Protect your heart/clears plaque buildup...

Read all about Astaxanthin…

            Did you know flamingos are born white?  I had no idea until a few weeks ago, when I stumbled over something I had never hear of, astaxanthin.  Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, which is a natural pigment, from green algae, found in orange foods like salmon, lobster and krill. This is why flamingos turn pink, as their diet is mainly brine shrimp and blue green algae.

            Astaxanthin is one of the most powerful antioxidants in nature.  Its ability to fight free radicals is 6,000 times more potent then vitamin C, 550 times the potency of Vitamin E, 50 times more potent then CoQ10, and 40 times higher then beta-carotene.  It can alleviate inflammation, reverse skin aging, and protect against disease.  Foods that are sources of astaxanthin are wild-caught salmon, krill, red trout, lobster, crab, crawfish and salmon roe.  It is also available in supplement form, just be sure to get all natural astaxanthin, as some brands add synthetics to their product.

            A benefit of taking astaxanthin is that it boosts brain health and cognitive function.  In a study by Yook, et al in 2016 found that astaxanthin enhanced cell proliferation and increased spacial memory in mice.  In another study by Grimmig et al. from 2017, stated that “Results from the current research are beginning to come together to suggest neuroprotective properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and antioxidant effects, as well as the potential to promote or maintain neural plasticity. These emergent mechanisms of actions implicate AXT as a promising therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative disease.”  They also stated that, “AXT, a xanthophyll carotenoid, is being investigated individually in a broad range of clinical applications, including cardiovascular health, metabolic syndrome, treatment of gastric ulcers, and cancer, all of which have elements of inflammation and/or oxidative stress in their pathogenesis (Ambati et al. 2014).  AXT has been shown to be protective across various models of Parkinson’s disease (PD) (Grimmig et al. 2016).  AXT has also been successful at reducing neurotoxicity in cell culture models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (Chang et al 2010).

            Another benefit of astaxanthin, is that it protects your heart and protects against atherosclerosis (buildup of fat and cholesterol in the arteries).  In a study by Kishimoto et al. 2016, it is stated “It has recently become clear that the effects of astaxanthin go beyond antioxidant properties. Accumulating evidence suggests that astaxanthin could exert cardioprotective actions by improving oxidative stress, inflammation, lipid metabolism, and glucose metabolism.”  This indicates that AXT would beneficial to diabetics as well.  In fact, from that same study, “The mechanisms of anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effect of astaxanthin remain unclear and has yet to be studied in clinical condition.”

            Not only will astaxanthin keep you feeling well, but also looking good!  A 2009 study found oral supplementation and topical application improved wrinkles, age spots, skin texture and moisture content of the skin.  In eight weeks, taking 6mg orally and 2ml topically researchers saw significant changes in crow’s feet, elasticity, age spots, skin texture and moisture content!  Ladies, it’s time to take the Oompa Loompa challenge!!!  Don’t be afraid, it washes right off, no staining of the skin, but watch out for your clothes.

            Several studies have found that astaxanthin can improve the health of the eye and maintain 20/20 vision (Nakajima et al. NCBI, 2008), all while reducing eye strain (Kono et al.,NCBI, 2014).

            There was also a study in mice that indicated that astaxanthin was able to reverse hearing loss, by improving communication between the ear and the brain (Bai et al., AJPP, 2012)

          

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If the font size, color and type are different - this happens when I transfer the article to blogger, not sure why it happens, but it was not created that way.  So forgive the craziness, and focus on the information!! As always, this article is for informational purposes only and is NOT intended as medical advice!!!