Uncontrolled oxidation is very destructive. It is analogous to effects we see in our environment, such as the rusting of metal, the rotting of meat, the browning of apples or the hardening of old rubber. Oxidation in our body by free radicals is thought to be responsible for premature aging, wrinkling of skin, hardening of arteries, stiffening of joints, formation of cataracts, the initiation of cancer and much more.
We are constantly exposed to free radicals via such processes as antimicrobial activity by white blood cells and the absorption of chemical additives in our foods. Our ability to fight free radical damage effectively is compromised by our inadequate nutritional choices or diets that contain limited amounts of antioxidants. Antioxidant supplementation is necessary if we are unable to reduce our exposure to free radicals, but wish to counter their effect.
OPCs should be taken in conjunction with foods or dietary supplements rich in vitamin C, vitamin e, beta-carotene, and selenium, to name a few antioxidants.
In 1534, French explorer Jacques Cartier was leading an expedition up the St. Lawrence River. Trapped by bad weather, Cartier and his crew were forced to survive on a ration of salted meat and biscuits. Cartier's crew began to suffer from severe deficiency of vitamin C and showed symptoms of scurvy. Many crewmembers died before the surviving members encountered a friendly Native American who saved most of their lives. He told them to make a tea from the bark and needles of the pine tree to cure their malady. They complied and, as a result, Cartier and many crewmembers survived.
Some 400 years later, Professor Jacques Masquelier of the University of Bordeaux, France, read a book by Cartier detailing their expedition. He concluded that pine bark not only contained some vitamin C, but obviously was a good source of bioflavonoids, whose effects are similar to those of vitamin C. Further studies and research revealed that the pine bark contained an array of proanthocyanidins complexes. These compounds were also found in a variety of plants, including grape seeds, cranberries, peanut skin, lemon tree bark and citrus rinds. Masquelier termed the active ingredients of the pine bark "pycnogenols", which today are referred to in the scientific community as oligomeric proanthocyanidins, or OPCs.