Astaxanthin Elevated to Anti-Aging Supplement

Astaxanthin, a pigment derived from algae that gives flamingos, shrimp and wild salmon their pinkish-red color, may possibly extend life. This has recently been demonstrated in mice, and researchers suspect it also applies to humans. Studies indicate various anti aging effects, such as slowing the deterioration of the eyes and brain. It also appears to be effective against skin aging.

While astaxanthin is little known as a supplement, the substance is high on the agenda of researchers working on health and aging. In the past decade alone, more than 2,400 scientific publications have appeared on it. Astaxanthin belongs to the carotenoids, a group of natural pigments found in plants, fungi, algae and some bacteria. A well-known carotenoid is beta-carotene that colors carrots orange. You can recognize the carotenoid astaxanthin in shrimp, crab, lobster, salmon and trout by its pinkish-red color. They get it by eating plankton and algae. The flamingo gets its distinctive pink color from eating crustaceans and blue-green algae that are full of astaxanthin. Before this was known, flamingos living in captivity gradually turned white due to a lack of astaxanthin. Farmed salmon deprived of plankton and algae remain pale; to give farmed salmon an attractive tan, the fish are supplemented with synthetic astaxanthin [source]. However, artificially manufactured astaxanthin lacks many of the beneficial properties of astaxanthin found in nature. Therefore, the astaxanthin in the better dietary supplements is extracted from the green microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis.

Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant
Astaxanthin protects the aforementioned sea creatures like a kind of inner sunscreen against the harmful effects of UV radiation from sunlight. Among other things, astaxanthin does this as an unprecedentedly powerful antioxidant. Studies have shown that natural astaxanthin is 6,000 times better than vitamin C, 770 times better than coenzyme Q10, 100 times better than vitamin E and 5 times better than beta-carotene at neutralizing singlet oxygen, one of the most common reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the human body [source, source, source]. In addition, it is an effective inhibitor of the chronic low-grade inflammatory processes associated with virtually all (aging) ailments [source, source]. A meta-analysis of 12 placebo-controlled studies with a total of 380 subjects shows that taking astaxanthin reduces blood markers of oxidative stress and inflammatory activity; in fact, one of the most powerful body’s own antioxidant enzymes, super oxide dismutase, increases under the influence of astaxanthin.

Astaxanthin improves skin
Thanks to animal studies, we know that some of the astaxanthin you get through food (wild salmon is a rich source) or supplements ends up in the skin. Especially in Japan, many small – mostly producer-paid – experiments with mostly women have been done to test the effect of astaxanthin on the skin. Scientists in 2021 reviewed 11 well-conducted studies and concluded that 3 to 6 milligrams of astaxanthin per day over a period of 2 to 16 weeks increases skin moisture, improves skin texture and reduces wrinkles. A similar 2022 analysis of 9 studies found that 4 to 12 milligrams of astaxanthin per day over a period of 4 to 16 weeks had cosmetic effects such as improved hydration and increased skin elasticity.

Astaxanthin protects tired eyes
However, the health effects of astaxanthin go far beyond improving the skin. Most of the knowledge about astaxanthin comes from Japan, where it has been sold in supplements and cosmetics since the early 1990s – in Europe it has gradually appeared on store shelves since 1995. In a recent comprehensive review article, Japanese researchers state, based on over a hundred well-conducted experiments with humans, that there is ‘substantial evidence’ of beneficial effects of taking astaxanthin for the immune system, cardiovascular system, recovery in athletes, cognitive functions, mental fatigue, skin and tired eyes. About the eyes, they write, “Many clinical trials have been conducted on asthenopia (eyestrain), and all have shown significant benefits. Since eyestrain can also lead to stiff shoulders and other symptoms, astaxanthin has been shown to be useful for these expanded conditions.” As the main mechanism for this effect, they cite improved blood flow to the tiny capillaries in parts of the eye (the uvea) that control focusing. Not surprising for people who – like yours truly – spend many hours a day staring at uninterrupted streams of words on a screen.

Furthermore, according to the Japanese, there are promising indications that astaxanthin has utility in improving fertility (m/f), intestinal health, mood, sleep, glucose metabolism, weight and wound healing; and in counteracting macular degeneration (main cause of low vision in the elderly) and muscle loss due to aging (sarcopenia).

