"Antioxidant Astaxanthin: A Contender in the Battle Against Aging Processes"
Why Go for Krill Oil Over Regular Fish Oil?
Hey, there! It's worth giving krill oil a shot instead of the regular fish oil. Krill oil's omega-3 fatty acids are more readily absorbed, leaving you free of fishy burps and aftertastes. Plus, it's far cleaner than fish oil.
But the kicker? Krill oil is packed with astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant that beats out vitamin C, beta-carotene, and vitamin E by a long shot.
So let's dive into astaxanthin - what it is, where it comes from, and what the science says about it.
Unravelling Astaxanthin
Originally identified in 1938 by scientist Richard Kuhn while investigating lobster coloration, astaxanthin is a ketocarotenoid with superpowers. Found in the algae Haematococcus pluvialis and yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous, these organisms produce it naturally.
Krill eat these algae almost exclusively, so they are nutrition superstars with higher amounts of astaxanthin than other marine animals like shrimp, salmon, trout, and lobster.
The Inside Scoop on Astaxanthin Action
As a carotenoid, astaxanthin is fat-soluble and loaded with antioxidant properties. It protects your cells by neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) on both the inner and outer cell membranes. This keeps ROS from causing harm to the cell's DNA, protein, and lipids. Here's how astaxanthin benefits your health:
Enhanced Performance
At birth, your body's pH is balanced, but acids begin building up right away, tipping your pH toward the acidic side. Astaxanthin keeps the body alkaline, creating an inhospitable environment for germs.
Inflammation Busters
Astaxanthin's impressive antioxidant abilities also help combat inflammation. By reducing proteins that trigger inflammatory diseases like celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes, astaxanthin leaves your body running smoothly.
Mitochondrial Might
Astaxanthin assists your mitochondria, the energy powerhouses in your cells, helping them perform optimally for improved overall body function.
Exercise Recovery
Taking astaxanthin during workouts can aid in recovery by protecting your body from the overproduction of free radicals, decreasing lactic acid in muscles, reducing fatigue, and improving muscle strength.
Immunity Enhancer
By activating white blood cells (T-cells) and natural killer cells, astaxanthin boosts your immune system. Balancing the immune response prevents autoimmune issues.
Brain Power
Carotenoids like astaxanthin combat neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, and cognitive impairment.
Astaxanthin can increase the growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus, the region responsible for learning and memory, enhancing its function.
Heart Health Hero
Astaxanthin's benefits extend to heart health, with improvements to blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and heart function.
Diabetes Defender
Astaxanthin may support diabetics by lowering blood sugar, reducing the strain on the kidneys, and preventing renal cell damage.
Eye Guardian
Astaxanthin protects your eyes, returning the retinal barrier to normal in glaucoma cases and improving retinal electrical outputs in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Skin Saver
Functioning as an internal sunscreen, astaxanthin builds up in the top two layers of skin, blocking UV penetration and reducing sun damage, such as wrinkles and a loss of elasticity.
Longevity Champion
By activating the "longevity gene" in heart tissue, astaxanthin could increase lifespan and promote healthy aging processes, particularly in the brain, eyes, and skin.
To Krill or Not to Krill?
Seafood offers astaxanthin, but only choosing the right types like wild salmon can ensure you receive the correct dosage. Aim for around 3.8 mg of astaxanthin per day, which can be challenging through diet alone.
Supplementing with krill oil fortified with astaxanthin is a simple solution. Just take it after a meal for optimal absorption.
- Krill oil's astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant, outperforms vitamins C, beta-carotene, and E in neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS).
- Astaxanthin, a ketocarotenoid, is found in algae Haematococcus pluvialis and yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous, and is acquired by krill almost exclusively.
- Astaxanthin's antioxidant properties protect cells from harm by neutralizing ROS on both inner and outer cell membranes, preventing damage to DNA, protein, and lipids.
- Astaxanthin keeps the body alkaline, creating an environment inhospitable for germs and aiding in immune system enhancement.
- Inflammatory diseases like celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes may be combatted through astaxanthin's reduction of proteins that trigger inflammation.
- Astaxanthin can aid in exercise recovery by protecting the body from overproduction of free radicals, decreasing lactic acid in muscles, reducing fatigue, and improving muscle strength.
- Astaxanthin activates white blood cells (T-cells) and natural killer cells, boosting the immune system and balancing the immune response to prevent autoimmune issues.
- Astaxanthin combats neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, and cognitive impairment by increasing the growth of new brain cells.
- Astaxanthin's benefits also extend to heart health, with improvements to blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and heart function.
- Astaxanthin may support diabetics by lowering blood sugar, reducing kidney strain, and preventing renal cell damage, while also improving eye health and acting as an internal sunscreen for skin health.
