8 Amazing Health-Boosting Benefits of Astaxanthin
By Dr. Kevin Passero
Our bodies go through a lot on a daily basis. Stress, pollution, UV light, not-so-healthy habits (eating processed foods, drinking alcohol and smoking) and even normal bodily functions (like breathing) create free radicals—unstable molecules that can damage healthy cells and are associated with many age-related health issues.
Antioxidants can help protect your cells from damage by neutralizing free radicals, effectively rendering them harmless.
There are lots of antioxidants. You can get them in your diet from brightly colored fruits and vegetables, but it’s hard to get enough each day. And some antioxidants have more firepower than others.
Astaxanthin is an especially powerful antioxidant that has gained tremendous popularity recently. This extraordinary substance is packed with numerous health-boosting properties that can help you lead a healthier and more active life.
In this article we will explore the wonders of astaxanthin, including where it's found and its wide array of health benefits.
What is Astaxanthin?
Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring carotenoid pigment that comes from microalgae. It gives the red or pink color to seafood and other crustaceans like shrimp, salmon, lobster and trout. This pigment is also present in certain types of birds, like flamingos, which consume shrimp and algae.
Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant that can alleviate oxidative stress in the body. Unlike most water-soluble antioxidants, which simply circulate throughout your bloodstream, astaxanthin is both fat-soluble and water-soluble, which means it has the remarkable ability to integrate itself into every cell, tissue and organ in your body where it can combat inflammation-causing free radicals.
That may be why in a test that measured the ability to neutralize a particularly unstable and destructive type of free radical, called singlet oxygen, astaxanthin was shown to be up to:
• 40 times stronger than beta-carotene
• 100 times stronger than vitamin E
• 800 times stronger than CoQ10
• And 6,000 times stronger than vitamin C!
Astaxanthin’s “Superpowers”
Astaxanthin’s first superpower is the way that it protects the cell membrane.
As you can imagine, maintaining cell membrane integrity is critical for cellular health and function, and no antioxidant does it better than astaxanthin.
That’s because, according to a 2019 report by doctors writing in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, it penetrates the bilayer phospholipid membrane of every cell in your body and uniquely protects it from the inside out.*
And once inside the cell its second superpower kicks in by protecting and replenishing cell mitochondria which are crucial to aging well.
Mitochondria are the “power plants” inside every cell. They produce the energy that fuels everything you do.
Mitochondrial breakdown caused by oxidative stress is a primary cause for many age-related health problems.*
A study from Japan confirms that astaxanthin not only protects mitochondria from oxidative stress but is also effective in improving mitochondrial function.*
That’s great news for those who want to fight back against aging and for those who want to enjoy more energy every day.
And astaxanthin’s third “superpower” may be its most important: It’s one of the few antioxidants that crosses the blood–brain barrier.
The blood-brain barrier is a unique layer of cells in your brain’s blood vessels that determines what can and what can’t get through.
It turns out that astaxanthin is one of the few antioxidants that gets the “green light.” Most antioxidants don’t even come close to reaching brain cells!
The brain has some of the highest levels of oxidative stress in the body. That’s why this critical feature of astaxanthin gives it a distinct advantage.
In fact, astaxanthin is perhaps the most effective natural substance on earth in terms of its ability to neutralize the free radicals that trigger the oxidative stress linked with age-related cognitive decline.
Neurosurgeons writing in GeroScience cite over 90 studies to confirm astaxanthin as a useful compound in delaying or ameliorating cognitive impairment associated with normal aging.*
Even more impressive, they note how it provides neuroprotection against normal aging and neurodegeneration by promoting neurogenesis—your own ability to produce new brain cells!
8 More Wide-Ranging Benefits of Astaxanthin
1) Supports Cardiovascular Health: Astaxanthin can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, reduce triglycerides and lower blood pressure. This makes it an excellent supplement for supporting cardiovascular health.
2) Reduces Joint Pain: Astaxanthin can help reduce inflammation in the joints to provide more comfortable and flexible joints.
3) Reduces Inflammation Body-wide: Astaxanthin is known for promoting a healthy inflammatory response to help alleviate harmful inflammation throughout the body.
4) Promotes Skin Health: Astaxanthin has remarkable properties that can help you get clear, glowing and healthy skin. It protects the skin from harmful UV rays, reduces fine lines and wrinkles and also promotes skin elasticity.
5) Improves Eye Health: Astaxanthin can aid in reducing eye fatigue, eye strain and dry eyes. Its potent antioxidant properties can also help protect the retina from free radical damage.
6) Enhances Athletic Performance: Astaxanthin can enhance muscle endurance and strength, leading to overall better athletic performance. It also helps the body to recover faster after rigorous exercise.
7) Supports Liver Health: Astaxanthin has detoxifying properties that can help the liver break down and eliminate toxins from the body.
8) Boosts Immune System: Astaxanthin’s inflammation-fighting properties can help promote a healthy immune system response. It has been shown to stimulate the production of white blood cells that can combat harmful bacteria and viruses.
Making Astaxanthin a Part of Your Daily Health Regimen
As you can see, astaxanthin is a powerhouse antioxidant that can provide a wide array of health benefits. The key is getting enough of it on a regular basis.
Even with the best intentions to “eat healthy,” it’s nearly impossible to obtain a meaningful daily dose of astaxanthin from food alone—which is why taking a supplement that features astaxanthin is so important.
That’s why I recommend Durable LONGEVITY® to my patients and take it myself. To explore how this targeted formula can help support your long term health, click here.
