Astaxanthin Description

Astaxanthin is the miracle carotenoid, more accurately a xanthophyll that occurs in salmon, gives the pink hue to flamingos and is one of most powerful antioxidants known. Astaxanthin spreads out across the entire membrane of cells, protecting them from free radicals inside the cell membrane and even protects against free radicals at the surface of cell membranes as free radicals try to enter.

Humans cannot produce Astaxanthin and must obtain it from foods like salmon. Unlike carotenes, Astaxanthin cannot be converted into pro-vitamin A and cannot cause accumulation in the liver, thus avoiding toxicity.

The great antioxidant potency of Astaxanthin is explained by its structure – it is fat-soluble on both ends but water-soluble in the middle. This allows it to be both fat-soluble and water-soluble in the body's tissues.

Another remarkable feature of Astaxanthin is the fact that when oxidized the oxidized form of Astaxanthin cannot generate free radicals, unlike vitamin C or Quercetin, which do. Furthermore, Astaxanthin cannot be destroyed by free radicals. AST can either donate or accept free radicals because free radicals can either be minus one electron or carry an extra unpaired electron.

This Astaxanthin product delivers 6 mg. of Astaxanthin, the amount most commonly used in clinical trials. The Astaxanthin is pure Hawaiian Astaxanthin, exclusively extracted from Hawaiian marine algae, Haematococcus pluvialis.

Natural Astaxanthin is much more potent than synthetic Astaxanthin used by some companies.

The Amazing Properties of Astaxanthin

·       Protects both fat-soluble and water-soluble parts of cell membranes.

·       Donates or accepts electrons from free radicals.

·       Is non-toxic when oxidized.

·       Recycles E, C, Glutathione back to their reduced state in our cells.

·       Protects cell membranes form the inside and outside.

• Cannot be destroyed by free radicals.

Clinical Trials with Astaxanthin

In double-blind, randomized controlled human trials, Astaxanthin lowered oxidative stress in overweight and obese subjects and in smokers. It helped block oxidative DNA damage, lowered C-reactive protein (CRP) and other inflammatory biomarkers.

Astaxanthin supported a healthy lowering of triglycerides and helped raise HDL-cholesterol in another trial.

 Astaxanthin helped support healthy cognition in a small clinical trial. These results were backed up by an in vitro study where Astaxanthin helped support proliferation and differentiation of cultured nerve stem cells.

 In several Japanese trials, Astaxanthin supported better visual acuity and eye health. It helped support healthy reproductive performance in men and supported better stomach health than placebos.

In preliminary trials it showed promise for healthier sports performance in soccer and quicker recovery times after workouts.

In cultured cells studies, Astaxanthin protected the mitochondria against internally-produced oxygen radicals, conserved their antioxidant capacity, and enhanced their energy production for greater efficiency.

 Furthermore, Astaxanthin improved blood flow in an experimental microcirculation model. The concentrations used in these cells would all be attainable in humans by modest dietary intakes. Astaxanthin’s clinical success extends beyond protection against oxidative stress and has great promise for slowing age-related functional decline. Remarkably, Astaxanthin can easily cross the formidable blood-brain barrier.

Astaxanthin Compared to Other Antioxidants:

Astaxanthin compares extremely well to other natural antioxidants when it comes to scavenging free radicals and other reactive oxygen species, including singlet oxygen.

When it comes to free radical scavenging, Astaxanthin is:

40 times more powerful than vitamin C.

20 times stronger than Beta Carotene.

Astaxanthin has been shown to be more effective than other nutrients at quenching singlet oxygen, the reactive oxygen species generated by sunlight's UVA and UVB radiation:

75 times stronger that Alpha Lipoic Acid.

800 times stronger than Coenzyme Q10.

6,000 times stronger than Vitamin C.

550 times more potent than Green Tea catechins.

10 times stronger than Beta-carotene.

Chart #1. Comparison of Astaxanthin singlet oxygen quenching potency compared to other major antioxidants.

Make sure that you only buy Astaxanthin from pure Hawaiian sources. There are many synthetic Astaxanthin's out there and synthetic Astaxanthins have far less antioxidant potency than natural Astaxanthins.

Synthetic Astaxanthins are most often produced from petroleum products.

Astaxanthin produced from farm-raised salmon often has poor quality and purity and is taken much higher up the food chain than Astaxanthin which is purified directly from Pacific ocean algae. Astaxanthin from farm-raised or wild-caught salmon could have traces of mercury and other heavy metals known to be found in salmon, whether farm-raised or wild-caught. Many salmon contain added synthetic Astaxanthin to give the salmon a darker pink color so that consumers will find it more attractive in color.

In order to achieve beneficial levels of dietary Astaxanthin, you would have to eat unacceptably large amounts of salmon, which could put you at risk of accumulating excess amounts of mercury or other toxins found in the fish. The only sensible way to get clinical trial-relevant amounts of Astaxanthin is to supplement with a natural Astaxanthin, made from Hawaiian Haematococcus pluvialis microalgae.