What is Astaxanthin?
Astaxanthin is made by algae and is consumed by many aquatic animals.
Why are flamingos pink?
Because they get astaxanthin from the algae in their diet. Flamingo chicks are not born pink, they accumulate astaxanthin from their diet as they grow.
How can salmon swim for miles and jump over 6 foot rapids?
Salmon flesh gets its color from astaxanthin too. Astaxanthin improves their muscle function, making their exceptional endurance possible.
Flamingos and salmon can’t make astaxanthin, they have to get it from the algae in their diet. These algae make astaxanthin because it’s an antioxidant that helps them survive harsh conditions. Normally, these algae are green, but when they are exposed to high illumination they are threatened by free radicals that form by exposure to the sun’s UV rays. The algae respond by making astaxanthin, which is a red antioxidant that neutralizes harmful free radicals.
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, like beta-carotene from carrots and lycopene from tomatoes. The carotenoids in these fruits and vegetables are healthy antioxidants too, but astaxanthin is the strongest antioxidant of them all! Astaxanthin can neutralize oxygen free radicals 4.9 times better than beta-carotene and 1.6x better than lycopene.
Just like flamingos and salmon, humans can’t make astaxanthin. But unlike aquatic animals, humans don’t get enough astaxanthin in their diet. The best source of astaxanthin for humans is a natural astaxanthin oil extracted from an alga called Haematococcus pluvialis. This is a single celled green alga that grows naturally in freshwater all over the world. It thrives in harsh environments exposed to lots of sunlight where most other algae can’t compete, like shallow pools, birdbaths and rain gutters. This algae is a powerhouse of natural astaxanthin production!
Since astaxanthin’s health benefit discovery, many companies have come out to produce natural astaxanthin. Only one company produces astaxanthin indoors to protect it from pollutants, in a controlled environment, and in the USA; and that’s AstaReal®.
To make natural astaxanthin available for humans, it should be grown in a clean and controlled environment – preferably in indoor cultivation tanks with filtered air and water. The algae start out green and once the algae culture has grown dense enough, they algae are exposed to high light conditions to trigger breakdown of green chlorophyll and synthesis of red astaxanthin. The algae turn red, and once they have completely matured to this astaxanthin-rich “red phase” they are harvested. The water is removed, the algae are washed, and the cell walls of the algae are cracked to gain access to the rich astaxanthin oil inside the algae cells. The astaxanthin oil is purified and can then be used to make softgels, powder for instant drinks, gummies, candies, and more.
Now we can experience what aquatic life already knows - natural astaxanthin is a healthy nutrient that promotes antioxidant balance and supports muscle function and much more.
Read about AstaReal®’s history here
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Astaxanthin Health Benefits
The health benefits of astaxanthin apply wherever our bodies experience damage from free radicals. Free radicals are a natural byproduct of our physiology and our bodies have natural defenses that help clean up free radicals so they don’t cause harm. The problem is that our natural defenses become less efficient as we age and get overwhelmed by an abundance of free radicals that accumulate during exercise, exposure to sunlight, stress or in the presence of environmental pollutants. This is why taking astaxanthin as a dietary antioxidant is so important for muscle endurance, cardiovascular health, skin healthy, eye health, cognitive function, and to fight fatigue. Astaxanthin is the strongest tool in the antioxidant toolkit to help restore our body’s healthy antioxidant balance.
Muscle Performance and Recovery
Muscles use oxygen carried by red blood cells and nutrients from the food we eat to produce the energy needed for movement and exercise. The conversion of nutrients into energy happens in the many mitochondria that are present in each muscle cell. Mitochondria convert nutrients and oxygen into the energy molecule known as ATP. Mitochondria can use sugar, fat, or protein as a fuel to make ATP energy molecules. During aerobic exercise, the mitochondria can produce 460 ATPs from a single fat (triacylglycerol) molecule compared to 32 ATPs from a single sugar (glucose) molecule. Astaxanthin influences the mitochondria to use fat as its preferred fuel, improving endurance during exercise.
