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Astaxanthin supplements are primarily purchased because of their strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Natural astaxanthin is a carotenoid that is biosynthesized by Haematococcus pluvialis bacteria.
Medical uses for astaxanthin supplements include preventing and/or treating stroke, some cancers, certain neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, the vision disorder age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol).
Before you buy astaxanthin supplements online, it is important to know that there are a number of different forms of this supplement available. It is often combined with other anti-oxidant ingredients, such as Vitamin E, lycopene and lutein.
Some supplement manufacturers also carry astaxanthin supplement for sale that have been formulated with Omega 3 fatty acids to improve absorption. You can also buy Krill Oil capsules which contain small amounts of astaxanthin naturally.
Anti- Oxidant
Heart Health
Anti- Aging- Antioxidant and immune booster
- Supports cardiovascular health
- Shown to improve cholesterol levels
Top Astaxanthin Products* ❯Should you Buy Astaxanthin?
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In the past, clinical research has been somewhat limited into the health benefits of natural astaxanthin. However, there has been a surge of research within the last few years. Preliminary results suggest that astaxanthin may have a number of general health-boosting benefits and may help to fight certain signs of aging.
People buy natural astaxanthin supplements for a number of different reasons. Some of the most common uses for taking this potent antioxidant include:
- Reducing bone and joint pain associated with arthritis;
- Decreasing chronic, systemic inflammation;
- Increasing energy metabolism;
- Inhibiting certain effects of aging;
- Maintaining skin elasticity;
- Decreasing serum LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels;
- Normalizing blood-glucose levels;
- Improving male infertility symptoms;
- Decreasing expression of menopause symptoms;
- Treating indigestion and gastric ulcers;
Of particular note, natural astaxanthin demonstrates significant anti-inflammatory actions. It simultaneously modulates the actions of several inflammatory mediators. Routine dietary supplementation with an astaxanthin product may help to significantly decrease systemic inflammation.
Chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with many diseases. By reducing this type of inflammation, astaxanthin may help to lessen the risk factors for various conditions including heart disease, diabetes mellitus, cancer, peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage), thyroid disorders, obesity, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), migraine headaches, dental health disorders and others.
Which Type of Astaxanthin Should you Buy?
It is important to only purchase supplements that contain natural sources of astaxanthin. Natural astaxanthin is primarily synthesized by the Haematococcus pluvialis bacteria. Other sources of natural astaxanthin are the organisms that consume this bacterium.
Some of these sources include krill, shrimp, crayfish, lobster, some crabs, trout and salmon. Natural astaxanthin is the pigment which makes salmon muscle a deep-pink color. It is also the substance in shrimp that causes their color to turn pinkish-red when cooked.
Salmon and other aquaculture farming operations require astaxanthin in their food as a colorant. They use synthetic astaxanthin sources, which are widely available as affordable food additive for these farming operations.
Comparatively, natural astaxanthin is more expensive to acquire. However, the synthetic sources should be avoided for human consumption. These synthetic sources use petrochemicals in the manufacturing process.
Natural Versus Synthetic Astaxanthin Supplements
Astaxanthin that is manufactured in laboratories has also been clinically shown to be less biologically potent than natural astaxanthin.
Wild salmon and shrimp that consume natural astaxanthin are known to be more fertile, reproduce with far more success and grow up to 6 times the sizes of farmed salmon and shrimp that consume synthetic astaxanthin.
Salmon and shrimp both exhibit increased resistance to stress and decreased oxygen consumption when fed natural astaxanthin.
Many choose to buy natural astaxanthin because it is proven to be significantly more potent as a medicinal agent than lab-made varieties. It is reported to be as much as twenty times stronger as a free radical scavenger than synthetic astaxanthin.
Astaxanthin found in H. pluvialis and the creatures which consume it is most often “esterified”. Non-esterified astaxanthin is “free-form”. Natural esterified astaxanthin from H. pluvialis is proven to be more stable. It offers more biological usefulness than lab-made supplements.
Astaxanthin Safety Overview
You can buy natural astaxanthin in powder and capsule forms. In the United States, natural astaxanthin is considered a GRAS (generally regarded as safe) food by the Food and Drug Agency (FDA). This applies to amounts commonly found in the human diet.
According to the Natural Medicines database, astaxanthin is possibly safe to take as a single-ingredient supplement. Daily doses between 4 and 40 mg have caused no adverse side effects for as long as 12 weeks.
When astaxanthin has been combined with other carotenoids, and/or certain minerals and vitamins, it has been used safely for as long as one year in 4 mg daily doses.
Buy Astaxanthin Online
Astaxanthin can be purchased online or at most local health food stores. Supplements are typically sold in an oral softgel form and typically contain between 2 – 8 mg of astaxanthin per serving.
Some supplement brands have combined astaxanthin with Omega-3 fatty acids such as Alpha Linolenic Acid in their formulations. This is said to increase the absorption of astaxanthin from the gastrointestinal tract and to improve bioavailability in the body.
Consumers are advised to buy astaxanthin which has been sourced naturally; not synthesized in a laboratory.
If you are thinking about beginning to use an astaxanthin supplement, then you should speak with your doctor about it first. This is especially true if you have been diagnosed with any chronic medical condition or disease, or if you are taking prescription medications and/or herbal supplements.
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- Ni Y1,2, Nagashimada M1, Zhuge F1, Zhan L1, Nagata N1, Tsutsui A3, Nakanuma Y3, Kaneko S2, Ota T1,2. Astaxanthin prevents and reverses diet-induced insulin resistance and steatohepatitis in mice: A comparison with vitamin E. Sci Rep. 2015 Nov 25;5:17192. doi: 10.1038/step 17192.
Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment