Natural astaxanthin may slow down or delay aging through reduced oxidative damage.
Aging is commonly defined as the accumulation of oxidative damage in cells and tissues with advancing age. Young cells are protected from free radicals by balanced activity of the mitochondria, efficient antioxidant and DNA repair systems, as well as active protein degradation machineries. Aging, on the other hand, is accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction leading to increased free radical production, which in turn leads to overloading the defence systems and to oxidative damage of cellular components [52]. That is why our body accumulates oxidative damage as we age, and we become more susceptible to several disorders. Characteristic aging symptoms associated with oxidative damage can be defined as:
- Age-related oxidation of blood lipids;
- Age-related cognitive decline, including mental awareness, information handling and memory;
- Age-related granular pigment accumulation in retinal vessels, development of vascular lesions in the retinas;
- Skin damage;
- Age-related exercise intolerance and reduced quality of life.
Natural astaxanthin may slow down or delay aging through reduced oxidative damage.
Substation studies focused on astaxanthin benefits on antiaging:
Sophia Z Liu et al. (2021). “Astaxanthin supplementation enhances metabolic adaptation with aerobic training in the elderly.” Physiol Rep. 2021 Jun;9(11):e14887.
“Older adults between the ages of 65 and 82 were recruited through public lectures, mailers, posted advertisements, and referrals from prior studies. Participants attended up to three visits to the laboratory. At baseline (V1) participants performed a graded exercise test (GXT), tibialis anterior (TA) muscle endurance test, and had blood drawn for blood metabolic panel and AX level measurements, before being blindly randomized to the AX or PL group. After one month of supplementation alone, participants returned to the lab (V2) for a blood test and to begin endurance training (ET). Following 12 weeks of ET with continued supplementation of AX or Placebo, participants returned for a final visit (V3) for GXT, blood tests, and TA muscle endurance test. Out of the 58 enrolled participants, 42 completed the TA muscle performance testing (see previous publication for details)(Liu et al., 2018), and 40 completed the graded exercise test (GXT), specifically 17 males and 23 females (one of the female had a high aerobic capacity >2SD higher than the mean and was excluded from analysis). Study demonstrated that combining AX and exercise training leads to improved fat oxidation, CHO sparing, and increased exercise efficiency in aged healthy subjects, especially in males. These metabolic improvements combined with the benefits of the combined intervention on improvements in muscle strength, size, and specific force indicate that incorporation of AX into an exercise training program in the elderly could enhance exercise tolerance and quality of life.”
Sophia Z Liu et al. (2017). “Building strength, endurance, and mobility using an astaxanthin formulation with functional training in elderly.” J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2018 Oct;9(5):826-833.
“Building both strength and endurance has been a challenge in exercise training in the elderly, but dietary supplements hold promise as agents for improving muscle adaptation. Here, we test a formulation of natural products (AX: astaxanthin, 12 mg and tocotrienol, 10 mg and zinc, 6 mg) with both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in combination with exercise. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled study of elderly subjects (65-82 years) on a daily oral dose with interval walking exercise on an incline treadmill. Methods: Forty-two subjects were fed AX or placebo for 4 months and trained 3 months (3×/week for 40-60 min) with increasing intervals of incline walking. Strength was measured as maximal voluntary force (MVC) in ankle dorsiflexion exercise, and tibialis anterior muscle size (cross-sectional area, CSA) was determined from magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Greater endurance (exercise time in incline walking, >50%) and distance in 6 min walk (>8%) accompanied training in both treatments. Increases in MVC by 14.4% (±6.2%, mean ± SEM, P < 0.02, paired t-test), CSA by 2.7% (±1.0%, P 0.6 for all). Conclusions: The AX formulation improved muscle strength and CSA in healthy elderly in addition to the elevation in endurance and walking distance found with exercise training alone. Thus, the AX formulation in combination with a functional training programme uniquely improved muscle strength, endurance, and mobility in the elderly.”
Jui-Tung Chen et al. (2017). “Effects of Astaxanthin on Liver and Leukocyte Parameters in Healthy Climacteric Women: Preliminary Data.” J Med Food. 2017 Jul;20(7):724-725.
