Astaxanthin is my go-to summer supplement, and it’s often called nature’s strongest antioxidant. It is a potent naturally occurring carotenoid found in foods like salmon and krill.
There are many well-researched reasons for taking this supplement, but I take it for one very noticeable benefit: sun protection.
My results have been drastic. Before supplementing, I could burn after just 15 minutes in the sun. Now, I can handle moderate (and healthy) sun exposure without burning at all.
I guess you could say I eat my sunscreen!
What Is Astaxanthin?
Astaxanthin (pronounced asta-zan-thin) is a naturally occurring carotenoid found in seafood and sea life, like crustaceans and microalgae. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, carotenoids are a class of over 750 richly colored molecules synthesized by plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria.
Carotenoids are responsible for the bright colors of plants and vegetables. While you probably knew that beta carotene is orange, astaxanthin is responsible for the red colors seen in flamingos, salmon (especially sockeye salmon), and krill. Interesting fact, it is the higher astaxanthin content that gives wild-caught salmon a brighter red color than their farmed counterparts.
Astaxanthin is one of the most powerful carotenoids. It is produced in nature as a protectant itself from the effects of losing its nutrient supply and to stay alive. This explains why it’s found in very high amounts in salmon. They need it for the endurance to swim upstream!
Plus, astaxanthin is an incredibly potent antioxidant. While other types of antioxidants can become pro-oxidant, or harmful, during the digestive process, astaxanthin retains its broad range of health benefits.
Top 5 Benefits of Astaxanthin
While I take astaxanthin mainly for its protective effects against the sun, there are lots of amazing benefits of this super antioxidant.
Here are the top five ways your immune system and other bodily functions may benefit:
Fights Pain and Inflammation
If you thought vitamin C was a powerful antioxidant, consider this: astaxanthin is shown to be up to 6,000 times as potent! All antioxidants can fight free radicals to help reduce inflammation, but astaxanthin offers several unique properties that make it especially beneficial.
First, it has a unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Animal studies show that this can help reduce neuroinflammation and might be protective against certain brain injuries. This might also be helpful for those with Alzheimer’s Disease or other cognitive diseases.
Taking this dietary supplement might increase your eye health as well. Astaxanthin can also cross the blood-retinal barrier to directly reduce inflammation in the eyes.
Astaxanthin also might also offer general pain relief for things like joint inflammation, especially carpal tunnel syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. It’s also great for soothing muscle soreness and sports injuries.
Boosts Endurance
If your workout routine needs a boost (or if you’re suffering from muscle damage), you might want to consider supplementing with astaxanthin.
Athletes are especially likely to see positive effects from taking this supplement. One clinical trial of healthy paramedic students found that taking astaxanthin for six months significantly increased the number of squats they could do — up to three times as much as the placebo group.
In addition to boosting strength and endurance, astaxanthin’s ability to fight free radicals helps speed up recovery time. In other words, the lack of muscle soreness after exercising might also play a role in its ability to increase strength and endurance.
Protects Against Sun Damage
One of the main reasons I started taking astaxanthin is because of its impressive sun-protective benefits. It works by reducing the UVA damage to skin cells from the inside. I am naturally fair skinned and this supplement allows me to get healthy sun exposure without burning or getting freckles.
Astaxanthin’s unique sun protective properties come from the algae Haematococcus pluvialis, which creates this pigment as a protection from the heat and sun to save itself when it loses its water supply. Similarly, astaxanthin works as an internal sunscreen for humans and gives skin a subtle, natural reddish-brown pigment while it protects against DNA damage.
Getting a sunburn means your body is suffering through a type of inflammation. If there are other sources of inflammation in the body, your skin is more likely to burn. My lab results found that since taking astaxanthin regularly and eating an anti-inflammatory diet, I have lower levels of inflammation and I tan more easily without burning.
Plus, the extra boost in skin moisture from taking astaxanthin doesn’t hurt!
In case you’re wondering, here’s how to make your own natural sunscreen that you can use together with astaxanthin for superior sun protection.
Contains Anti-Aging Properties
If your beauty routine needs a boost, consider getting more astaxanthin. You’ll naturally reap the cosmetic benefits due to its antioxidant activity. Specifically, its ability to fight free radicals.
Since this pigment can protect our cells and DNA to fight against oxidative damage, it helps boost skin elasticity, reduces the size of age spots, and even helps smooth out wrinkles.
Research finds that after just four to six weeks of taking astaxanthin, participants noticed a reduction of UV-related aging and overall improved skin health.
Might Ease Cardiovascular Disease
Turns out that the antioxidant effect of astaxanthin can be beneficial to those with heart disease as well.
