Astaxanthin is a carotenoid made by plants and algae, and found in marine seafood such as salmon. This carotenoid is also available as a food supplement either by itself or combined with other carotenoids. Krill oil has a high amount of astaxanthin. There are hundreds or thousands of beneficial carotenoids in the diet, and astaxanthin is only one of many that are healthy to consume. Long term research with daily supplementation is currently not available. Therefore, those who claim that people should be supplementing with this product in high doses daily for years and decades are not basing their recommendation on sound science and do not understand the complexity of the human body. The long term risks and danger of daily use are currently not known.

Buy Astaxanthin antioxidant carotenoid, Source Naturals, 2 mg, 60 Softgels

Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring carotenoid that is closely related to beta-carotene and Lutein. Because of its unique structure, it provides a wide range of antioxidant benefits. It may play a role in the protection of cell membranes against free radical attack. It is a natural concentrate of marine algae Haematococcus pulvialis, which is cultivated in the warm waters of Hawaii. Recent studies have indicated that astaxanthin is more powerful than its carotenoid cousin, beta-carotene, at trapping singlet oxygen free radicals.



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Supplement Facts:
Haematococcus pluvialis Algae Extract [ AstaREAL ] 20 mg
Yielding: Astaxanthin 2 mg
Suggested Use: 1 softgel a few times a week with meals since it is better absorbed when fat is present.

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Some of the Ingredients
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)
Citrus bioflavonoids (hesperidin, flavonols, flavones, naringenin, flavonoids, and quercetin)
Mixed carotenoids (astaxanthin, Lutein, carotene, cryptoxanthin, Lycopene, and Zeaxanthin)
Bilberry extract
Jujube extract
Ginkgo biloba extract
Mucuna pruriens
Wolfberry extract

Benefits and research studies
Astaxanthin is likely to be beneficial in conditions where antioxidants and other carotenoids are helpful.

Antioxidant protects fatty acids from oxidation
Effects of astaxanthin supplementation on lipid peroxidation.
Int J Vitamin Nutr Res. 2007.
An investigation was done on the effect of three-month astaxanthin (Astaxin) supplementation on lipid peroxidation in healthy non-smoking Finnish men, aged 19-33 years. The intervention group received two 4-mg capsules daily. Supplementation decreased in vivo oxidation of fatty acids in healthy men.

Q. I read on a website - "BioAstin Natural Astaxanthin is nature's strongest antioxidant. The antioxidant activity in this all-natural product is 550 times stronger than Vitamin E and 800 times stronger than CoQ10." One might infer that taking BioAstin would obviate the need for further Vitamin E and CoQ10 supplements, but it's a ridiculous way of saying so. Is astaxanthin the magic bullet they appear to be claiming it to be? I've posed questions to Nutrex and have yet to get a single response from them.
   A. There are thousands of plant and nutrient substances that have antioxidant potential and I prefer getting small amounts of a wide variety rather than a high amount of just one or a few. I do not find it helpful to make the types of comparisons that you mention. Each nutrient has its own benefits.

Blood pressure
Antihypertensive and neuroprotective effects of astaxanthin in experimental animals.
Biol Pharm Bull. 2005.
It can exert beneficial effects in protection against hypertension and stroke and in improving memory in vascular dementia.

Diabetic nephropathy
Prevention of diabetic nephropathy by treatment with astaxanthin in diabetic db/db mice.
Biofactors. 2004.
Chronic administration reduced the oxidative stress on the kidneys and prevented renal cell damage.

Dyspepsia, indigestion, gastritis
Efficacy of the natural antioxidant astaxanthin in the treatment of functional dyspepsia in patients with or without Helicobacter pylori infection: A prospective, randomized, double blind, and placebo-controlled study.
Phytomedicine. 2008.
Patients with functional dyspepsia were divided into three groups with 44 individuals in each group (placebo, 16mg, or 40mg astaxanthin, respectively). No curative effect was found in functional dyspepsia patients. Significantly greater reduction of reflux symptoms were detected in patients treated with the highest dose. The response was more pronounced in H. pylori-infected patients.

Exercise, physical exertion
Astaxanthin limits exercise-induced skeletal and cardiac muscle damage in mice.
Antioxid Redox Signal. 2003.

Fertility
Combined conventional/antioxidant "Astaxanthin" treatment for male infertility: a double blind, randomized trial.
Asian J Androl. 2005.
30 men with infertility and female partners with no demonstrable cause of infertility received conventional treatment according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), and either a strong antioxidant astaxanthin 16 mg/day (AstaCarox, AstaReal AB, Gustavsberg, Sweden) or placebo for 3 months. The effects of treatment on semen parameters, reactive oxygen species, zona-free hamster oocyte test, serum hormones including testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and Inhibin B, and spontaneous or intrauterine insemination (IUI)-induced pregnancies were evaluated. The results tended to improve in the astaxanthin group in contrast with the placebo group, though not reaching statistical significance.

Hardening of the arteries, atherosclerosis
Alpha-tocopherol and astaxanthin decrease macrophage infiltration, apoptosis and vulnerability in atheroma of hyperlipidaemic rabbits.
J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2004.

ORAC value, Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity score
I did a Medline search for the term " astaxanthin ORAC value " in 2011 and did not find an answer.