Astaxanthin influences aging process
In the article “Astaxanthin as a putative geroprotector,” Italian, American and Japanese scientists argue that the algae pigment influences several mechanisms deep inside cells involved in aging – and inhibiting it. For example, astaxanthin modulates FOXO3, one of the few genes that has been shown to have a clear link to longevity. The “lifespan genes” Klotho and SIRT1 are also modulated by astaxanthin. Via the activation of SIRT1, NAD+ is increased in cells: NAD+ is a coenzyme involved in many important cellular processes, which decreases as we age. Furthermore, astaxanthin stimulates Nrf2, a kind of switch that – once converted – boosts the cell’s defenses against oxidants. In the brain, astaxanthin increases brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth factor that prevents neurodegeneration and brain aging. An experiment with 44 Japanese (average age 55, with mild memory problems) suggests that daily intake of 12 milligrams of astaxanthin along with vitamin E inhibits age-related mental decline.

I know, it’s a mouthful of intimidating science jargon, but the bottom line is that astaxanthin seems to inhibit all kinds of aging processes in an incredibly versatile way. No wonder scientists searching for methods and means to slow aging have dived on this substance.

Mice live longer thanks to astaxanthin
Because it is impractical to test the effect of agents on human lifespan, Americans have developed an ingenious system to do this with mice: the Interventions Testing Program (ITP). Scientists from around the world are invited to propose promising anti aging agents for the program. From these, 6 are selected each year. These are then tested simultaneously on large numbers of mice in 3 different research centers. Only when a substance shows a significant life-extending effect in all locations is it elevated to anti aging drug status. In ITP’s 20-year existence, this has only happened 10 times. Among others, the drug rapamycin and the hormone 17α-estradiol can prolong the life of mice. Recently, astaxanthin has also been joined by ITP in the gallery of honor of drugs potentially life-extending for humans: under the influence of astaxanthin, the median age of mice increased by 12 percent [source]. The effect was observed only in males, but such a gender difference is seen more often, according to Richard Miller, the driving force behind ITP, and may be due to the doses used.

‘Mice are just like people’
Now you may be thinking, “Okay, mice, so what?” But in aging research circles, it’s a big deal when a potentially life-extending agent gets the blessing of the ITP. Richard Miller says of the relevance of mouse studies to humans, “Many drugs that work in mice do work in humans. Most of the drugs that were developed for therapeutic effect in people were initially discovered by working on mice and rats. It would be nuts to say that every drug that extends lifespan in mice will do the same thing in humans, but the work in mice is a very important foundation. There are just so many aspects – not all, but so many aspects of aging in humans, mice, dogs, chimps, et cetera that are the same. So, it’s very reasonable to expect that the drug that could block aging effects in all of those tissues in mice might also do very similar things in people. [source, edited by me].

Safety of astaxanthin
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), it is safe to supplement astaxanthin from food daily with up to 8 milligrams of astaxanthin from supplements [source]. However, this upper limit is partly based on safety studies with synthetic astaxanthin. According to the U.S. authors of a 2019 safety study, only natural astaxanthin should be considered. They analyzed 87 studies with subjects taking doses of natural astaxanthin ranging from 2 to 24 mg per day and found no negative side effects [source]. The Japanese authors of the aforementioned review article state, based on more than 100 human studies, that no adverse effects were found at 12 milligrams of natural astaxanthin per day for 6 months. They point to a Japanese study in which 45 milligrams of natural astaxanthin was taken for 4 weeks without any problems. Negative drug interactions are not known.

A usual dose advised to adults is 2 to 12 milligrams of astaxanthin per day.

Getting effective amounts of astaxanthin from food is not complicated. 165 grams of wild salmon provides about 3.6 milligrams of astaxanthin [source]. Trout is also a good source. If you take fish oil because of its fatty acids EPA and DHA, consider swapping it for the (more expensive but more sustainable) capsules containing krill oil, which contains a small amount of astaxanthin in addition to the same fatty acids, plus other antioxidants such as vitamin A, vitamin E and lutein. All things considered, the Japanese authors of the review article cited earlier speculate that you get the most out of astaxanthin by combining it with other antioxidants. They explain that carotenoids function in networks, which could explain why combined eating of green and yellow vegetables – very rich sources of diverse carotenoids – is associated with a reduced riciso on cancer. Because of the synergistic effect of carotenoids, combo experiments are already in full swing. For example, in a recent study with Japanese subjects, a daily capsule containing 6 milligrams of astaxanthin, 10 milligrams of lutein and 2 milligrams of zeaxanthin prevented the deterioration of eyes caused by intensive screen use.

Text Pim Christiaans / Life Unlimited