While more research needs to be done, recent studies found that use of astaxanthin led to a reduction in biomarkers of oxidative stress, which helped improve overall heart health.
Plus, animal studies find that eating an astaxanthin-rich diet can lower blood pressure in hypertensive rats.
How I Use It
I consider astaxanthin more of a food than a supplement, and I try to consume it as part of a healthy diet. I love seafood, so no problem there! Wild-caught salmon is a regular part of our diet, and we get ours here.
That being said, it would be very difficult to get large amounts from food. There are also mercury concerns with consuming high levels of seafood.
I’ve been using this supplement daily for several years, especially during warmer months when the sun is strongest. I typically take one 12 mg of astaxanthin each day, usually in the morning and with a meal or drink that contains fat, like my healthy coffee or tea.
For best results, start with this supplement well before summer to build up your system and prepare for enjoying the sun safely!Safety of Astaxanthin
Supplementing with astaxanthin is likely safe. Side effects might include stomach pain if you take high doses. You might also need to take more frequent trips to the bathroom, and don’t be alarmed if your stools are a reddish color.
Since there aren’t enough studies to prove that it’s safe, it is probably best to avoid supplementing with astaxanthin if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
The Bottom Line
Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant that can help improve your skin, benefit your heart and brain, and protect your skin against aging and sun damage.
I’ve found it to be helpful for me personally, but I’m not a doctor and can’t tell you what would work best for you. As with any other changes to your diet, be sure to check with your healthcare professional before starting astaxanthin supplementation.
Of course, adding a bit of extra salmon or krill to your diet can only be beneficial!
Have you ever taken astaxanthin? Did you notice any benefits? Share below!
Hi Katie,
Does astaxanthin go rancid? Should it be frozen if I want to buy a large bottle of it?
People who have food allergies for seafood ..should take this supplement or maybe find one
Non Allergenic for seafood.
Is it safe to take Astaxanthin while taking a blood thinner?
I would ask your doctor.
I just bought the Astaxanthin from the NOW brand online, unfortunately it contains carrageenan and corn starch. As it was expensive we will consume it but wanted to warn other readers. Will try and search for another brand as can’t get the above recommended in Australia.
Hi Katie, I have been taking the same supplement BioAstin for a couple of years now and people always ask me why I look tan. Has it changed your skin color? I was wondering if you give it to your kids. I wanted to give it to my 7 and 13 year old but didn’t know at what dosage. Thanks!
I have a lot of hormonal problems and have been working diligently for a few months now (after getting my cycle back at 21 months pp) to try and straighten them out naturally. It looks like there could be some adverse affects on hormones, but I can’t tell if it would be a bad idea for me to supplement with this or not, considering my struggles. I don’t have access to a doctor of functional medicine, and therefore, no real trusted advice. (I live in Alabama…) Any thoughts?
I hope she replies back to you on this. I would love to add this to my daily supplements – especially with summer coming up – but am also trying to straighten out my hormones at 22 months PP – and don’t want to take anything that could mess things up for me!
Let me start off with saying I am a ‘burner’, always have been.
I started using the BioAstin Astaxanthin last February. I started with 4 mg and had worked my way up to 8 mg by April. I then increased to 12 mg by the end of May and have stayed at 12 mg since then.
I can say with all honesty I had one burn and that was on my shoulders and upper back at the very beginning of the season when the Astaxanthin was still building up in my body. Since then, after a long time in the sun that would normally cook me like a lobster, I had noticed but a handful of times when my skin took on a pink hue. I immediately got out from under the direct sun. There was no actual blistering burn.
I did tan well this year, even in places like the tops of my feet that normally don’t pick up color very well.
I’m curious what next summer will bring after a whole year and winter on the 12 mg before sun exposure. Time will tell.
Hi! I’ve noticed that several people asked about whether or not this will help with melasma but you haven’t answered. Does it? Love to know! Thanks!
The research seems to be divided. I’d try it carefully and talk to a doctor, but it might.
Hi Katie,
I was wondering if there is a specific reason that you take this brand and what you would look for in determining if you would take a different brand? I would like to start taking this supplement with my husband, but $50 for less than a months supply for the both of us is pretty pricey. I would like to look into finding a cheaper brand, but want to know if there is anything specific I should avoid? I would love to get an answer from you, thanks!
-Madison
This is the most potent source I’ve found and it doesn’t have any of the questionable additives that some brands have. This one is 12 mg and most others are 4 mg. Really, you could probably take this one every other day and it would still be a bigger dose than most cheaper brands.
Try ordering the BioAstin Astaxanthin from Vitacost or Swanson. It’s cheaper.
