Sunday, December 23, 2018

Astaxanthin Benefits You Have Never Heard Of

By Douglas Edwards


Astaxanthin is a type of pigment belonging to the carotenoids group of nutrients. It has a number of sources that include, among others, microalgae, salmon, trout, yeast and shrimp among others. It gives a characteristic red colour to each of these organisms. A commercially available form can be used in a number of ways. We will explore some of the major astaxanthin benefits that have made the supplement quite popular.

One of the most well known benefits of all carotenoids is that they have antioxidant properties. This enables them to rid the cell of reactive oxygen species. Failure to get rid of such reactive species puts the cells at risk of DNA damage. While cells have a natural mechanism in place to undertake get rid of the species, these mechanisms may be overwhelmed at times.

Having antioxidant properties means that this supplement may indeed also have anticancer effects. This is because the genesis of most, if not all, cancers is a genetic mutation that ultimately leads to uncontrolled growth of cells. If DNA damage is minimized, the risk of cancer is also greatly reduced. One of the cancer types that appears to show a lot of promise is breast cancer.

The supplement us useful in the management of a variety of joint problems. Among the conditions for which it continues to show promising results are rheumatoid arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. In most cases, when being used for these indications, it is combined with other treatments such as analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapies. Many more studies in relation to its effectiveness in arthritis are still ongoing.

Another potentially important application of astaxanthin is the treatment of male infertility. One of the studies that supports this claim was carried in 2005 and involved about 30 men who had been diagnosed with the condition. It was established that men who were put on the supplement experienced improvements in aspects such as sperm count and motility. This was quite a small study and thus a larger, randomized, controlled, multicenter study was recommended .

Reduction of total cholesterol is another major benefit of astaxanthin. Other related desirable effects include increased HDL cholesterol and a reduction in LDL cholesterol. All these serve to reduce the risk of conditions such as atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke. There is also a direct reduction of blood pressure which serves to further reduce the risk of these conditions.

Users have reported some improvements in skin appearance. More specifically, there is a reduction in the prominence of wrinkles and coarse lines. The amount of moisture is also increased significantly. Apart from the oral formulations, there are a number of creams available for the same use. Another major benefit is the correction of defects caused by sunburn.

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a visual impairment that sets in with advancing age in some people. It is mainly characterized by a part of the retina which will result in deficits in either central or peripheral vision. There are a number of reports that show the supplement may be helpful in restoring normalcy in the central part of the retina thus markedly improving vision among those affected. This is an observation that has been made for several other types of carotenoids as well.




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