We continue to search for the best jet lag remedies, since suffering from disrupted sleep patterns can throw a wrench in your travel itinerary.  Though melatonin is the "go to pill" for many, pycnogenol or grape seed extract may be a great option too.  It actually comes from the French maritime pine tree and a recent study showed that it reduced jetlag in passengers by nearly 50%.  The 2 part study involved a brain CT scan and a separate scoring system.  Pycnogenol lowered symptoms like:

• fatigue
• headaches
• insomnia
• brain edema

And it did so in both healthy patients and those who had high blood pressure.  Researchers also noticed (as had been shown in previous studies) that leg edema, a common side effect noted in longer flights, was reduced considerably. 

People more typically struggle with jet lag when they fly across time zones, say from America to Asia or Europe, but it can affect travelers just flying from the West to East coast too.  In this study, travelers took 50 mgs. of oral Pycnogenol three times a day, starting 2 days before their flight and continuing for the next 5 days (total 7 days).  Scientists then examined these 133 passengers and had them fill out questionnaires within 48 hours after the end of each flight (both directions).

Prior studies had shown benfits of taking Pycnogenol to prevent leg edema, DVTs and SVTs and to improve blood circulation.

(This study was consucted at the G. D'Annunzio University in Pescara, Italy).