WHAT IS NATURAL ASTAXANTHIN?
When a lobster, shrimps or salmon are cooked, they suddenly turn red. This red pigment is astaxanthin.
Natural astaxanthin made from Haematococcus pluvialis (HP) microalgae is a natural carotenoid that can be found existing in water in nature. When this algae experiences nutrient deficiency and environmental stress, it produces and accumulates astaxanthin in it’s lipid vesicles. This accumulated astaxanthin protects the algae cell nucleus against the harmful free radicals generated by UV radiation which can damage its DNA and negatively peroxidise it’s energy reservoirs.
By consuming HP microalgae naturally and producing & storing Astaxanthin in their shells and muscles, salmon, shrimp and lobster obtain these same beneficial types of health protection.
Human beings can benefit immensely from astaxanthin. But since our bodies cannot synthesize it directly, previously we could only obtain sufficient astaxanthin by eating a substantial amount of seafood daily which contains astaxanthin. The good news is that nowadays it is possible for us all to instead obtain sufficient natural astaxanthin in the form of health supplements.
THE MOST POWERFUL ANTIOXIDANT ON EARTH
Astaxanthin is the most powerful antioxidant known to science.
Astaxanthin’s unique molecular structure enables it to stretch through the bilayer cell membrane. This enables it to quench damaging ‘free radicals’ in both the inner and the outer layers of cell membranes to protect both the nuclear DNA and intracellular material.
It provides unique membrane protection because with its long chain structure and polar end groups, it can span the bilayer membrane thereby aiding a cells resilience against ‘oxidative stress’.
It synergies and protects the cells defensive ‘endogenous antioxidants’ from early degradation.
It reduces DNA damage and premature cell death caused by oxidation and plasma C-reactive oxygen.
Essentially Astaxanthin is very beneficial to ‘anti-aging’.
Astaxanthins’s unique molecular structureDO YOU KNOW?
- Astaxanthin is the only type of antioxidant that can protect cells on both the inside and the outside. Other anti-oxidants only work on one side of the cell membrane. For example Vitamin E only works on the inner side of the cell membrane, while Vitamin C only works on the outside of the cell membrane (not both!).
- Pure Antioxidants like Astaxanthin are a much safer and more stable type of antioxidant as it’s molecule structure has no pro-oxidant activity even when subjected to enormous amount of stress from environmental factors and free radicals. Other antioxidants (E.g. CoQ-10, Beta Carotene, Zeaxanthin, Vitamin E, C, D and Selenium) can turn pro-oxidant under pathologic conditions and actually harm your health (Astaxanthin as a pure anti-oxidant, will not turn pro-oxidant!).
THE MOST POTENT NATURAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SUBSTANCE
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to fighting infection, bacterium or viruses that enter your body and also when repairing damaged tissues.
Chronic inflammation is commonly caused by pathogens that the body cannot break down, including some types of viruses and foreign bodies that remain in the system or overactive a person’s immune response. It is believed by scientists that chronic inflammation leads to some of the most degenerative conditions and diseases such as :- obesity-related metabolic diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes & cardiovascular disease
- Colon cancer
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Ulcers
- Diabetes
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Allergies
Astaxanthin quenches inflammation by inhibiting nuclear translocation of NF-kB, a major inducer of inflammatory cascade system issues which are the leading cause of most degenerative diseases.
DO YOU KNOW?
- Many people experience prolonged low-level inflammation internally without even knowing it. The contributors to such chronic inflammation are believed to be an undesirable diet and lifestyle - stress, smoking, high-sugar diet, fried foods and trans fats, inadequate exercise and vitamin D deficiency.
- Astaxanthin combats chronic inflammation and thereby majorly reduces your risk of developing degenerative conditions and serious diseases.
- Inflammation is the body’s natural response to fighting infection, bacterium or viruses that enter your body and also when repairing damaged tissues.