While the mitochondria in our muscles are working hard to produce ATP energy, 2-5% of the oxygen they use in the process escapes and turns into an unstable form called a Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). ROS are free radicals that bind and damage surrounding molecules and tissues. When ROS are present at high or persistent levels, they damage mitochondria causing them to burst, leaving fewer mitochondria to help produce energy in muscle. Persistent ROS can also trigger inflammation and muscle tissue damage. You can think of the spread of ROS damage in muscle like the spread rust build-up on a car. Astaxanthin neutralizes ROS, preventing your muscles from “rusting.” Astaxanthin also strengthens the mitochondria because it spans the mitochondrial membrane and reinforces it like a rivet. By supporting the mitochondria and neutralizing free radicals, astaxanthin minimizes muscle damage and improves recovery from exercise.
Read more about the health benefits of natural astaxanthin:
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Astaxanthin for Immune Health
The immune system is a complex network of specialized cells and organs that work together to protect the body against infections from bacteria, viruses and other outside invaders. Your immune system is a defensive barrier inside your body.
As we age, the activity of the immune system declines and becomes more vulnerable to oxidative stress. The most pronounced decline is found in cell-mediated immune response, especially a decline in the proliferation capacity in T-lymphocytes. T-lymphocytes protect the body and destroy infected cells.
Natural astaxanthin, known for its exceptional antioxidant powers has a strong ability to both balance and strengthen the immune system, hence improving the defense against inflammation and outside invaders (pathogens).
B cell phagocytes are cells that ingest and destroy harmful pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. While T cell lymphocytes assist antibody release, destroy virus-infected cells and help to remember and recognize previous invaders. Natural astaxanthin seems to increase the count of these two major components of the immune response (the B lymphocytes and the T phagocytes.)
In a double-blind, randomized study, 42 individuals received 2 or 8 mg of astaxanthin per day or a placebo over a period of 8 weeks. The lymphocyte count was significantly increased for the group taking the astaxanthin supplement, compared to the placebo group. Furthermore, individuals receiving astaxanthin demonstrated natural killer cell activity not found in the placebo group. These results suggest that supplementation with astaxanthin could be beneficial for the promotion of overall health.
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How Much Astaxanthin Should I Be Taking?
There have been numerous studies around taking astaxanthin, and finding the right dosage is important. It is recommended for everyday wellbeing and joint health, 6mg of astaxanthin is about right. For cardiovascular health, brain benefits, and muscle recovery, 12mg of astaxanthin has the most benefit.
One thing to note, that it doesn’t matter how much astaxanthin you take if the astaxanthin you are taking is from a low-quality source. When you ingest astaxanthin that is not fully matured to the red pigment you are not getting the full benefit of astaxanthin. The only way to get fully matured astaxanthin is in a controlled, clean, indoor environment. Raising astaxanthin outdoors does not fully mature the astaxanthin because the light source is not consistent (such as day and night cycles & cloud cover). You will just end up having to take more astaxanthin to see the benefits of a higher quality astaxanthin.
Low Quality Astaxanthin Does Less For You.
Can I Take Too Much Astaxanthin?
Nope! What’s great about astaxanthin is that it’s all natural. Meaning, if you take too much, you will naturally expel the excess. Yes that's right, you will just poop out what you don’t absorb. It is not recommended that you take more than 12mg per day, though. Astaxanthin is not recommended for children, and pregnant women should consult their doctor before taking astaxanthin.
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Astaxanthin = Astaxanthin...Right?
You might think that all astaxanthin is created equal. When we go shopping for supplements, we expect that they are all held under the same scrutiny that the food we eat and water we drink is held under. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Knowing the country of origin for your astaxanthin is extremely important. Some countries do not regulate or have nearly the scrutiny that the United States of America has in regards to natural astaxanthin supplements.
Since astaxanthin is a usually found in nature, it, like many other natural products, is affected by its environment. When the air and water that the astaxanthin is grown in is contaminated by external factors such as airplane exhaust and environmental pollutants it degrades the astaxanthin quality.
How do I know that the astaxanthin I’m taking is free of these pollutants?
