Can Algae Really Improve Your Health?

Astaxanthin, which is a bright-red colored antioxidant that is found in algae, fish, many crustaceans, and krill, has been shown to possess powerful antioxidants that could provide many different health benefits.

In fact, Astaxanthin has been shown to improve conditions associated with low testosterone levels and improvements in Diabetes.

Astaxanthin has also been shown by research to improve the function of your immune system, inhibit the growth of some cancers, decrease bacterial load and inflammation in your stomach, and protect against exposure to UVA-induced oxidative stress.

Now, a study published in the journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, shows that Astaxanthin could also play a large role in reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and enhancing immune health in young, healthy women.

Let me explain…

Astaxanthin and Inflammation

Astaxathin has been shown to be a stronger antioxidant than Vitamin E and beta carotene.

It could also reduce the actions of reactive oxygen species which means it could reduce inflammation levels in your body.

Reactive oxygen species are unstable molecules produced by your cells from normal cellular metabolism.  It has been shown that reactive oxygen species may increase inflammation in your body, which could lead to the development of many different diseases.

The authors wanted to study the action of dietary Astaxanthin and how it controls immune response, oxidative status, and inflammation in healthy, young women.

They recruited 14 women with an average age of 21.5.

They divided them into three groups: a placebo group, two groups supplemented with Astaxanthin (2mg and 8mg) for eight weeks.

They performed a double-blind, placebo controlled study.  They measured the participant’s immune response at zero, four, and eight weeks.

The eighth week, they also included a tuberculin test in both Astaxanthin groups.

The tuberculin test is a routine test administered to the skin of patients to look for tuberculosis.

The researchers noted that both Astaxanthin groups showed an increase in plasma Astaxanthin levels at weeks four and eight.  They noted the levels increased in a dose-dependent fashion, meaning the higher the dose, the higher the plasma concentration rose.

Also, they noted that DNA damage biomarkers were decreased in the groups administered Astaxanthin as compared to the placebo group.  However, they did notice that lipid peroxidation was not affected in either Astaxanthin group.

When they looked at inflammation levels, they showed that C-reactive protein levels were decreased at week eight in the group receiving 2mg of Astaxanthin.

Upon further study, they showed that Astaxanthin stimulated mitogen-induced lymphoproiliferation, increased T and B cell subpopulations, and showed a higher percentage of leukocytes expressed the LFA-1 marker in subjects that were given 2mg of Astaxanthin.

From their work, the researchers concluded that dietary intake of Astaxanthin could decrease DNA damage biomarkers, acute phase proteins (Inflammation markers), and could even enhance the immune response in young, healthy adult women.

The Powerful Nutrient Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin, the red-colored antioxidant that gives some fish and shellfish its red color, has been shown to possess powerful antioxidant properties.

In fact, it has been shown to be a stronger antioxidant than vitamin E and beta carotene.

Now, according to this study, Astaxanthin could reduce markers associated with inflammation and may even reduce oxidative stress in young, healthy adult women.

This could further strengthen the argument that Astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant which could improve many different health parameters, especially as it relates to inflammation, oxidative stress and enhancement of a healthy immune system.

NEXT: An Easy Way To Include Astaxanthin Into Your Day >>





References:

Park, JS.  Chyuan, JH.  Kim, YK.  Line, L.  Chew, B.  Astaxanthnin decreased oxidative stress and inflammation and enhanced immune response in humans.  Nutr Metab (Lond).  2010. Vol.7:18. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-7-18.