Written by: Ida Fanelli, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
In Part One of this Article, I shared the benefits of topical and Homeopathic Arnica in first aid usage and for concussion sufferers. As a Certified Holistic Aesthetician and Reflexologist, continued education and further study of holistic and health benefits found in food, remedies, supplements, skincare and other products is helpful and necessary to make recommendations to the individual needs of my clients. That is why, only two weeks after my husband suffered a concussion from an accident, I attended a seminar focused on helping concussion sufferers.
The speaker had experience with many athletes who had suffered from concussions during their careers, and as well as recommending a diet of healthy fats and oils needed for neurogenesis – the growth and development of nervous tissue – she introduced the supplement Astaxanthin, one of the most potent antioxidants found in nature, to help in the healing process of a concussion.
For part one of this article, click here.
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid – carotenoids are pigmented phytochemicals found in plants, bacteria, marine algae, and other living organisms. They are diverse natural pigments primarily found in veggies, fruits, and many plant parts. Bright orange, red and yellow colours indicate their presence. Flamingos, lobsters, salmon, fish, eggs, rainbow trout, crabs, krill, and other seafood are a perfect pink or red because of Astaxanthin – owing to what they consume. So, for example, wild salmon naturally obtains this carotenoid from their shrimp and small fish diet. On the other hand, farmed salmon lack this vital carotenoid as they follow a diet composed primarily of fish meal and oils, giving them a grayish hue.
To mimic the attractive pink colour found in wild salmon, food manufacturers began adding synthetic Astaxanthin to the feed of farmed salmon, but now, by law, grocers are required to inform consumers when a colour has been added artificially to salmon. Studies indicate that to take optimal advantage of the health benefits of Astaxanthin; one should opt for wild-caught salmon and avoid salmon that is farmed or artificially coloured. Not only is wild-caught salmon naturally higher in this vital carotenoid, but it’s also been shown to be safer for consumption and contain fewer contaminants.
An irreparably damaged optic nerve shocks the medical community
After attending the seminar where I heard about the benefits of supplementing with Astaxanthin, we introduced Astaxanthin (aka Super Vitamin E) into my husband’s daily regimen only a couple of weeks after his accident – a terrible fall during a training run where he not only suffered a bruised, bleeding and swollen face and a concussion, but he also damaged the optic nerve in his left eye. He continues using an Astaxanthin supplement daily because its efficacy is 550 times more than Vitamin E, nearly 6,000 times stronger than Vitamin C, and 550 times wealthier than green tea or other Catechins. It also provides electrons to free radicals, keeps them in check, and can never cause destructive oxidation in the body.
A few days after his accident, my sister-in-law was hiking with a friend who was also an optometrist. She relayed the essential facts about my husband’s accident but also mentioned her concern about his blind left eye, so the optometrist recommended a referral to an ophthalmologist (eye specialist).
After reviewing the test results from the hospital, the ophthalmologist at Ivey Eye Institute in London, Ontario, referred my husband to an otolaryngologist (ear, nose & throat specialist) to remove a bone splinter that pierced his optic nerve from the accident. The eye specialist phoned me before the surgery to caution me that he didn’t think my husband would get any of his vision back, but he felt that it was still worthwhile to go through with the surgery because it would alleviate the pain he still felt at that time in his head. The surgery involved going through his left nostril to remove the tiny bone that pierced the optic nerve, and the operation ended up taking place one week after my husband’s accident.
Immediately after the operation, my husband saw a white light through his left eye. The ophthalmologist monitored my husband for a year, and he mentioned that if there were any improvements, they would occur during that time. During one of my husband’s routine eye chart readings, the ophthalmologist was astonished and ran out of the room in search of his colleagues so that they could ‘see’ that my husband could read the letters on the chart with his left eye! Within a year, my husband miraculously regained 60% of his vision in his left eye, and the otolaryngologist wrote a professional article about his case in a medical magazine.
Astaxanthin’s benefits
Eye health
Astaxanthin crosses the blood/eye barrier and provides antioxidants to the eyes.
It increases blood flow to the eye, allowing the blood to reoxygenate the tissues of the retina and eyeball and clear out toxins and waste more efficiently.
Brain health
Astaxanthin can be vital in preventing and reducing brain damage from stroke. It works by stimulating blood flow, lowering blood pressure, relaxing blood vessels, and alleviating oxidative stress.
Studies and emerging research have shown that Astaxanthin benefits brain health by preserving cognitive function when combined with lifestyle changes. It prevents and decelerates the progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, which shows a progressive loss of neurons in the brain, leading to symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, tremors, agitation and anxiety. The neuroprotective properties of Astaxanthin may be due to its ability to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which also helps speed recovery and reduces swelling from traumatic brain injuries like concussions.
Heart health
Astaxanthin can help prevent or reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Astaxanthin shows excellent potential in preventing and reducing high blood pressure/hypertension by lowering oxidative stress and relaxing the blood vessel walls.
Blocked arteries due to high LDL cholesterol or triglycerides increase your blood pressure. Astaxanthin helps improve the thickness and elasticity of the walls of arteries. It helps regulate blood pressure and strengthen arterial walls to prevent heart failure due to hypertension. Results indicate that it can reduce blood oxidation and delay blood clotting.