Some astaxanthin manufactures claim they are “Made in the USA” whereas in fact they import their raw astaxanthin material from overseas. They do extract their astaxanthin in the USA, but since there is very little regulation in the quality control from overseas raw astaxanthin, pollutants remain. There is no way to remove the pollutants completely in the end product for the consumer. These pollutants stay in your body and can cause harm.
We encourage all astaxanthin users to know where their astaxanthin is produced from the beginning to end. There are only a handful of companies that produce, cultivate, and manufacture astaxanthin 100% in the USA.
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News Articles About Astaxanthin
2018
2017
Cardax Defends Astaxanthin Supplement Launching in GNC Stores Nationwide' - Natural Products Insider
What the Heck is Astaxanthin? It’s Seriously Good for Your Health!' - City Watch LA
Continuous astaxanthin consumption linked to 'skin rejuvenation' - Nutraingredients-USA.com
The Latest “It” Antioxidant—Astaxanthin—Is a Fountain of Youth - Reader's Digest
Can Nutrition Negate the Damage of Air Pollution? - By Dr. Mark Miller
5 Reasons to Take Astaxanthin Every Day - Huffington Post By Suzy Cohen, R.Ph.
Health Optimization: When Diet is not Enough - By Dr. Mark Miller
Greener Pastures for Green Foods - Nutraceuticals World
Why you should take supplements—and which ones - The Optimist Daily
10 Experts Reveal Top Anti-Aging Secrets for Women - Living Better 50
2016
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Videos about Astaxanthin
Rowing With Astaxanthin | Astaxanthin Benefits Help All Women Rowing Team Find Success
AstaReal: Quality, Safety, & Stability
AstaReal® Astaxanthin is Made In the USA
Astaxanthin Benefits Discussion With Dr. Mark Miller & Dr. Robert Corish
Astaxanthin Health Benefits For Your Eyes
Dr. Robert Corish Talks About Astaxanthin
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Natural Astaxanthin Vs. Synthetic Astaxanthin
Did you know that farm grown salmon meat is not pink like wild salmon? Its white. Krill eat the algae that produces astaxanthin, in turn, the salmon eat the krill. That is what makes salmon flesh pink. Did you know that baby flamingos are not born pink? They are cute little white birds, but when they begin eating krill which contains astaxanthin, they turn pink as they mature.
Since farm raised salmon meat is white, fish farmers will use synthetic astaxanthin as a pigment colorant to help the salmon meat look more appealing to consumers.
Synthetic astaxanthin is made from petrochemicals. Yes, petrochemicals. Consuming synthetic astaxanthin is banned in the United States of America for humans, but what is not banned is consuming farm raised salmon which eat the synthetic astaxanthin. Would you put yourself or your children at risk by eating something that potentially contain petrochemicals?
Natural astaxanthin is the production and cultivation of the algae Haematococcus Pluvialis. The algae is what the krill eat, which in turn what salmon and flamingo eat. This algae is all natural and the only ingredients are water, air, and nutrients.
High quality natural astaxanthin manufactures must go through a rigorous testing process and get certifications before they can begin manufacturing astaxanthin. Some of these certifications include FDA GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe), NSF GMP (Good Manufacturing Process) Registered, Kosher, Halal, and Non-GMO Project Verified.
If your astaxanthin manufacturer does not have these certificates, you should only look into those astaxanthin manufactures that do as these companies only have your health and wellbeing in mind, as well as to produce the highest quality and purity astaxanthin.
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Infographic
Doctors Discuss Astaxanthin Benefits
2 friends meet up for a hike and talk about their favorite ingredient, astaxanthin and its awesome benefits.
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Astaxanthin Scientific Studies
Here is a list of articles and studies related to Astaxanthin research:
Astaxanthin Scientific Studies
Astaxanthin and Muscle Recovery Studies:
8 distance runners supplementing with 6mg/day AstaReal® Natural Astaxanthin for 4 weeks showed reduced blood lactic acid concentration 2 min after a 1200 m run compared to 8 runners in the control group (Sawaki K. et al. 2002).
16 women supplementing with 12mg/day AstaReal® Natural Astaxanthin for 6 weeks showed reduced blood lactic acid concentration compared to 16 women in the placebo group after a treadmill exercise (Fukamauchi M. et al. 2007)
21 trained soccer players supplementing 4mg/day AstaReal® Natural Astaxanthin for 90 days had no change in pro-inflammatory market, C-reactive protein (CRP), compared to 19 players in the placebo group that had 57% increase in CRP (Baralic I. et al.2015).
