Thursday, April 24, 2014

Are You Getting Enough Astaxanthin?

By Fernande Schaefer


When it comes to stopping cancer at its tracks, building huge walls of antioxidants inside your body can be the one of the best things you can do. Antioxidants primarily target cancer-causing free radicals and the more of it you have, the better. Astaxanthin is an excellent antioxidant to have in your body because it is considered the most potent antioxidant nature has to offer. It is good to know that there are many health benefits of astaxanthin and it is even better than most vitamins and antioxidants.

Astaxanthin is classified as a carotenoid which is naturally-occuring in many sea creatures such as salmon, crab, shrimp, and lobster. It is this pigment that gives the aforementioned creatures their distinct flesh pink color. The muscle fibers of salmon have the highest concentration of this carotenoid. It is believed by experts that it is through the high concentration of astaxanthin that allows salmon to have the endurance to swim upstream in long distances. Even the famous Dr. Oz has featured the wonderful health benefits of astaxanthin in his TV show.

A great deal of the health benefits of astaxanthin is concentrated on its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. According to a research done on athletes, taking astaxanthin supplements helps to significantly reduce the recovery time from doing strenuous exercises. In addition, their muscle performance and endurance have also increased much like in the case of salmon. Inflammations such as arthritis, joint pain, tennis elbow, and carpal tunnel syndrome can be relieved with this antioxidant.

In terms of optical health, astaxanthin is known to have a positive effect on a person's visual acuity. There have been studies conducted by Japanese studies on this antioxidant and it reveals that it can relieve eye strain and even minimize that bleary-eyed feeling. Another thing you should know is that astaxanthin is revealed to be 6,000 times more effective than Vitamin C and 550 times more effective than Vitamin E. Even those living unhealthy and sedentary lives can benefit from this antioxidant's power.

Included in the health benefits of astaxanthin is that it is an excellent guardian of one's cardiovascular health. Bad cholesterol is also known as LDL cholesterol and it is one of the main culprits of many cardiovascular diseases. With astaxanthin supplementation, bad cholesterol will have a hard time clogging your arteries and help prevent cardiovascular diseases. It can also help maintain the youthful glow of your skin and minimize freckles, pimples, and other blemishes.

Astaxanthin can also help to protect the skin against the ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun. Clinical trials on surfers reveal that sunburns have been reduced significantly after getting sufficient amounts of this antioxidant in their system. You can therefore think of it as a natural sunscreen inside your body. Antioxidants are known to help reduce or slow down the signs of aging and astaxanthin is no different. It can improve your skin's moisture levels, reduce wrinkles, and restoring its healthy glow.

Having a strengthened immune system is also one of the many health benefits of astaxanthin that you can look forward to. Not only does it bolster the strength of your system's antibodies, it can also result to a better reproductive health, normalize blood pressure, and keep your gums healthy. If you are worried about degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, astaxanthin supplementation can help to keep you away from these.

If you want to get your hands on the health benefits of astaxanthin, you should make it a habit to eat salmon regularly. Be aware though that you should look for the Wild Pacific salmon or the Sockeye salmon for higher levels of astaxanthin. Despite this, salmon alone just won't provide the minimum of 4mg dosage for this antioxidant. This is the reason why health enthusiasts turn to supplements to meet the recommended daily allowance.




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