PlainPill

Pycnogenol

People mainly take Pycnogenol for focus, libido, heart & lipids. Based on 28 first-hand reports and 22 meta-analyses & systematic reviews in the medical literature. Ranked #137 of 1,974 overall.

48
User score
Mostly positive
32% positive7% mixed0% negative61% unclear

Of reports that state an outcome, 82% are positive.

Clinical research
AStrong research base
22
meta-analyses
55
RCTs
517
papers

What Pycnogenol does, according to users

Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.

What the research says

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.

AStrong research base

3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.

Br J Sports Med · 2018 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Dietary supplements for treating osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Conclusion: The overall analysis including all trials showed that supplements provided moderate and clinically meaningful treatment effects on pain and function in patients with hand, hip or knee osteoarthritis at short term, although the quality of evidence was very low. Some supplements with a limited number of studies and participants suggested large treatment effects, while widely used supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin were either ineffective or showed small and arguably clinically unimportant treatment effects. Supplements had no clinically important effects on pain and function at medi

PubMed 29018060 ↗
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) · 2023 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Efficacy of L-arginine and Pycnogenol ® in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Conclusion: These results indicate that the combination of PAL may have a significant effect on improving sexual function in patients with mild to moderate ED. This study will provide clinicians with more options for treating patients with ED. More randomized controlled trials are needed in the future to further demonstrate the effect of combination therapy on sexual function in patients with ED.

PubMed 37908749 ↗

Dosage people report

As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.

dailyas reported
higher doseas reported
60 mgas reported
100 mgtwice daily
80 mg morning, 80 mg evening (160 mg total)2x daily
150 mgas reported

Reported side effects

How often each side effect came up across all reports.

No side effects reported so far.

What users say

Verbatim quotes, shortened only — each links to the original discussion.

Other options for focus

User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 2, 2026. How we rate