Antioxidants are important for overall great health. Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant with many health benefits and unlike other antioxidants. Astaxanthin (pronounced “asta-ZAN-thin”) is one of my very favorite supplements. Many have never heard of it. Astaxanthin is natural carotenoids (pigment colors that are in nature and support good health) found in salmon, crab, lobster, algae, and shrimp. It is what gives them that awesome pink color. Astaxanthin is actually red and scientists theorize that because it is found in high concentration in the muscles of salmon it is what helps them to be able to swim upstream.

The power of astaxanthin as an antioxidant is amazing, it filters every cell in the body. Think of it as giving your cells a vacuuming. In a 2007 study which analyzed several antioxidants astaxanthin was the king; 800 times stronger than CoQ10, 6000 times stronger than Vitamin C, 550 times stronger than catechins in green tea and 75 times stronger than lipoic acid.

Even Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Joe Mercola recommend astaxanthin because of its powerful effects on the body. Because of its anti-inflammatory and pain relieving power, astaxanthin can help alleviate pain caused by many chronic diseases without the risk of addiction or other symptoms such as intestinal bleeding or heartburn that comes with prescription drugs. If you are taking the prescription drug Celebrex, astaxanthin works very well with it but please check with your doctor before taking it. C-reactive protein or CRP, is found in the blood and the level of it rises when there is inflammation. The American Heart Association says that it is a key indicator of Heart Disease. In a study, astaxanthin was shown to reduce CRP by 20% which is pretty impressive.

Remember those salmons swimming upstream? Their recovery rate was higher because of astaxanthin and yours can be too.It has been proven to help you have better endurance, better muscle recovery, improved energy and enhanced strength.

My favorite thing about astaxanthin is how it protects your skin. Studies prove that it helps with skin moisture, smoothness, fine wrinkles, spots and freckles caused by ultraviolet rays and elasticity. It helps reduce damage from the sun. It has helped me prevent sunburn because it penetrates the skin from the inside out adding a barrier of protection. I have even used it topically to ease the redness in my skin and it not only healed my skin but I did not peel.

Astaxanthin is great for eye health. Clinical trials have shown that it has the ability to reach your retina and that it helps macular degeneration, eye strain and fatigue and being able to see fine detail.

Sockeye salmon or wild salmon have the highest amount of astaxanthin, you can tell by the deep pink color. The problem is you would have to eat it every day to benefit from it. To get the best benefit from astaxanthin you should take a pure supplement, check your sources.You want the best source available so that you will get the best benefits.

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