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04-07-2016

Astaxanthin: the summer antioxidant

For some years, scientists have been investigating a molecule called astaxanthin which is found in microalgae. This molecule is widely considered to be a key nutrient in the fight against certain forms of oxidative stress, particularly those generated by the sun’s rays. So with summer finally here, astaxanthin should definitely be considered an essential nutrient!

What is astaxanthin?

Part of the large carotenoid family, astaxanthin is a pink to red natural pigment. Carotenoids are recognised as being powerful antioxidants that protect our cells against free radical attack. Astaxanthin is a molecule produced by unicellular algae such as Haematococcus pluvialis.

In Nature, nothing happens by chance and indeed, astaxanthin has a specific and essential role to play: it serves to protect the microalgae from damaging stress caused by deterioration of their habitat (insufficient water, excess UV rays, inadequate temperature …). In such extreme conditions, a natural self-defence mechanism is spontaneously triggered in the microalgae - they produce astaxanthin which acts as a protective shield.

Astaxanthin is passed up the food chain via zooplankton which feed on the microalgae before being eaten themselves by creatures such as flamingos, salmon and shrimps - their biggest consumers. Such is their consumption that the astaxanthin they ingest from the zooplankton has a highly visible effect - it gives them their pink colour!

But astaxanthin’s effects extend well beyond coloration. This nutrient actually plays a major, all-round body-strengthening role in those species which consume it the most.

The best example of this is undoubtedly wild salmon. Salmon are anadromous fish which means they are born in freshwater such as rivers and streams and then migrate to the sea where they live until adulthood and sexual maturity. At this point, they return to their birthplace using olfaction – they trace their way home by smell. This is where they spawn, freshwater being essential for salmon fry.

Salmon are not the only fish to revisit their freshwater environment – other species such as the yellow sturgeon and European sturgeon also make this return journey. But wild salmon have exceptional strength and stamina. To get back to their birthplace, they have to swim upstream against strong currents for over a week, making their migration one of the most extraordinary feats in the animal kingdom. In human terms, this aquatic marathon is equivalent to undertaking a week-long, non-stop swim against a current - covering almost 160km and battling nine-metre-plus high waves … in other words, completely impossible.

Scientists who have studied this phenomenon have theorised that the wild salmon’s extraordinary strength may be partly due to the above average concentration of astaxanthin in its muscles. The species is able to selectively accumulate astaxanthin from food and store it in its muscles. The carotenoid then helps protect the wild salmon’s fatty tissues from lipid peroxidation, a damaging form of oxidation. Wild salmon can accumulate up to 40mg of astaxanthin per kilo – eight times more than farmed salmon despite the latter being force-fed synthetic astaxanthin - not to improve their nutrition, but to give them an attractive pink colour, like that of wild salmon!

A particularly effective antioxidant against singlet oxygen

Research on natural astaxanthin has shown it to have powerful antioxidant properties. More specifically, in terms of blocking singlet oxygen, a harmful free radical responsible for the damaging effects of UVA rays, natural astaxanthin is:
  • 14.3 times more powerful than vitamin E,
  • 20.9 times more powerful than synthetic astaxanthin,
  • 53.7 times more powerful than beta-carotene,
  • and 64.9 times more powerful than vitamin C!
Astaxanthin is therefore beneficial for:

  • Protecting the skin from external attack (UV rays, pollution …) : preparing it for sun exposure and reducing wrinkles, ageing spots, and benign summer lucitis,
  • Protecting vision: for sun-sensitive eyes, difficulties in focusing, ocular fatigue, and preventing age-related macular degeneration and cataract ,
  • Maintaining brain function: preventing neurodegenerative diseases associated with oxidative stress,
  • Protecting the cardiovascular system: from lipid peroxidation and preventing atherosclerosis,
  • Preventing cancer: animal studies having shown it to have a protective effect against bladder and oral cancer,
  • Combatting inflammatory pain: arthritis, tendonitis ...,
  • Contributing to healthy digestive function: helping in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections and gastric inflammation and in the prevention of ulcers,
  • Improving sports performance and post-exercise recovery: boosting endurance, reducing lactic acid, accelerating fat-burning,
  • Improving male fertility with observed benefits for sperm function.

