Astaxanthin is one of many carotenoids that provide health benefits to plants and humans alike, and is responsible for the bright red hues often found in fruits, vegetables and seafood.
Humans get most of their natural exposure to the astaxanthin through salmon, closely followed by other red seafood like crabs and lobster, but it can also be bought directly as a supplement or oil.
There are many different supplements that humans take to improve or maintain their current health, but it’s thought that astaxanthin is the most powerful antioxidant created by nature.
You might understand this further if you knew that astaxanthin behaves slightly differently to other antioxidants.
Most antioxidants, substances that remove potentially damaging oxidizing agents in a living organism, become depleted after they’ve transferred their free electrons. They begin to break down and a chemical reaction occurs.
Astaxanthin has an extremely large amount of surplus electrons, which allows it to remain active for far longer. Astaxanthin also remain intact, because there is no chemical reaction that can break it down.
This unique ability makes astaxanthin 65 times more powerful than Vitamin C, 54 times more powerful than beta-carotene, and 14 times more powerful than Vitamin E.
This unique quality makes astaxanthin the most powerful antioxidant, and the only carotenoid, that can cross the blood-brain barrier, and other bio-membranes.
This makes it more easily absorbed and transported around the body to all the tissues and organs within it.
This alone makes astaxanthin qualify for super-nutrient status, with its abilities more powerful than any other non-synthetic antioxidant on the market.
After reading about the powerful qualities of astaxanthin, you might not be surprised to learn about the phenomenal health benefits of introducing the supplement into your life.
It goes deeper than just being powerful, however, so we are going to discuss some of the specific benefits that you should be taking note of.
Astaxanthin Benefits
Mitigates Oxidative Effects of Diabetes
One big health problem people with diabetes experience is high levels of oxidative stress, stemming from high blood pressure.
This is dangerous, and can make it difficult for patients with diabetes to manage their condition—and health—effectively.
Recent research has found that the powerful antioxidant properties within astaxanthin can protect pancreatic beta cells, the cells responsible for producing insulin, from oxidative stress caused by the high blood pressure.
Reduces Joint Pain
One thing astaxanthin is well known for is its ability to interact with inflammation to stop it in its tracks, by suppressing the development of endotoxin-induced uveitis.
When you consider that 3 in 5 people worldwide die due to chronic inflammatory diseases, astaxanthin could be a great way of prolonging the lives of many individuals.
Currently, the only option for those suffering from an inflammatory disorder is to seek medical treatment to create a highly medicalised care plan.
This can involve pain relief and sedatives that have long term health effects on major organs, like your kidneys, liver and even brain.
It’s not unreasonable to suggest, then, that astaxanthin could become a way of reducing the highly medicalised lives of so many people around the world.
Has Anti-Ageing Properties
The ageing process of our skin is greatly affected by the exposure it receives from the outside world.
Those who live in hotter countries, or regularly expose themselves to the UV rays from the sun, are at risk of speeding up the ageing process and increasing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines from a younger age.
Research has discovered, however, that astaxanthin can help you protect yourselves from this, with outstanding UV-blocking properties that assist the skin in protecting itself from sun damage.
It’s worth noting that astaxanthin should not be used as a replacement for using sunscreen, but as an addition to double up on your protection.
Astaxanthin can also increase circulation, bringing more oxygen to the tissues in your face. This will keep your face looking younger for longer, and can also help with reducing the amount of wrinkles you experience.
Inhibits Cancer Cell Growth
What? There’s really a natural ingredient that can inhibit cancer cell growth?
Yes, we were as surprised as you were when we read the research study that discovered it, but it’s true!
The study found that astaxanthin had chemopreventive effects because the antioxidant activates anti-cancer immune systems.
Although this may not prove to be beneficial for all patients, others may see great success from it. When the supplement is so inexpensive, it’s worth giving it a try.
Reduces Exercise Fatigue
There’s nothing worse than getting into an exercise routine only to find yourself being halted by fatigue halfway through.
Latest studies say ingesting the natural supplement, astaxanthin, might be the answer to keep going for longer.
This is partly due to the prevention of oxidative stress from mitochondria that is triggered by astaxanthin, which will result in more energy.
Are there any side effects?
Considering astaxanthin is the most powerful natural antioxidant, you might expect there to be some unfavourable consequences.
Surely, with benefits like those we’ve mentioned above, there has to be some drawback, right?
The Code of Federal Regulations have ruled that it is generally recognized as safe, meaning you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
It is also completely non-toxic, meaning it is safe to consume in any amount, and impossible to overdose on.
If you have hypertension, asthma, a parathyroid disorder, or osteoporosis, it’s advised that you use caution if you decide to use astaxanthin.
Conclusion
Based on the evidence we have provided in this article, it’s undeniable that the benefits of astaxanthin make it the most powerful nature antioxidant.
In fact, it’s perhaps one of the strongest natural supplements that are currently on the market, and one of the only things we’d recommend almost anyone to give a try.
The undeniable health benefits of this natural supplement are undeniable, and with tests into the benefits for humans who regularly take astaxanthin still ongoing, you could be experiencing benefits that haven’t even been documented yet!