#1 ASTAXANTHIN BRAND IN THE WORLD
AstaReal™ is the world´s leading producer and innovator of natural astaxanthin :- The first company in the world to commercially produce natural astaxanthin from microalgae. A highly advanced & one-of-a-kind technology using specially designed photobioreactors is used to cultivate the microalgae Haematococcus pluviailis (HP).
- Launched Astaxin, the first human nutritional supplement containing a natural source of astaxanthin, in 1995.
AstaReal™ astaxanthin is the most studied brand of astaxanthin in the world for applications such as skin health, anti-aging, muscle endurance and recovery, and eye health. Some examples of the formal independant clinical trials & studies conducted by AstaReal™ are shown further down (on the right hand side of this page).
AstaReal™ is a registered trademark of Fuji Chemical Industries Co., Ltd., the world´s leading innovator and producer of natural astaxanthin, with the highest quality, bio-activity and stability.
DO YOU KNOW?
- NutritiveZ™ takes pride to be a co-branding partner of AstaReal™ and uses only AstaReal™ 100% natural astaxanthin cultivated in the U.S.A & manufactured by Pharmako™ in Australia for our products.
- Pharmako™ is an innovative manufacturer which has won multiple international awards for its ground breaking patented technologies.
- The astaxanthin in NutritiveZ™ products is made using Pharmako™ CPO® (Compressible Powdered Oils) technology which substantially enhances the product’s bioavailability.
IMPROVES MUSCLE PERFORMANCE & ENDURANCE
Intense physical activity increases the production of damaging free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the body. These cause oxidative stress that damages proteins, lipids and DNA in muscle cells adding to increased inflammation. The result of this is several damaging effects including muscle fatigue & soreness and activation of inflammatory pathways, all things that have a large negative impact on muscle performance.
Natural astaxanthin improves muscle endurance through its ability to support muscle function and improve aerobic power. Clinical studies have shown that astaxanthin helps suppress the secretion of biomarkers for muscle fatigue. Astaxanthin helps you maintain muscle tone and keeps the muscle moving without increased damage.
- Boosts muscle power and endurance during exercise.
- Lowers lactic acid, fatigue and post-exercise muscle soreness
- Reduces muscle damage and inflammation.
- Improves blood flow and the quality of red blood cells.
- Enhances fat metabolism by improving mitochondria function.
CASE STUDY
In a 2011 study, Earnest et al. investigated astaxanthin efficacy on muscle performance. 14 competitive cyclists performed a 20 km maximal cycling test after a 2 hour pre-exhaustion ride. The test was carried out 28 days before and after supplementation of 4mg/d of AstaReal™ astaxanthin or placebo. The results showed significant improvement in the group treated with AstaReal™ astaxanthin, who performed 121 seconds faster after the treatment period compared to the placebo group.
ENHANCES IMMUNE RESPONSE
Like other parts of the body, the immune system functions better when protected. Natural astaxanthin has a strong ability to both balance and strengthen the immune system, therefore improving its ability to defend the body whilst also helping to suppress the overactive immune responses that create unwanted inflammation and disease.
In human bodies there are phagocytes (cells that destroy invading organisms) and lymphocytes (cells that innate immune response by allowing the body to recognize previous invaders and help destroy them). Natural astaxanthin has shown positive effects and substantial benefit in enhancing the protecting capability of both lymphocytes and phagocytes.
- Faster immune response.
- Strengthens and balances the immune system.
- Enhances antibody production.
- Protects immune cells against unwanted oxidative stress.
CASE STUDY
In a randomized, double blind placebo controlled study, Park et al. (2010) examined 42 subjects for the pro-inflammatory marker CRP. The astaxanthin group supplemented with 2mg/d for 8 weeks showed that the levels of CRP were significantly reduced.
IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
Studies have shown that natural astaxanthin reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, improves lipid profiles and promotes better blood flow in capillaries.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a broad term for all diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels. This includes coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Atherosclerosis is the main underlying cause of cardiovascular disease. Fat deposits and becomes oxidized along the inner lining of the artery walls. This results in a dangerous build-up of plaque that narrows the arteries, limiting the flow of oxygen-rich blood to organs and other parts of the body.