What do you think about this statement I read on a website: BioAstin Natural Astaxanthin is nature's strongest antioxidant. The antioxidant activity in this all-natural product is 550 times stronger than Vitamin E and 800 times stronger than CoQ10. The benefits of Astaxanthin include joint health, eye health, healthy immune system and increased energy levels? I take it and I will continue it. I don’t have a heart issue so I’m going to stop taking CoQ10. I am much more into holistic health.
   As of 2011 there's little human research to determine the long term health benefits of taking astaxanthin pills. The potency of its antioxidant status that you mention appears to be quite exaggerated. Although this product may be helpful for joint health, eye health, immune system and energy, long term studies are not available to know whether the benefits are real, and whether adverse effects may occur.

Regarding a question posed on about astaxanthin and ORAC value. ORAC is a measurement of "water soluble" antioxidant potential. The carotenoid in question is an oil soluble compound. Furthermore, ORAC does not measure for "singlet oxygen" quenching, the type of active oxygen species that astaxanthin is so prolific at scavenging in the body.
   Thanks for this information. If there are other chemists who have studied this topic in detail I would appreciate your input.

Prostate cancer
A preliminary investigation of the enzymatic inhibition of 5alpha-reduction and growth of prostatic carcinoma cell line LNCap-FGC by natural astaxanthin and Saw Palmetto lipid extract in vitro.
J Herb Pharmacother. 2005. Research and Development, Triarco Industries, Wayne, NJ
In this investigation the effect of the carotenoid astaxanthin was examined on 5alpha-reductase inhibition as well as the growth of prostatic carcinoma cells in vitro. The results show carotenoid astaxanthin inhibits 5alpha-reductase and decrease the growth of human prostatic cancer cells in vitro.

Side effects, risk
Astaxanthin supplements have not been used by humans long enough to know the full benefits and side effects. As such, I suggest not taking these pills more than two or three times a week.

Safety of an astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis algal extract: a randomized clinical trial.
J Med Food. 2003.
Thirty-five healthy adults took three gelcaps per day, one at each meal. Nineteen participants received gelcaps with an algal extract in safflower oil, containing 2 mg of astaxanthin each (treatment); 16 participants received gelcaps containing safflower oil only (placebo). Blood pressure and blood chemistry tests, including a comprehensive metabolic panel and cell blood count, were conducted. No significant differences were detected between the treatment and the placebo groups after 8 weeks of supplementation.

Regarding the warning on long term use- what danger is there in taking astaxanthin in such a way? I'm really excited about this supplement but I don't want to overdose or hurt myself with it.
   Since there have not been long term studies with astaxanthin supplement use in humans, I don't know if there are risks to its use. I am very cautious and conservative in my approach, and I prefer to err on the side of safety and prevention. It is a good idea to take occasional breaks from use,

I bought an astaxanthin product a few weeks ago. What is the time period I can safely use?
   Each person is different in their need, so it is impossible to say how long to take it but a good option if your doctor approves is to take it every other day and take one full week off each month. This is a general guideline.

The astaxanthin most likely being referred to above as "not intended for long term use" is derived from Pfaffia rhodozyma extract, not Haematococcus pluvialis (algae) which is the source of AstaREAL astaxanthin. AstaREA astaxanthin has been evaluated in multiple studies to determine its potential for adverse effects and genotoxicity. The lack of any adverse toxicological findings from any study on astaxanthin derived from Haematococcus pluvialis is supportive of a reasonable expectation of safety from its recommended use. In addition to 2% AstaREAL Astaxanthin powder and 10% oil, Fuji Health Science offers finished non-porcine (bovine) softgels in 2mg, 4mg and 6mg types. Fuji Health Science also offers a 4mg finished vegetarian capsule (V-Cap).
   Over decades of reviewing medical studies and research papers I have learned that results in lab studies or animals are not necessarily indicative of what happens when a human being takes the herbal extract or nutrient for prolonged periods. I do not recommend the non-stop daily use of any astaxanthin product until long term human studies are published.

Summary and review
There's little human research available regarding the exact health benefits of astaxanthin supplements. The ideal dosage of astaxanthin supplements for long term use is not known, nor do we know the long term risks.

Source
Haematococcus pluvialis is the richest source of natural astaxanthin and is now cultivated at industrial scale. Astaxanthin produced by Haematococcus is a product that has become a commercial reality through novel and advanced technology. Cultivation methods have been developed to produce Haematococcus containing 1.5 to 3% astaxanthin by dry weight, with potential applications as a pigment source in aquaculture, poultry feeds and in the worldwide nutraceutical market.

Suppliers
Algatechnologies has AstaPure line of astaxanthin. The company's newest product is a form of vegetarian AstaPure beadlets. This gelatin-free astaxanthin solution, which eliminates any concern regarding the use of beef derivatives, can be used in tablets or hard shell capsules. Algatechnologies' AstaPure line also includes 10% astaxanthin oleoresin extracted by supercritical CO2 extraction, gelatin and cold water dispersible beadlets, which can be used in dietary supplements, in functional foods and in cosmetics. The largest producer of natural astaxanthin for human consumption, Algatechnologies is located in Israel's Arava desert, an optimal location for algae cultivation due to the high light intensity in the area all year round.

Fuji Health Science. AstaREAL astaxanthin is extracted from haematococcus pluvialis by a solvent free supercritical CO2 extraction process. It contains esterified astaxanthin complex including other carotenoids: Lutein, canthaxanthin and -carotene. We'd like to make Dr Sahelian aware that Fuji has just published our 9th clinical study related to astaxanthin and cardiovascular benefit. In this study, 12 mg of AstaREAL was shown to increase HDL, lower blood serum triglycerides and elevate blood adiponectin levels. Joe Kuncewitch National Sales Manager Fuji Health Science, Inc. 3 Terri Lane, Unit 12 Burlington, NJ USA.