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| Article: Astaxanthin - Antioxidant from the Sea - by Richard C. Honour, PhD | ||
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Astaxanthin - Antioxidant from the Sea Richard C. Honour, PhD Antioxidants are important for natural health and skin care, including for disease prevention and for slowing the aging process. Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant that may be reviewed and purchased from Eulara at www.eulara.com, both as a dietary supplement and as an ingredient in many of the product offerings in the Eulara skin care product line. Astaxanthin is a powerful, natural, biological antioxidant extracted from the marine microalgae, Haematococcus pluvialis as a carotenoid complex. The carotenoid complex contains Astaxanthin and other carotenoids, primarily β-carotene, canthaxanthin and lutein, in its own natural oil that also contains Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids. These natural compounds are important nutrients and protectants for the skin and for whole body health. Astaxanthin - Biological Activity: There is a substantial body of published scientific and medical literature about Astaxanthin, including the results of preclinical studies and human clinical trials (See Science Reports at www.eulara.com). These reports show that Astaxanthin, with its unique molecular structure and potent antioxidant activity, may be an effective therapeutic agent for a variety of conditions, including cardiovascular, immune, inflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders. As one example, a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial demonstrated that Astaxanthin significantly increased the strength and endurance of test subjects. Other analyses show that Astaxanthin is an efficient absorber of specific ultraviolet sunlight rays that may contribute to skin aging and skin cancer, thus describing its usefulness as a key ingredient in topical skin care products. Other favorable attributes of Astaxanthin include: · Astaxanthin has a unique molecular structure that gives it superior antioxidant capacity · Astaxanthin is about 10 times more effective as an antioxidant than β-carotene · Astaxanthin is 100-500 times more effect as a lipid peroxidation inhibitor as is Vitamin E · Astaxanthin has greater anti-inflammatory capacity than Vitamin E · Astaxanthin has almost four times the antioxidant capacity of lutein · Astaxanthin provides protection against UVA and UVB light-induced oxidative stress · Astaxanthin is a better free radical scavenger than β-carotene, canthaxanthin and zeaxanthin · Astaxanthin enhances the activity of Vitamins C and E · Astaxanthin enhances the release of retinol (Vitamin A) from the liver when needed Astaxanthin - Cell Membrane and CNS: Astaxanthin has been shown to inhibit lipid peroxidation at the cell level, thus protecting cellular membranes and mitochondrial membranes within the cell. Membrane health and function are critical to metabolic activity and to the cellular immune system. Astaxanthin also crosses the blood-brain barrier, which makes it available to the eyes, brain and central nervous system to alleviate oxidative stresses that contribute to ocular and neurodegenerative diseases, such as glaucoma or Parkinson’s Disease. Astaxanthin - Biodistribution: Following ingestion, Astaxanthin is absorbed by the duodenal mucosa and transported to the liver where it binds to a lipoprotein for transport throughout the body to the cells. Since it is oxygenated, Astaxanthin has greater antioxidant capacity than other carotenoids. The Astaxanthin molecule contains the longest conjugated, double-bonded polyene chain of any of the related xanthophylls, with both hydroxyl and carbonyl groups at each end. This configuration provides Astaxanthin’s great antioxidant capacity and the incorporation of free radicals into its polyene chain, thus effectively trapping free radicals. This also enhances the free radical scavenging capacity of other antioxidants, such as Vitamins C and E. While other carotenoids and antioxidants may perform one or two of these functions, Astaxanthin does them all, and in most cases, does them better. In addition to trapping free radicals, Astaxanthin also de-charges singlet and triplet oxygen, thus providing its anti-inflammatory properties. Astaxanthin Information: For additional information on Astaxanthin, Eulara offers a more comprehensive summary article, including an extensive collection of scientific and medical literature, all of which may be reviewed and printed from the Eulara web site at www.eulara.com (Science Reports). The report on Astaxanthin includes sections on its Mechanism of Action and Preclinical Studies, as well as Frequently Asked Questions, plus an extensive bibliography on the Effectiveness and Biological Activity. |
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Richard C. Honour, PhD, is a scientist and biopharmaceutical
executive with more than 35 years of experience. His specialties include the
development of new technologies and products in the fields of infectious
diseases and cancer, with special emphasis in natural products from traditional
medicine. Dr. Honour is currently Chairman and Chief Science Officer for Eulara
(Seattle, WA). Astaxanthin and other Eulara skin care products and dietary
supplements may be reviewed at www.eulara.com. |
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