Even if you know that astaxanthin is good for you, you may not know exactly what astaxanthin is. This fascinating compound isn’t exactly talked about as much as other beneficial nutrients. That said, it’s even harder to figure out what to look for in an astaxanthin supplement, considering there is very little information out there.Â
Fortunately, iwi life is here to help. By knowing what to look for in the best astaxanthin supplement, you can figure out how to make the most of this nutrient and best support your health and wellness.
What Is Astaxanthin?
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid responsible for the pinkish-red pigment in various plants and animals. Like other carotenoids, astaxanthin is found naturally occurring in the environment. The most common source of astaxanthin is marine life.Â
Examples include wild salmon, krill, shrimp, bacteria, and algae — even flamingos can credit their pinkish color to this compound. Still, many of these animals get this pinkish color by consuming bright red microalgae with astaxanthin.
Astaxanthin is best known as a powerful antioxidant that can help support cellular health. Astaxanthin is one type of many different types of carotenoids, similar to others like zeaxanthin, lutein, and beta carotene. However, astaxanthin is one of the most potent antioxidants, with antioxidant activity that is ten times higher than all three of these other carotenoids.
What Are the Benefits of Astaxanthin?
Between its antioxidant powers and its natural capabilities, astaxanthin can be a great supplement to a healthy diet. Astaxanthin offers a wide range of potential health benefits that can support several systems in the body.
May Maintain Healthy Skin
Astaxanthin may support healthy skin in several ways. The natural carotenoid may help healthy cells by supporting them during ultraviolet (UV) light exposure.Â
The antioxidant properties of astaxanthin may also help support the health and appearance of the skin as you age, maintaining proper skin texture, moisture, and elasticity.
May Support Brain Health
The benefits of the antioxidant power of astaxanthin don’t stop at your skin. In fact, the benefits may run all the way to your brain. Astaxanthin can cross the blood-brain barrier, meaning that the antioxidant activity may support the health of your brain cells.Â
In doing so, astaxanthin may help support a healthy memory, healthy cognitive function, and overall brain health as you age.
May Support Healthy Eye Function
One of the most significant parts of astaxanthin’s reputation is its potential to support eye health. Some studies have shown that astaxanthin may support many different functions of vision, including the ability to see contrasting colors, visual acuity, and other vision functions.
Some studies have shown that consuming astaxanthin may help support the health of the photoreceptors in your eyes during exposure to damaging blue light.
What Makes the Best Astaxanthin Supplements?
We already know that astaxanthin has a ton to offer, but the potential benefits are heavily influenced by choosing a supplement that is going to help you make the most of this nutrient. In your search for the best astaxanthin supplements, keep an eye out for these key points.
Natural Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin can come from natural sources in the environment, or it can be made synthetically. However, the antioxidant power of natural astaxanthin is as much as 20 times more potent than synthetic astaxanthin. To put it bluntly, choosing the right one makes a significant difference.
As you search for a good astaxanthin supplement, start by checking the label to check the source of the carotenoid. The best sources for astaxanthins are entirely natural sources, like krill, salmon, or algae.
Environmentally-Friendly Sources
The environment is becoming a much larger factor in our daily decisions, especially in choosing the right products. After all, we hear almost every day about the many concerns facing the planet, so we can all do our part to combat them by making environmentally friendly and sustainable choices.
Choosing an astaxanthin supplement can be difficult because so many of these supplements come with a negative track record. For example, krill oil supplements are a common option for consuming more astaxanthin daily, but they have a tremendous environmental impact.
Overfishing is already a significant problem in the environment. However, krill oil supplements greatly strain ocean environments since they rely on the constant sourcing of krill from the ocean. The increasing popularity of fish and krill oil supplements only encourages more fishing.
Krill are a valuable part of the ocean and an essential part of the food chain since so many marine animals rely on these creatures for their diet. Increased fishing
It’s important to choose a supplement that limits the exploitation of our oceans and is sustainable to produce on its own.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The best astaxanthin supplements aren’t just astaxanthin supplements — they offer additional benefits too. One of the most popular options for obtaining astaxanthin is a krill oil supplement. Although krill oil is rich in astaxanthin, it is best known for its high omega-3 fatty acid content.
Omega-3 fatty acids may offer many potential health benefits, like supporting healthy heart function and emotional wellness. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are the two most difficult omega-3 fatty acids to find in a standard diet. These two omega-3s offer the most potential health benefits out of the three main types of omega-3 fats.
Like krill oil, algae is another natural source of both astaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids. Although krill oil supplements are more popular as an omega-3 supplement, they do not offer all the same benefits.
What Is a Good Astaxanthin Supplement?
Despite the number of astaxanthin supplements out there, it is hard to find a supplement that checks all the boxes is challenging. However, that does not mean that it is impossible. In searching for the best astaxanthin supplement, algae provides an excellent choice, checking each box above.
First of all, algae is an all-natural source of astaxanthin. So when you choose the right algae-based astaxanthin supplement, you don’t have to worry about synthetics. As a result, you can trust that algae-based astaxanthin is going to give you the most powerful antioxidant power, allowing you to enjoy complete confidence in your supplement.
At the same time, algae is a much more sustainable option with very little environmental impact. Algae can be produced using only salty water with some added nutrients, sunlight, and CO2 as the foundational resources.Â
Even better, algae can be produced in the middle of the desert with salty water ponds. As a result, it poses no threat to ocean creatures. By opting for an algae-based astaxanthin supplement, you can protect valuable ocean life and limit the amount of fishing damaging many marine ecosystems.
Last but not least, algae is an excellent source of both DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids. As a result, it offers all the same benefits as krill oil, except with fewer downsides. To make it even better, the omega-3s from algae are absorbed by the body at a rate of 1.7x better than those in krill oil, which means that your body can put them to use faster and more efficiently. Altogether, it is clear that algae is the all-around better choice.
For a powerful algae-based astaxanthin supplement, look no further than iwi life’s Vegikrill supplement. Vegikrill provides all the benefits of krill without the environmental drawbacks or uncomfortable downsides.
Include More Astaxanthin in Your Diet with iwi life
Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant, and it has the potential to offer a wide array of possible health benefits. With that said, it is essential to choose the right supplement to enjoy the most possible benefits.
End your search for the best astaxanthin supplement with an iwi life Vegikrill supplement — an environmentally friendly option to obtain both astaxanthin and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Explore all the other powers of algae by checking out the complete family of iwi life omega-3 supplements.
Sources:
On the Neuroprotective Role of Astaxanthin: New Perspectives? | PMC
