Astaxanthin is my go-to summer supplement, and it’s often called nature’s strongest antioxidant. It is a potent naturally occurring carotenoid found in foods like salmon and krill.
There are many well-researched reasons for taking this supplement, but I take it for one very noticeable benefit: sun protection.
My results have been drastic. Before supplementing, I could burn after just 15 minutes in the sun. Now, I can handle moderate (and healthy) sun exposure without burning at all.
I guess you could say I eat my sunscreen!
What Is Astaxanthin?
Astaxanthin (pronounced asta-zan-thin) is a naturally occurring carotenoid found in seafood and sea life, like crustaceans and microalgae. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, carotenoids are a class of over 750 richly colored molecules synthesized by plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria.
Carotenoids are responsible for the bright colors of plants and vegetables. While you probably knew that beta carotene is orange, astaxanthin is responsible for the red colors seen in flamingos, salmon (especially sockeye salmon), and krill. Interesting fact, it is the higher astaxanthin content that gives wild-caught salmon a brighter red color than their farmed counterparts.
Astaxanthin is one of the most powerful carotenoids. It is produced in nature as a protectant itself from the effects of losing its nutrient supply and to stay alive. This explains why it’s found in very high amounts in salmon. They need it for the endurance to swim upstream!
Plus, astaxanthin is an incredibly potent antioxidant. While other types of antioxidants can become pro-oxidant, or harmful, during the digestive process, astaxanthin retains its broad range of health benefits.
Top 5 Benefits of Astaxanthin
While I take astaxanthin mainly for its protective effects against the sun, there are lots of amazing benefits of this super antioxidant.
Here are the top five ways your immune system and other bodily functions may benefit:
Fights Pain and Inflammation
If you thought vitamin C was a powerful antioxidant, consider this: astaxanthin is shown to be up to 6,000 times as potent! All antioxidants can fight free radicals to help reduce inflammation, but astaxanthin offers several unique properties that make it especially beneficial.
First, it has a unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Animal studies show that this can help reduce neuroinflammation and might be protective against certain brain injuries. This might also be helpful for those with Alzheimer’s Disease or other cognitive diseases.
Taking this dietary supplement might increase your eye health as well. Astaxanthin can also cross the blood-retinal barrier to directly reduce inflammation in the eyes.
Astaxanthin also might also offer general pain relief for things like joint inflammation, especially carpal tunnel syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. It’s also great for soothing muscle soreness and sports injuries.
Boosts Endurance
If your workout routine needs a boost (or if you’re suffering from muscle damage), you might want to consider supplementing with astaxanthin.
Athletes are especially likely to see positive effects from taking this supplement. One clinical trial of healthy paramedic students found that taking astaxanthin for six months significantly increased the number of squats they could do — up to three times as much as the placebo group.
In addition to boosting strength and endurance, astaxanthin’s ability to fight free radicals helps speed up recovery time. In other words, the lack of muscle soreness after exercising might also play a role in its ability to increase strength and endurance.
Protects Against Sun Damage
One of the main reasons I started taking astaxanthin is because of its impressive sun-protective benefits. It works by reducing the UVA damage to skin cells from the inside. I am naturally fair skinned and this supplement allows me to get healthy sun exposure without burning or getting freckles.