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Pine

Pine is a tree whose shoots, needles and bark are used to make medicine. Pine products are used for inflammatory swellings in the lower respiratory tract, blocked nose, hoarseness, colds, coughs, bronchitis, fever, a tendency to infections and blood pressure problems. Some people apply pine products directly to the skin for muscle and nerve pain.

How do pine products work?

Pine contains chemicals that may have activity against inflammatory pain and swelling. Pine products also appear to be somewhat effective in killing bacteria and fungi.

How effective are pine products?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of pine products for inflammatory swelling of the lower respiratory tract, mild muscle pain, nerve pain, blood pressure problems, colds, coughs, bronchitis and fever. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of pine products in these applications.

Safety and side effects

There is not enough information to say whether pine products are safe and harmless or what side effects they may have.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Not enough is known about the use of pine products during pregnancy and breastfeeding. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid pine products. Asthma, allergies: Pine pollen can aggravate allergy symptoms. This even applies to people who have had a negative skin test for a pine allergy.

Interactions

There is currently no information on interactions between pine products and medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of pine products depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to determine appropriate dosage ranges for pine products. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Harris RM, German DF. The incidence of pine pollen reactivity in an allergic atopic population. Ann Allergy 1985;55:678-9.
  2. Karonen M, Hamalainen M, Nieminen R, et al. Phenolic extractives from the bark of Pinus sylvestris L. and their effects on inflammatory mediators nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2.J Agric Food Chem 2004;52:7532-40.
  3. Motiejunaite O, Peciulyte D. Fungicidal properties of Pinus sylvestris L. for improvement of air quality. Medicina (Kaunas) 2004;40:787-94.