We all know that we can get carotenoid from eating carrots or taking Vitamin A which includes carotenoid, but have you ever heard about the little-known carotenoid called Astaxanthin?
Extensive studies have shown this to be something to add to your daily supplements.
Benefits from this “potent antioxidant” range from skin care to joint and heart due to its antioxidant properties. This herb is a very powerful antioxidant which thus far has not been surpassed by any other. To give you an idea, astaxanthin is 500 times more powerful than vitamin E and 6,000 times more powerful than vitamin C.
So what’s the different between this carotenoid and others that promote health. Well first, beta carotene has an orange color while astaxanthin is red and is reflected in the marine life it comes from such as lobsters, crab, shrimp and ocean salmon. interestingly enough it also gives flamingos their pink hue.
Since free radicals that damage cells tend to outweigh antioxidants which occur naturally, we need astaxanthin’s support. While most antioxidants only deal with a single free radical at any time, astaxanthin can battle a variety of free radicals at once. It has become a subject of research interest in terms of cancer treatments but further research is needed. A 2005 study revealed that astaxanthin could slow and reduce the development of cancerous cells.
Other Astaxanthin Benefits:
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- It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory and effective pain killer.
- Promotes skin health as per a 2012 study when taken internally or used topically to reduce wrinkles, age spots and blemishes as well as tone skin.
- Athletes reported increased endurance and quicker recovery reducing fatigue.
- Promotes eye health as it accumulates in one’s retina reducing eye strain, blurred vision and diabetic eye disease.
- Cardiovascular Health per a 2006 study improving blood circulation and increasing heart arterial wall thickness and vascular elastin. Has also been shown to increase production of HDL and decreased triglycerides.
- Promotes healthy brain by protecting brain neurons and slowing down cognitive decline associated with aging — a significant reduction in phospholipid hydroperoxide.
- Improved male fertility in a 2005 study where it improved sperm count and motility when taken in large doses. More research is needed in this area.
- Diabetes and obesity were reduced by astaxanthin’s ability to reduce blood sugar and improved insulin sensitivity. It has also been demonstrated to prevent diabetic neuropathy in animal studies.
- Immune system boost when supplemented with astaxanthin from its ability to stimulate disease and infection fighting while suppressing extreme responses which lead to inflammation and other unnecessary symptoms. It also stimulates production of white blood cells to protect against invaders and destroyed candida Albicans. It has been found to regulate immune response for asthma and other allergy sufferers to suppress an overreaction of the cells.
- Cancer prevention due to its high antioxidant level. It was shown to hinder replication of cancerous cells and growth of tumors by inducing cell death or apoptosis.
Since you can consume astaxanthin via dietary measures of regular marine creatures mentioned earlier this approach may fall short of dosage requirements to realize the true benefits of astaxanthin. Recommended dose is between 4mg and 8mg per day. Salmon only has 3.5 mg per 6 ounces so it’s more cost effective to purchase astaxanthin supplements.
Please note, there are no known side effects to astaxanthin and has been shown to be safe in doses as high as 50 or more mg a day for up to 3 months. It can take up to a month to see any real benefits and for athletic ability improvement you may need to take between 8 and 12 mg daily. I myself take 12 mg daily.