Do you know from which ocean the algae that produce the astaxanthin is harvested? I’m wondering about radiation contamination from Japan’s nuclear disaster, especially for pregnancy and kids.
I’m Confuse thought nitric oxide was a good thing, but your blog suggests that Astaxanthin suppress nitric oxide… can someone clarify that for me please.
Where does it say that?
Can taking 12mg of the BioAstin Astaxanthin daily cause a yellowing of the skin? I have been taking it for a few months daily and have noticed a yellowing of my skin.
In your supplement post you mentioned you did not take it during pregnancy. Have you changed your mind and now take it during pregnancy/nursing? Thank you
Do you have a liquid lotion recipe without lanolin? Thank you!
I do: https://wellnessmama.com/3765/homemade-lotion-recipe/
Hi there. I just started taking this supplement and I have a question. Since it’s a powerful antioxidant, do you think it would be alright to combine it with other powerful antioxidants? I wanted to start taking a Grape Seed supplement and I don’t know if these two supplements would be too much on my system. Thanks!
Does anyone know how this may react with someone who actually has tan skin yet suffers from hyperpigmentation/melasma (dark spots that appear on face)? The sun actually triggers the dark spots to come out worse, but it is believed that it also has to do with hormones — and no I didn’t get during pregnancy but in my 40’s. Who knows, it just doesn’t go away. Anyways, I was hoping (heck “praying”) to find some natural cure, and am wondering how this would work.
Hey Katie- after reading this article, I had the thought of how nice it would be if you did an article on what supplements you take. AKA a ” Supplemental Closet” so to speak. OR if you dont want to do that, would you just help a sister out? Thank so much. I love your stuff!
Good idea. Need to do an updated post on that soon…
I am wondering about this too – how is it for someone with melasma? Would it help?
I used to have melasma. For me it was triggered by hormone fluctuations. I consulted with a homeopath and she prescribed a few remedies for me. The Melasma went away in a few months.
I have read that supporting the liver will help. So logically adding a powerful antioxidant might help.
I felt compelled to comment, I know how awful Melasma can be. Good luck.
i’ve been taking this off and on for several years. i tried it during my 6th pregnancy but i wasn’t consistent and didn’t notice that it helped greatly. for my last pregnancy i took 4 or 5 mg and 10,000 units of vitamin D everyday. i found that it helped my skin greatly! i’d had terrible eczema in my 5th & 6th pregnancies and i did not have it in my 7th.
recently i had slacked off on taking them. the last couple months, i’ve been having a flare of carpel tunnel that goes from finger tips to shoulder. i started taking these 2 supplements again everyday and my carpel tunnel is going away. until i read this article i’d not linked taking these supplements with the carpel tunnel. i’d only thought of them in relation to my skin. i began taking them again because my knuckles were all splitting . now i see that it is also helpful for the parts of me that are not skin! i’m really excited about it now. perhaps a larger dose would be helpful. i’ve only been taking 4 or 5 mg. i’m going to try doubling it and see what happens. maybe the carpel tunnel will disappear completely!
Thank you for the great article!
p.s. i wouldn’t recommend 10,000 units of vitamin D for everyone. my doctor has repeatedly tested my vitamin D and it is too low. he said this is a good dose for me while pregnant & nursing.
I’ve been taking it for about 3 months now. I do notice the benefits of sunburns as I’m very faired skinned and blonde although I haven’t been out in the sun all that much its rained a lot here and I have been so busy when its not raning! lol The one thing that I’ve noticed is it makes me a little sick feeling, that feeling is better when taken with food though. And I also take the fermented cod liver oil & butters as well!
Hi there
I take Dr Mercolas brand and he recommends 1 tablet each day and his tablets have 4mg in them. Can you tell me why you take 12mg?
Higher potency and more pure formula. From my research, I am comfortable with taking 12 mg and feel better when I do
Do you take 12mg while pregnant or did you lower your dose? I’m 32 weeks and have been taking 4mg daily for years, but would like to increase it since it would make sense to help with pain associated with pregnancy and natural birth.
I’d check with a doc that close to delivery, especially to make sure a high dose wouldn’t thin blood at all…
What about the safflower oil in the formula you take?
This is an oil to avoid correct? Have you found another brand since the original post that doesn’t contain safflower oil??–thanks!
I am very fair skinned an freckle/burn badly. You mentioned you don’t freckle on this suppliment, did you before you took it? And if so, did they fade or disappear over time? Also wanted to say how much I enjoy your email posts. Thank you and God bless!
Yes and yes! Freckles almost gone now 🙂 Although I think freckles are cute so I was happy either way
Interesting post! I am wondering about the safflower oil in the ingredients list though….not a fan of processed oils.