18 elite soccer players supplementing with 4mg/day AstaReal® Natural Astaxanthin for 90 days had lower levels of muscle damage markers, creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase, compared to 14 soccer players in the control group (Djordjevic B. et al. 2012).
21 soccer players supplementing with 4mg/day AstaReal® Natural Astaxanthin for 90 days had improved antioxidant enzyme activity (Paraoxonase 1, which is sensitive to exercise induced free radicals) compared to 19 soccer players in the placebo group (Baralic I. et al. 2013).
10 men supplementing with 6mg/day AstaReal® Natural Astaxanthin for 10 days showed improved blood rheology compared to 10 men in the placebo group (Miyawaki H. et al. 2008).
20 women supplementing with 12mg/day AstaReal® Natural Astaxanthin for 8 weeks showed improved peripheral blood flow compared to baseline, as measured by Ankle Brachial pressure Index (Iwabayashi M. et al. 2009).
Human studies
1) 21 cyclists of ages 18 to 39 with Astaxanthin 4 mg/day were tested for VOmax, a 2 hr constant pre-exhaustion ride followed by 20km timed trial. Cyclists supplementing with AstaReal® Astaxanthin experienced an average 2 min improvement (5%) in the time necessary to complete the 20km timed trial, which was accompanied by a 20W increase (15%) in the average power output. In contrast, the placebo group experienced a 19 sec (0.8%) improvement in time and a 1.6W (0.5%) improvement in power output.
2) 16 distance runners belonging to Field and Track Athletic University team supplemented with AstaReal® Astaxanthin 6mg/day were tested for serum lactic acid levels. Serum lactic acid levels after 2 min of exercise were significantly reduced compared to the placebo group (p<0.05).
References
1. Effect of Astaxanthin on Cycling Time Trial Performance. C.P. Earnest et.al. Sports Med, 2011.
2. Sports Performance Benefits from taking Natural Astaxanthin Characterized by Visual Acuity and Muscular Fatigue Improvement in Humans. Keisuke Sawaki et.al. Journal of Clinical Therapeutics and Medicine, 2002.
3. Astaxanthin improves muscle lipid metabolism in exercise via inhibitory effect of oxidative CPT I modification. W. Aoi et.al. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2008.
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Meet the Doctors
Dr. Mark JS Miller
PhD, MBA, FACN, CNS
Dr. Mark Miller has made dramatic contributions to the fields of health & medicine in multiple ways. For three decades, he was an elite biomedical researcher & professor (at three different USA medical schools). Driven by broad curiosity and a remarkable ability to find new ways of understanding & managing health and disease, he has made major contributions to inflammation, oxidative & nitrative stress, cardiovascular health, perinatal development, infant nutrition, gastroenterology, arthritis, cancer, nutrient-microbiome interactions, itch, nausea and traditional medicines centered on natural products.
A decade ago he left his tenured Professorship for the business world, where he was a successful entrepreneur matching new, validated science on natural products with unmet clinical needs. Merging a deep understanding of the core health problem with the actions of natural products, has resulted in significant business development success.
In his pursuit of superior consumer health Dr. Miller has now expanded his educational roles into social media and consumer education where he continues to link innovative solutions with the needs of the consumer. He is an advocate of better information leads to better decisions and superior outcomes. Dr. Miller continues as a consumer advocate, industry consultant and social media influencer.
Dr. Robert Corish
Board Certified Doctor, Toxicologist, Preventive Medicine Practitioner
Dr. Robert Corish is a board certified anesthesiologist and toxicologist. He is a Fellow of the Health Studies Collegium and a member of the American College of Nutrition. He is an international lecturer on preventative medicine, cellular physiology and functional - integrative medicine. Dr Corish is one of the world’s foremost medical experts on the antioxidant, natural Astaxanthin and he is the author of two books, one of which is aptly titled, "Natures Perfect Antioxidant - Astaxanthin".
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