Astaxanthin is a health beneficial Carotenoid
Typically found in a type of green algae (Haematococcus pluvialis), Astaxanthin is a fat-soluble carotenoid with a unique molecular structure that makes it a…
Astaxanthin is very effective at quenching highly energized singlet Oxygen molecules.
Astaxanthin absorbs the energy produced by these destructive free radicals and dissipates it as heat. Astaxanthin is a colorful red yellow lipid-soluble pigment.
Astaxanthin is classified as a xanthophyll (the word meaning “yellow leaves” because yellow colored plant leaf pigments it was recognized as part of the xanthophyll family of Carotenoids).
Astaxanthin is found in microalgae, yeast, salmon, trout, krill, shrimp, crayfish, and crustaceans. It provides the red color of salmon meat and the red color of cooked shellfish.
Astaxanthin, unlike several carotenes and one other known Carotenoid, is not converted to vitamin A (retinol) in the human body.
Healthy Visual System
Astaxanthin is an antioxidant with a lower antioxidant activity than other Carotenoids.
However, in living organisms the free-radical terminating effectiveness of each Carotenoid is heavily modified by its lipid solubility and thus varies with the type of system being protected.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration there (FDA) has approved Astaxanthin as a food coloring (or color additive) for specific uses in animal and fish foods.
Also in the European Commission, they consider it to be a suitable food dye and it is given the E number E161j.
Natural Astaxanthin is considered generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA, but as a food coloring in the United States, it is restricted to use in animal food.
The primary use of synthetic Astaxanthin today is as an animal feed additive to impart coloration, it makes the food ingredients appear to be more attractive.
This includes farm-raised salmon and egg yolks. Synthetic Carotenoid pigments colored yellow, red or orange represent about 15–25% of the cost of production of commercial salmon feed.
Professor Basil Weedon’s group was the first to prove the structure of Astaxanthin by synthesis, in 1975.
Astaxanthin like many other Carotenoids are important for a healthy eyesight, visit website Natural Eye Vision program.