“Astaxanthin, a xanthophyll carotenoid and a cellprotective micronutrient (i.e., with antioxidative action), is often used as a dietary supplement among health conscious people. Although astaxanthin is well known to have an antioxidative function, there are also other health benefits (i.e., anti inflammation, immunomodulation) that are well documented. Thus, the effects of astaxanthin supplementation on health should be further examined; however, there is currently a paucity of data obtained from clinical studies in an evidence-based manner among relatively healthy people. This study aimed to observe the changes in laboratory measures following astaxanthin supplementation among healthy climacteric women (this population generally uses supplementations including astaxanthin). The study was a double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial (approved by the institute Ethical Committee, UMIN trial No. 000011834) on astaxanthin supplementation for healthy women. Informed consent was obtained from the participants. Inclusion criteria were subjectively healthy women in a climacteric phase. Histories of hormone replacement therapy, current smoking habits, cardiometabolic diseases, and the use of antioxidant supplements comprised the exclusion criteria. Finally, 14 women were administered 12 mg/day astaxanthin, while 15women received a placebo over a period of 3 months. Their respective laboratory measures were determined during a fast before and after treatment. The examinations of blood samples were conducted in a single center of a nationally certified laboratory (LSI Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). As oxidative stress markers, the levels of blood diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs)3 and urinary 8-hydroxy-20 -deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were determined, while as an antioxidative marker, the levels of biological antioxidant potential (BAP) were determined. In summary, astaxanthin supplementation can be considered to have a protective effect on the liver even in subjectively healthy climacteric women.”
Kim et al. (2004). “The Effects of Astaxanthin Supplements on Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Status in Postmenopausal Women.” Nutritional Sciences 7(1): 41-46.
“In postmenopausal women, the incidence of cardiovascular disease(CVD) is common and there is growing evidences that astaxanthin has a strong antioxidant capacity and plays a beneficial role in the prevention of CVD. However, current data are not sufficient to determine the effect of astaxanthin on improving lipid profiles and antioxidant capacity in human. In this study, 15 healthy postmenopausal women were divided into 3 groups and given astaxanthin supplements of 0, 2 or 8mg/day for 8 weeks. Blood samples were taken before and after 4 and 8 weeks of astaxanthin supplementation for analysis of serum total choelsterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, plasma TBARS, total antioxidant status (TAS) and urinary 8-isoprostanes. HDL-cholesterol 8-isoprostanes. HDL-cholesterol levels in 2mg and 8mg group increased significantly after 8 weeks from 50.6±5.8 to 60.4±7.1mg/㎗, 44.4±10.7 to 49.4±2.7mg/㎗ respectively (p<0.05). In the 2mg group, triglyceride decreased significantly from 171.6±67.4 mg/㎗ to 145.8±5.1mg/㎗ (p<0.05). Plasma TBARS level in the 2mg group decreased from1.42± 0.18nM/mg to 1.13±0.18nM/mg after 8 weeks (p<0.05). In the 8mg group, TBARS level decreased significantly from 1.62±0.14nM/mg to 1.13±0.12nM/mg after 8 weeks (p<0.05). TAS, as an indicator of lipid peroxidation, increased significantly from 0.85±0.42mM/ℓ to 1.90±0.58mM/ℓ after 8 weeks in the 8mg group (p<0.05). Urinary 8-isoprostanes excretion did not decrease significantly with astaxanthin supplementation. In conclusion, it would be helpful for postmenopausal women with common cardiovascular disease to supplement with astaxanthin as an antioxidant.“
Nakagawa et al. (2011). “Antioxidant effect of astaxanthin on phospholipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes.” Br J Nutr 105(11): 1563-1571.
“Phospholipid hydroperoxides (PLOOH) accumulate abnormally in the erythrocytes of dementia patients, and dietary xanthophylls (polar carotenoids such as astaxanthin) are hypothesised to prevent the accumulation. In the present study, we conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trial to assess the efficacy of 12-week astaxanthin supplementation (6 or 12 mg/d) on both astaxanthin and PLOOH levels in the erythrocytes of thirty middle-aged and senior subjects. After 12 weeks of treatment, erythrocyte astaxanthin concentrations were higher in both the 6 and 12 mg astaxanthin groups than in the placebo group. In contrast, erythrocyte PLOOH concentrations were lower in the astaxanthin groups than in the placebo group. In the plasma, somewhat lower PLOOH levels were found after astaxanthin treatment. These results suggest that astaxanthin supplementation results in improved erythrocyte antioxidant status and decreased PLOOH levels, which may contribute to the prevention of dementia.”
