Astaxanthin

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Astaxanthin has 100-500 times the antioxidant capacity of Vitamin E and 10 times the antioxidant capacity of beta-carotene. Many laboratory studies also indicate astaxanthin is a stronger antioxidant than lutein, lycopene and tocotrienols.

What indications does astaxanthin have for human use?

Increases strength and endurance (2.8 times greater increase over baseline versus placebo in human study).*
Reduces the number of new and abnormal cells in the liver.
Alleviates symptoms in patients with H. pylori (pre-ulcer indigestion).
Protects cell and mitochondrial membranes from oxidative damage, thus protecting the cell from oxidative damage.
Boosts immune system by increasing the number of antibody-producing cells.
Prevents the initiation of cancer cells in the tongue, oral cavity, large bowel, bladder, uterus, and breast.
Inhibits lipid peroxidation that causes plaque formation, thus reducing risk of cardiovascular disease.
Alleviates oxidative stress and crosses the blood brain barrier. Therefore, may assist in neurodegenerative conditions such as AMD, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS and MS.
Protects the eyes and skin from UV A and B damage by quenching singlet and triplet oxygen.


Preclinical studies demonstrate that astaxanthin is safe. There are no known side effects.
Astaxanthin enhances the action of Vitamin C and Vitamin E and increases the release of Vitamin A from the liver. On a weight basis astaxanthin has about 10 times the antioxidant activity of other carotenoids such as lutein, zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin and beta-carotene, and is about 100 to 500 times greater than alpha-tocopherol. Astaxanthin compliments and enhances the effects of other dietary supplements.

The recommended dosage of 1 mg twice per day is similar on a weight basis to current doses for beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol. The recommended dose is one half of that used in the Malmsten human clinical study in which astaxanthin was found to increase strength and endurance threefold.

There is a substantial body of literature including in vitro studies, preclinical studies and several human clinical trials. These data consistently suggest that Astaxanthin, with its unique molecular structure and resulting potent antioxidant activity, may be an effective therapeutic modality for a variety of conditions, including cardiovascular, immune, anti-inflammatory, and neurodegenerative.

There have been numerous preclinical in vivo and in vitro studies and several human clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of astaxanthin. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study demonstrated that astaxanthin was found to significantly increase strength and endurance. Another clinical study shows that astaxanthin alleviates symptoms in patients with H. pylori (pre-ulcer indigestion). A third clinical study demonstrated bioavailability in humans. Additional human clinical studies are being sponsored.


Astaxanthin's use in a supplement in conjunction with Saw Palmetto berry lipid extract found that it significantly increased testosterone and increased DHT levels in humans.

Astaxanthin - Frequently Asked Questions