cent of menstruating women experience throbbing cramps in the lower abdomen, so-called dysmenorrhea1. Women aged 17 to 24 are often the most affected by severe discomfort during their menses. For up to 15 per cent of women suffering from dysmenorrhea, the cramps are so severe that they cannot attend work, school or other activities on a regular basis2. Menstrual cramps are often accompanied by additional symptoms such as back aches, sweating, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or tremors. In addition to age, risk factors for dysmenorrhea include smoking, higher BMI, heavy menstrual flow, depression, stress, childlessness and a family history of painful menstruation.

Endometriosis is a more severe and chronic condition that affects only around 5 per cent of women in the reproductive age, mostly diagnosed between 25 and 35 years old3. Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease in which endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus, causing pelvic pain during the menses and can even lead to infertility4. Severe abdominal cramps, discomfort during sexual intercourse, difficulty with defecation or urination are the most frequently reported symptoms.