Astaxanthin is thus a multi-beneficial antioxidant which is even more effective when combined with other carotenoids such as vitamin E or beta-carotene. But research suggests its most significant and scientifically-supported effect is that of sun protection, making it the skin’s best friend during the summer months. It goes without saying that excessive exposure to the sun when rays are at their strongest should be avoided. But supplementing with astaxanthin will enable you to prepare your skin from within, to better withstand UV-related oxidative stress. In regions of the world where the sun’s rays are particularly intense, astaxanthin has produced convincing results in preventing sunburn and protecting the skin from UVA, one of the main causes of skin ageing and skin diseases.

In terms of eye health, studies have shown astaxanthin to have a beneficial role in the prevention and treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract and ocular fatigue. Of all the body’s organs, the eyes are the most exposed to the atmosphere’s ultraviolet rays and the free radicals associated with them. Astaxanthin combats the damaging effects of these molecules, trapping singlet oxygen generated by the action of radiation such as that from the sun. According to Japanese scientists, who have gone further in this field of research, astaxanthin may be equally effective at countering eye fatigue by ensuring improved blood flow to vessels in the retina.

So astaxanthin is an excellent nutrient. But there is a problem... Is it enough just to eat salmon to obtain astaxanthin’s benefits?

Astaxanthin is widely used in aquaculture to promote coloration. However, the form used is synthetic, produced from petrochemicals for purely commercial ends (to give the farmed salmon a pink colour).

The concentration of synthetic astaxanthin in the flesh of farmed salmon ends up at just 5mg/kg. For humans, the daily amount recommended by the majority of scientific publications is 4mg, which equates to consuming 800g of farmed salmon. This is a significant amount and, given the increasing contamination of farmed salmon by heavy metals and chemicals, is not to be recommended. It would therefore seem sensible to obtain the recommended daily amount from dietary supplements instead.

Which supplement should you choose?

In response to a surge in global demand for astaxanthin, many nutraceutical companies have been quick to exploit the extraordinary properties of this nutrient; the market is today worth millions of euros with a multitude of products containing astaxanthin now commercially available. However, as you might imagine, not all these products are the same. A good astaxanthin supplement should absolutely fulfil these three essential criteria:

  • 1: it must be natural source, of course! First find a natural astaxanthin sourced from the microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis - the most effective form and that shown by human studies to be free from undesirable side-effects.
  • 2: the manufacturing process should adhere to a number of very specific stages and procedures. These are highly technical, but essentially what you need to ensure is that the astaxanthin has gone through a CO2-supercritical extraction process : this procedure is carried out at a low temperature in order to maintain the active principles in as close a state to the original plant version as possible. This type of extraction also allows 100% natural and organic extracts to be obtained.
  • 3: most recommendations specify a daily intake of between 4mg and 8mg for supplementation to be effective. You should therefore check the astaxanthin content to make sure you’re getting value for money.
There’s still a slight problem ...

Astaxanthin has become very popular, very quickly. However, producing high quality supplements is a complex and costly process which means that natural astaxanthin is a rarity. It is difficult to obtain because only small amounts are produced, way below what is needed to meet global demand. Manufacturers and distributors often run out, particularly during the summer months when demand peaks due to astaxanthin’s sought-after sun-protective benefits.
You will, however, find it at supersmart.com (see below). The product we offer is astaxanthin extracted from microalgae grown in exceptional conditions in Hawaii, by one of the world’s leading specialists in spirulina cultivation. This company has applied its expertise in producing spirulina to the cultivation of haematococcus pluvialis, guaranteeing a product of very high quality. Each softgel contains 40mg of Haematococcus pluvialis extract standardised to provide 10% (4mg) of astaxanthin. The daily dose is therefore one to two softgels, depending on your exposure to the sun.
Order the nutrient mentioned in this article
Astaxanthin 4 mg

Powerful antioxidant cartotenoid with numerous specific benefits

www.supersmart.com
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