Limas Kupcinskas et al. (2008). “Efficacy of the natural antioxidant astaxanthin in the treatment of functional dyspepsia in patients with or without Helicobacter pylori infection: A prospective, randomized, double blind, and placebo-controlled study.” Phytomedicine. 2008 Jun;15(6-7):391-9.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the natural antioxidant astaxanthin in functional dyspepsia in different doses and compared with placebo. Study was a controlled, prospective, randomized, and double blind trial. Patients: Patients with functional dyspepsia, divided into three groups with 44 individuals in each group (placebo, 16 mg, or 40 mg astaxanthin, respectively). Interventions: Participants were asked to accept gastroscopy before treatment, together with questionnaires: GSRS and SF-36. Urea breath test (UBT) was done before the treatment. Main outcome: The primary objective was to test the hypothesis that the antioxidant astaxanthin at two doses regimens compared to placebo should ameliorate gastrointestinal discomfort measured as GSRS in patients with functional dyspepsia, who were either positive or negative for Helicobacter pylori, after 4 weeks of treatment. Results: At the end of therapy (week 4) no difference between the three treatment groups was observed regarding mean Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) scores of abdominal pain, indigestion and reflux syndromes. The same results were observed at the end of follow-up. However reduction of reflux syndrome before treatment to week 4 was significantly pronounced in the higher (40 mg) dose compared to the other treatment groups (16 mg and placebo, p=0.04). Conclusion: In general, no curative effect of astaxanthin was found in functional dyspepsia patients. Significantly greater reduction of reflux symptoms were detected in patients treated with the highest dose of the natural antioxidant astaxanthin. The response was more pronounced in H. pylori-infected patients.
Katagiri et al. (2012). “Effects of astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extract on cognitive function: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.” Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition 51(2): 102-107.
“In this study we tried to confirm the effect of an astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extract on cognitive function in 96 subjects by a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study. Healthy middle-aged and elderly subjects who complained of age-related forgetfulness were recruited. Ninetysix subjects were selected from the initial screen, and ingested a capsule containing astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extract, or a placebo capsule for 12 weeks. Somatometry, haematology, urine screens, and CogHealth and Groton Maze Learning Test were performed before and after every 4 weeks of administration. Changes in cognitive performance and the safety of astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extract administration were evaluated. CogHealth battery scores improved in the high-dosage group (12 mg astaxanthin/day) after 12 weeks. Groton Maze Learning Test scores improved earlier in the low-dosage (6 mg astaxanthin/day) and high-dosage groups than in the placebo group. The sample size, however, was small to show a significant difference in cognitive function between the astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extract and placebo groups. No adverse effect on the subjects was observed throughout this study. In conclusion, the results suggested that astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extract improves cognitive function in the healthy aged individuals.”
N. Hongo, et al. (2017). “Daily fatigue-reducing effect of astaxanthin—a randomized, placebocontrolled, double-blind, parallel-group study.” Jpn. Pharmacol. Ther., 45 (2017), pp. 67-72.
“To evaluate the effects of astaxanthin on the sense of fatigue occurring in daily life and to investigate the relationship of the fatigue-reducing effect with the antioxidative potential. Method: A 12-week, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was conducted. After screening for eligibility, 39 subjects with fatigue were assigned to 2 groups. The astaxanthin group received 12 mg of astaxanthin and 20 mg of tocotrienol, while the control group received 20 mg of tocotrienol alone. All subjects took Uchida-Kraepelin performance tests as mental loading and cycled using a bicycle ergometer as physical loading in Weeks 0, 4 and 8. A visual analog scale (VAS) of perceived fatigue was performed before and after loading. In Weeks 0 and 8, a Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire was performed. The biological antioxidant potential (BAP) was measured with blood samples taken at the screening and in Week 12. Results: Thirtyeight subjects completed the study. Intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis revealed that the sense of fatigue after both physical and mental loading was significantly lower in the astaxanthin group than in the control group in Week 8. The change in Friendliness in POMS was significantly higher in the astaxanthin group than in the control group in Week 8. No significant differences were observed in the change rate in the BAP value in Week 12 between the astaxanthin group and control group. Conclusion: Astaxanthin reduced the daily sense of fatigue caused by both mental and physical loads. No increase in BAP was, however, observed in subjects receiving astaxanthin.”
Supporting studies on astaxanthin and healthy aging:
The study focused on astaxanthin and collagen effects on the aging skin.
The study accessed the effect of astaxanthin on the carotenoid compositions of erythrocytes in middle-aged and senior subjects.
Miyazawa et al. (2011). “Plasma carotenoid concentrations before and after supplementation withastaxanthin in middle-aged and senior subjects.” Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 75(9): 1856-1858.
The study examined a bioavailability of astaxanthin in middle-aged and senior subjects.
The study reported improvement of visual acuity and muscle fatigue after dietary supplementation with astaxanthin.
Bibliography
52. Shigenaga MK, Hagen TM, Ames BN (1994). “Oxidativedamage and mitochondrial decay in aging.” Proc Natl AcadSci U S A 91:10771-8.
Algalif, Natural Astaxanthin: Human Clinical Studies Overview