Cholesterol is produced naturally by the liver and transported via the blood to make cell membranes, vitamin D and some hormones. Astaxanthin supplementation reduces high LDL levels (bad cholesterol), and its use can also improve adiponectin levels and HDL levels (the good cholesterol because high LDL and low HDL levels in the body are a bad combination and risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
Astaxanthin helps regulate nitric oxide (the reason everyone is eating beets) and can also help restore the subtle balance between nitric oxide and peroxynitrite. This imbalance leads to abnormalities in the lining of arteries and other blood vessels (Endothelium). Complications in the endothelium are associated with severe health issues, including diabetes, hypertension, poor immune system, insulin resistance, cancer, and atherosclerosis. Changes to the endothelium can also increase damage to the heart in the case of a heart attack.
Astaxanthin helps protect the endothelium and “reverse” or prevent extensive heart damage by reducing oxidative stress in the blood. Specifically, Astaxanthin use prevents heart damage during and after an attack.
Liver health
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver conditions, but Astaxanthin use can help protect liver function and prevent fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease occurs mainly due to oxidative stress caused by prolonged inflammation in the liver. It is often associated with metabolic disorders like obesity and the accumulation of lipids at the cellular level.
Type 2 diabetes
Astaxanthin can also help patients manage diabetes by lowering high blood pressure and improving sugar metabolism in Type 2 diabetes. It enhances insulin sensitivity and reduces oxidative stress in pancreatic beta cells and sugar toxicity in the blood.
Eases inflammation & improves immunity
Astaxanthin helps protect your lungs, eyes, stomach lining, and heart against bacterial inflammation by reducing inflammation.
Astaxanthin’s ability to reduce oxidative stress helps to reduce ulcers because it will help control Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), located in the intestinal wall linings.
People using Astaxanthin showed signs of decreased DNA damage and improved immune response.
Astaxanthin is also a promising option for managing both Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis because its anti-inflammatory properties help with joint pain.
Astaxanthin encourages the lymphatic glands to produce more lymphocytes, stimulating the immune response and improving their function.
Men’s health
Men treated with Astaxanthin saw reduced sperm death, increased sperm count, and enhanced the ability of sperm to fertilize eggs. Additionally, men also achieved higher pregnancy rates and improved overall vitality and fertility.
Women’s Health
Astaxanthin can also prevent symptoms associated with menopause, such as anxiety, stress, hot flashes and depression.
Skin health
The antioxidative properties of Astaxanthin are also excellent for your skin.
Astaxanthin promotes skin health and can inhibit skin cancer.
Astaxanthin also helps against UV-induced skin damage and the photoaging process. Oral and topical use of Astaxanthin helps reduce age and liver spots, smoothens wrinkles, and helps restore skin moisture.
Hair growth
Astaxanthin blocks the enzymes responsible for dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is responsible for male-pattern hair loss — often called androgenetic alopecia (AGA). DHT is an androgen, which means that it is a male sex hormone that is involved in the regulation and development of male sex characteristics.
Astaxanthin decreases DHT blood levels by 40 percent, and studies show that taking Astaxanthin twice daily makes new hair strands grow thicker and more plentiful.
Enhances workouts
For workouts, Astaxanthin helps increase endurance, boosts physical stamina, and reduces fatigue levels during and after intensive exercises. It enables the body to use its fat reserves and reduces the risk of skeletal and muscle damage.
Conclusion
My husband was also fortunate that he didn’t have to worry about any precautions, interactions, or the like associated with Astaxanthin (as listed at the end of this article), and his recovery from both his concussion and eye surgery was miraculous! While Astaxanthin has potential health benefits, such as the discovery that the antioxidant can help slow down the progression of diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and the growth of cancerous breast cells (it isn’t used much for cancer treatment because it is costly), more research is also needed to understand fully all the effects of Astaxanthin and its optimal dosage.
Talk to a doctor before adding Astaxanthin to your health regimen, as everyone’s health needs are unique!
Interactions with medications
Since Astaxanthin may help lower blood pressure, you should not take it if your doctor prescribes blood pressure medication.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding
It is unknown whether Astaxanthin causes side effects if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. To avoid potential risks, do not take Astaxanthin supplements or high quantities of Astaxanthin-rich foods while pregnant or nursing a child.
Allergic reactions
Avoid getting Astaxanthin from those sources if you have a known seafood allergy. See your healthcare provider and discuss other methods for adding this nutrient to your diet.
Amounts and dosage
There is no set dosage for Astaxanthin, although some studies have recommended doses of 4 milligrams per day. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved doses up to 12 milligrams daily.
This article is for educational purposes. Please check with your healthcare provider if it is an appropriate fit for you.
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Ida Fanelli, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Ida is a certified aesthetician (graduate of Marvel School of Beauty), offering home-based services since 1994. Ida provides various holistic services; she graduated from Zanqara’s Holistica Skin Care’s Dermatician course in 1994, which required her to understand homeopathic remedies. Ida has been a certified reflexologist since 1993 (graduate of D’Arcy Lane Institute). She has also been practicing Healing Energy since 1998 and has added the Ion Cleanse Foot Detox to her therapies. In 2012, Ida became a certified Sharplight Laser (IPL) Technician. She enjoys learning new techniques which can benefit her clients. In 2019, she received certification from the Center for Pain and Stress Research (CPSR.) She can now speed up the healing of scars and help with pain caused by surgical scars to her list of specialties.
References:
https://www.lifeextension.com/wellness/supplements/astaxanthin-benefits
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154323001928
https://www.verywellhealth.com/astaxanthin-uses-side-effects-precautions-storage-7507313
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/optic-neuritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354953
https://www.barrowneuro.org/condition/optic-nerve-disorders/
