Astaxanthin health benefits
Carotenoids — naturally occurring yellow, orange and red pigments — have really captured the attention of scientists and the nutritional supplement industry in recent years as more of their beneficial qualities are being uncovered. Carotenoids have antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory powers, and they stimulate your immune system.
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid primarily found in marine organisms, such as microalgae, salmon, trout, lobster, crayfish and shrimp. It’s one of the most popular carotenoid supplements because it has been shown to play an active role in preventing oxidative stress and inflammation, processes that are the root cause of several chronic diseases. Astaxanthin is currently being studied as a treatment for various types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, age-related ocular deterioration and neurodegenerative diseases, to name a few. The one downside is that it’s expensive to produce naturally, but scientists are working on that too.
Promoting healthy skin
Astaxanthin has a promising future in dermatology. Oxidative stress can damage the structural and functional proteins in your skin, encouraging inflammation and speeding up the aging process. When you combine these internal processes with the external damage caused by UV radiation, your skin begins to wrinkle and become hyperpigmented, and sometimes even cancerous. Astaxanthin is a multi-pronged tool for preventing and repairing damaged skin, with no adverse effects.
Further study is needed to fully explain the impact of astaxanthin on the skin, but scientists already know that it inhibits the breakdown of collagen and combats inflammation and oxidative stress. This can lead to powerful antiaging and antioxidant benefits. In addition, astaxanthin may also prevent immunosuppression triggered by UV radiation.
Fighting neurological disease
Astaxanthin is also starting to gain traction in efforts to combat neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A 2018 metastudy looked at how astaxanthin affects the human brain and combats neurological pathologies. Scientists found that astaxanthin’s unique chemical structure gives it the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and its oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic (cell death) properties can have a strong protective effect on your brain.
Since oxidative damage and inflammation are directly related to the onset of these neurodegenerative diseases, the protective function of astaxanthin is particularly exciting to those dedicated to preventing and treating such diseases.
Promoting eye health
There’s growing evidence that astaxanthin is effective in preventing and treating several different types of eye disease. When taken as food or as a nutritional supplement, it acts as a bioactive compound, positively affecting both the structure and the function of eye tissue.
These studies show that astaxanthin has the ability to directly address most, if not all, of the factors that cause eye diseases, such as cumulative oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Additional clinical trials are necessary to determine the best dosage and composition, but astaxanthin has an excellent safety profile with no adverse reactions reported.
Improving cardiovascular health
Researchers are also investigating whether astaxanthin can improve heart health, since oxidative stress can accelerate the onset of heart failure. There have been studies done on rats with high blood pressure and results show that it may help to improve cardiovascular fitness, but a small human trial conducted in Japan recently had very interesting results. 16 patients with heart failure took 12 milligrams of astaxanthin daily for 3 months. A significant reduction in oxidative stress was observed, particularly in patients whose baseline levels were highest. In addition, the patients showed improved cardiac contractility (the strength of the heart’s contraction) and exercise tolerance.
There are hopes that astaxanthin can be used to help lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease, but further studies are needed to test these applications.
Fighting cancer
Because it has some of the most potent antioxidant properties of all the carotenoids, there has been a lot of research done on using astaxanthin to prevent and fight various cancers. In trials, astaxanthin has impacted tumor growth in several different types of cancer. It was shown to resensitize pancreatic cells to the chemotherapy drug Gemcitabine and reduce prostate tumor growth in mice.
One study found that taking astaxanthin significantly reduced the proliferation rates of breast cancer cells and inhibited cancer cell migration (metastasis) while having no adverse effect on normal breast tissue cells. These results are very promising for the field of oncology.
Treating joint pain
Rheumatologists have been looking at the anti-inflammatory properties of astaxanthin and whether it may be able to play a role in the treatment of joint pain, particularly osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. However, more research on humans is needed.
A study of mice with osteoarthritis demonstrated that astaxanthin maintained cartilage homeostasis and mitigated the effects of arthritis by blocking inflammation, oxidative stress and cell damage.
An exercise supplement
Endurance athletes regularly turn to antioxidant supplements to reduce oxidative stress, enhance recovery and improve performance. There has been a lot of research into how astaxanthin can improve endurance during — and minimize fatigue after — exercise.
Results in mice have been very promising. So far, however, evidence of its benefits for exercise endurance in humans is still mixed. One study using human subjects found that astaxanthin supplements gave no exercise benefits, specifically with regard to muscle injury and recovery. Conversely, a more recent clinical trial demonstrated improved performance and enhanced whole-body fat oxidation rates in a group of male cyclists taking astaxanthin for just 7 days.
Boosting male fertility
Astaxanthin can have a positive effect on male fertility as well. Research done on several different animal species has shown astaxanthin to have a powerful protective and strengthening effect on fertility levels. Much more study is needed to support this claim in humans, although a 2005 double-blind study of 30 men who had been suffering from infertility problems returned some interesting results. Over the course of 3 months, the group who were given the highest dose of astaxanthin demonstrated significant improvement in metrics like sperm count and motility and improved fertility.
Best astaxanthin supplements
Nutrex Hawaii BioAstin Astaxanthin: available at iHerb Human clinical studies found this Hawaiian-grown supplement to have all kinds of benefits, including supporting joint, cardiovascular and eye health.
Sports Research Astaxanthin with Coconut Oil: available at iHerb Gluten-free and paleo-friendly, Sports Research Astaxanthin is formulated with coconut oil.
Jarrow Formulas Astaxanthin: available at iHerb To maintain freshness, Jarrow Formulas Astaxanthin contains virgin oil and rosemary. This formula also contains all-natural algae.
Lake Avenue Nutrition Astaxanthin: available at iHerb This supplement is formulated without GMOs or soy and it’s vegetarian-friendly.
California Gold Nutrition Astaxanthin: available at iHerb California Gold Nutrition Astaxanthin is gluten-, GMO- and soy-free. This supplement contains premium-quality algae.
Bryony Gilbey is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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