Oxidative stress and inflammation are widely recognized as contributing to CVDs caused by atherosclerosis. Astaxanthin has shown several positive results and is believed to be a promising compound for protecting against atherosclerotic CVDs.
- Improves blood lipid profile.
- Reduces oxidative stress.
- Enhances capillary circulation.
- Reduces LDL oxidation and decreases plaque formation.
CASE STUDY
Non-obese participants (n=61, 44±8 years old) were randomly divided into 4 groups and received 0, 6, 12 or 18 mg of astaxanthin daily for 12 weeks. This figure shows the changes in serum lipid levels of the 12 mg group (n=15).
IMPROVES YOUR VISION
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is a by-product of today’s computer world. During a long computer session, the eyes exert substantial energy to focus on the computer screen. That affects the eye’s accommodation (ability to change its focus from near to distant objects and vice versa) causing temporary blurriness. The common symptoms of CVS are eye fatigue, blurred vision and itchy eyes.
Clinical studies have shown that astaxanthin supplementation improves CVS symptoms. It quenches cellular inflammation that emerges during persistent visual stress and tension of the ciliary muscle.
- Improving symptoms linked to Computer Vision Syndrome and eye fatigue.
- Improving capillary blood flow.
- Reducing inflammation of the ciliary muscle.
- Improves accommodation responsiveness, range & resilience.
CASE STUDY
A double blind study conducted by Nagaki Y et al. in 2010 studied the efficacy of natural astaxanthin on accommodation ability. 42 subjects supplemented with 9mg/d AstaReal™ natural astaxanthin vs placebo for 4 weeks. The results concluded that the astaxanthin group had much higher accommodation ability compared to the control group.
KEEPS YOUR MIND SHARP & IN TUNE
The brain is the primary control center of the body. The health of the brain plays a critical role in almost everything required of the human body.
The brain is vulnerable to attack and damage by free radicals, especially in people over the age of 50 whose brain’s natural antioxidant enzymes progressively lose effectiveness. In fact, excessive and persistent oxidative stress and chronic inflammation in the brain have been linked to the development and progression of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease and to cerebrovascular diseases, such as ischemic stroke and vascular dementia.
Several studies have shown that natural astaxanthin has various biological effects on the brain and improve cognitive.
- Improves age-related forgetfulness, multitasking and alertness.
- Decreases oxidation of red blood cells, which is linked to the prevention of dementia.
- Enhances capillary blood flow and blood antioxidant quality.
- Modulates blood pressure, lowering stroke risk and improves vascular endothelial health.
CASE STUDY
Healthy participants (n=96, aged 55.7±3.7) complaining of aged-related forgetfulness were randomly allocated into 3 groups and given 0, 6 and 12 mg of astaxanthin daily for 12 weeks. Skin moisture content and elasticity was measured by instrumental assessments. (*p<0.05 compared with placebo).
IMPROVES YOUR SKIN
Skin is the largest organ of the body. It is the first line of defence and plays an important role in helping the body carry out vital processes. The skin has a complex structure consisting of different layers with each having unique and important functions.
Our skin is constantly exposed to oxidative stress from internal and external stressors such as bad diet, metabolic byproducts, pollution and UV rays. Oxidative stress causes a chain reaction, attacking other cells and causing damage to the skin (fine lines, wrinkles, roughness and loss of elasticity).
To slow down the aging process and reduce the visible signs of aging, we must address the root cause. Protection must be provided to all layers to the skin from the inside out. Natural astaxanthin is the most powerful antioxidant known to science. It optimizes the health and radiance of the skin by providing protection and support to all layers.
- Revitalizes photoaged skin by quenching oxidative stress and inflammation in all skin layers.
- Reduces the size of wrinkles and improves skin micro-texture.
- Improves elasticity in the skin by strengthening the collagen layer.
CASE STUDY
The placebo controlled, double blind study was performed on 49 women supplemented with 4 mg/day astaxanthin or placebo for 6 weeks. Skin moisture content and elasticity was measured by instrumental assessments. (*p<0.05 compared with placebo).