Astaxanthin——Measured as Nature’s Strongest Antioxidant

Fish oil with omega-3 fatty acids isn’t the only thing from the ocean that can improve function in the human body. Astaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment that occurs in trout, microalgae, yeast, and shrimp, among other sea creatures. It’s most commonly found in Pacific salmon and is what gives the fish its pinkish color.

An antioxidant, astaxanthin is said to have many health benefits. It’s been linked to healthier skin, endurance, heart health, joint pain, and may even have a future in cancer treatment.

1.Antioxidant

As you may be aware, antioxidants are good for you. Astaxanthin’s antioxidant properties provide the main source of the health claims and benefits of the supplement, particularly when used to help treat cancer.

It’s been linkedTrusted Source to improved blood flow, and lowering oxidative stress in smokers and overweight people. A comparison studyTrusted Source of astaxanthin and other carotenoids showed that it displayed the highest antioxidant activity against free radicals.

2.Cancer

Because of its antioxidant properties, there has been a lot of research on how astaxanthin might help to treat various cancers. One studyTrusted Source found short- and long-term benefits for the treatment of breast cancer, including reduced growth of breast cancer cells.

The high cost of purified astaxanthin has limited its use in further studies and cancer treatments.

3.The skin

Astaxanthin can be used topically to promote healthy skin. A 2012 study showed that combining topical and oral doses of astaxanthin can help to smooth wrinkles, make age spots smaller, and help maintain skin moisture. There were positive results in both men and women, but more study is needed to confirm these findings.

4.Exercise supplement

There has been a lot of study on how astaxanthin can affect endurance, as well as fatigue levels after exercise. Studies on mice show that it can boost the body’s use of fatty acidsTrusted Source, which helps endurance, and prevent muscle and skeletal damage.

So far, however, evidence for its effects on human exercise is still lacking. One studyTrusted Source using human subjects found no exercise benefits from astaxanthin supplements in relation to muscle injury.