What is Astaxanthin?

A Simple Answer To The Question What Is Astaxanthin

Almost everywhere one turns these days there is some doctor touting the super antioxidant, Astaxanthin. They spend hours on television and page after page on the Web, telling about the many benefits of this nutrient. However, very few places actually answer the question, what is Astaxanthin.

Basically speaking this nutrient is a pigment. It is derived from a variety of red microalgae and is responsible for the red coloration of lobsters, crabs, and wild salmon. There is a reason for emphasis on the wild salmon that will be explained shortly. This nutrient has been used extensively as a food coloring in the production of pet foods.

It is also fed to farm raised salmon in an effort to give them the pink color that people have come to expect. However, a vital difference lies in the fact that it is a synthetic version of this nutrient that is fed to farm raised fish. The synthetic is nowhere near as powerful as the natural form. This is why an emphasis was placed on the wild salmon, as opposed to farm raised salmon.

This substance is a member of the family of nutrients known as carotenoids. This family includes such well-known nutrients as vitamin A, beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein. These nutrients are known to be responsible for the bright coloration of certain vegetables and fruits. They are also powerful antioxidants with Astaxanthin being the single most powerful discovered to date.

It has also been shown to have strong and inflammatory benefits, as well as relieving pain in patients suffering from chronic conditions such as rheumatoid or osteoarthritis. It is unique among nutrients in its family in that it is also able to cross the brain blood barrier and provide protection from conditions associated with aging, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia. It also crosses the blood retina barrier and provides powerful protection for the eyes from conditions such as macular degeneration and cataracts.

Athletes are discovering that its antioxidant properties, give it the ability to increase their stamina and reduce the time it takes to recover after a strenuous workout. This is because workouts of this variety tend to produce a large number of free radicals in the muscles. And this nutrient is able to enter the cells and scavenge these free radicals before they are able to damage the cells.

Anyone who understands the answer to the question, what is Astaxanthin can see that it is a nutrient that everyone should be taking. While most nutrients are best picked up from the diet rather than through supplementation, Astaxanthin is an exception to this rule. This is because it’s only natural source is a variety of red microalgae. This is consumed by certain shellfish and other animals that are then eaten by humans. However, it would be difficult to consume enough fish to obtain a therapeutic dosage. So one needs to determine the correct Astaxanthin dosage in order to make a difference against various health conditions.