Astaxanthin is a red pigment found in fish, shrimp, and some microalgae. It is a potent antioxidant that may help with skin aging, cardiovascular risks, protect the brain, and modulate the immune system. Read this post to learn more about the potential benefits of astaxanthin and how it may help optimize your health.
Astaxanthin (AST) is a naturally-occurring orange-red pigment carotenoid found in algae, shrimp, lobster, crab, and salmon.
Astaxanthin is made by the green microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis, Chlorella zofingiensis, and Chlorococcum, as well as by the yeast Phaffia rhodozyma.
The green algae H. pluvialis make high amounts of this antioxidant pigment when exposed to unfavorable conditions (such as high UV exposure) to reduce the damage from free radicals.
Animals that eat these microalgae or yeast take up astaxanthin. This explains why wild shrimp, lobster, crab, and salmon have bright red-orange colors. Wild salmon can contain up to 26-38 mg of astaxanthin per kg of body weight, whereas farmed Atlantic salmons typically have only 6-8 mg.
Although it is also a carotenoid, astaxanthin is not converted to vitamin A in the human body. Like other carotenoids, astaxanthin has self-limited oral absorption. Very high doses (up to 465 mg/kg/day for male and 557 mg/kg/day for female) caused no toxicity signs in rats.
However, overconsumption of astaxanthin can turn animal skin and tissues red, which is why astaxanthin is used in feed for farmed seafood and fish.
Astaxanthin is a highly fat-soluble substance, which means that it is better absorbed when consumed with fat.
When astaxanthin is ingested, it is digested and absorbed in a similar manner as fat (it is assembled into chylomicrons). The chylomicrons are absorbed into lymph circulation before remnants of astaxanthin are digested by lipoprotein lipases. Astaxanthin is then assimilated into lipoprotein particles to get transported into tissues.
This means astaxanthin can more readily affect the metabolism of fat and cholesterol, especially when it relates to cardiovascular health.
In rats, ingested astaxanthin was metabolized by first-pass liver metabolism primarily by the CYP450 enzyme.
Astaxanthin has been identified in most tissues, but not in the heart.
Antioxidant and immunomodulatory
May protect the skin
May help with exercise fatigue
May reduce the risk of heart disease
May protect the brain
As an antioxidant, astaxanthin is 10 times stronger than zeaxanthin, lutein and beta-carotene, and 100 times stronger than vitamin E.
The structure of astaxanthin allows it to enter cell membranes or stay outside of cell membranes, allowing it to protect cell membranes from both inside and outside the cell.
Supplementation with 2 mg astaxanthin for 8 weeks enhanced immune response and reduced the production of an inflammatory marker (CRP) in a clinical trial on 42 young healthy women.
Astaxanthin supplementation enhanced antibody production and decreased immune response in older animals.
Combined astaxanthin and fish oil supplementation modulated lymphocyte function in rats.
Because astaxanthin is not approved by the FDA for any condition, there is no official dose. Users and supplement manufacturers have established unofficial doses based on trial and error. Discuss with your doctor if astaxanthin may be useful as a complementary approach in your case and which dose you should take.
Beneficial results have been observed at 2 mg in humans with dose-dependent effects at 8 mg.
No signs of toxicity were found at very high doses (over 500 mg/kg of body weight) in mice.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2845588/ -
Astaxanthin decreased oxidative stress and inflammation and enhanced immune response in humans
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21972007/ -
Combined fish oil and astaxanthin supplementation modulates rat lymphocyte function.
Higher intakes of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids that are abundant in marine fishes have been long described as a "good nutritional intervention" with increasing clinical benefits to cardiovascular health, inflammation, mental, and neurodegenerative diseases. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of daily fish oil (FO-10 mg EPA/kg body weight (BW) and 7 mg DHA/kg BW) intake by oral gavage associated with the antioxidant astaxanthin (ASTA-1 mg/kg BW) on the redox metabolism and the functional properties of lymphocytes from rat lymph nodes.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3917265/ -
Astaxanthin: Sources, Extraction, Stability, Biological Activities and Its Commercial Applications—A Review
Abstract
There is currently much interest in biological active compounds derived from natural resources, especially compounds that can efficiently act on molecular targets, which are involved in various diseases. Astaxanthin (3,3′-dihydroxy-β, β′-carotene-4,4′-dione) is a xanthophyll carotenoid, contained in Haematococcus pluvialis, Chlorella zofingiensis, Chlorococcum, and Phaffia rhodozyma. It accumulates up to 3.8% on the dry weight basis in H. pluvialis. Our recent published data on astaxanthin extraction, analysis, stability studies, and its biological activities results were added to this review paper. Based on our results and current literature, astaxanthin showed potential biological activity in in vitro and in vivo models. These studies emphasize the influence of astaxanthin and its beneficial effects on the metabolism in animals and humans. Bioavailability of astaxanthin in animals was enhanced after feeding Haematococcus biomass as a source of astaxanthin. Astaxanthin, used as a nutritional supplement, antioxidant and anticancer agent, prevents diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders, and also stimulates immunization. Astaxanthin products are used for commercial applications in the dosage forms as tablets, capsules, syrups, oils, soft gels, creams, biomass and granulated powders. Astaxanthin patent applications are available in food, feed and nutraceutical applications. The current review provides up-to-date information on astaxanthin sources, extraction, analysis, stability, biological activities, health benefits and special attention paid to its commercial applications.
Synthetic astaxanthin product developer Cardax has released a white paper and reportedly filed a patent application on the ingredient's antiviral properties and in publicizing the fact has treaded on the disease claim line according to legal experts.
https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/article/2020/03/24/cardax-argues-for-study-of-astaxanthin-in-relation-to-coronavirus-legal-experts-question-strategy