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Astaxanthin,
A Member Of The Carotenoid Family, Is A Powerful Antioxidant
Author: ©Darrell Miller
Astaxanthin is a member of the carotenoid family responsible for
the red color of many types of algae. Being a carotenoid, it is
a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger as well as support
proper eye function.
However,
such a bland statement belies the true worth of astaxanthin in
its fight against free radicals. It is of particular benefit in
its ability to absorb the high energy of singlet oxygen, releasing
it as heat, and returning the singlet oxygen to its ground neutralized
state. Singlet oxygen is a particularly harmful and reactive oxygen
species of free radical that is formed in the body as part of
our normal metabolism, and that contains a high level of free
energy that can be used to oxidize and destroy the cells of your
body.
In achieving
this, astaxanthin is regarded as one of the most potent plant
derived antioxidants known, being up to ten times more active
than beta carotene, Lutein or its cousin canthaxanthin. So why
are antioxidants so valuable to our biochemistry and what would
happen if they did not exist?
Free
radicals are thieves that use your body as their operating ground.
They operate by stealing an electron from a molecule that comprises
part of you, and in some cases when this occurs the cell from
which the electron is removed is destroyed. Generally electrons
go around in pairs, but occasionally an electron pair can lose
one of the electrons during a chemical reaction. Many such reactions
occur naturally inside the body, especially during the production
of energy from blood sugars in the mitochondria, and such a molecule
containing a single unpaired electron is called a free radical.
Free radicals are also generated by the reactive components of
many pollutants such as traffic fumes and cigarette smoke, tars
and pesticides, and also by the effect of UV radiation in sunlight.
The
only purpose of a free radical is to steal an electron from the
first source it can find. Such reactions occur very rapidly after
the free radical has been generated, and if this electron belongs
to another body cell, then the cell is destroyed leading to effects
such as premature aging or even cancers. Free radical oxidation
of the LDL lipids that carry cholesterol around the blood causes
the deposition of fatty plaques inside arterial walls that eventually
become constricted or even blocked, leading to heart disease or
strokes.
That
is why antioxidants that destroy these free radicals are so prized,
and the more of them that there are in your body then the less
affect the free radicals will have on you. You will retain your
youthful looks longer, and will be less liable to suffer from
heart disease, cancers, circulation problems and conditions such
as diabetes. Many abnormal conditions can be laid at the door
of free radicals.
The
stronger the free radical, the more harm it can do to you and
a strong antioxidant such as astaxanthin is a very powerful weapon
in your armory against them. Astaxanthin is a member of the oxygenated
xanthophylls, and its high level of antioxidant power likely comes
from the ketonic and hydroxyl functional groups of the ionone
ring structure. It is more polar than most carotenoids, and this
is a likely reason for its ability to span the cell membrane layers,
with the active groups close to the hydrophilic-hydrophobic interface.
They are thus more readily available at the sites where most free
radicals tend to be found and provide immediate protection to
the cell membrane and also to the intracellular mitochondrial
membrane.
Many
antioxidants destroy free radicals by donating an electron, and
become oxidized themselves. Astaxanthin, however, does not do
this, but instead adds the free radicals to its long double bonded
chain hence avoiding oxidation and rendering it much more powerful
than normal antioxidants. It is unusual among antioxidants in
that it is also able to cross the blood-brain barrier, and so
reduces oxidative stress that can cause neurological disorders
in general, and also problems with eyesight. It can also attach
itself to lipoproteins to enable it to be carried throughout the
bloodstream, being available anywhere that free radicals are generated.
The carotenoid is also active against active oxygen species that
are responsible for inflammation.
Another
property is its ability to neutralize the oxygenated free radicals
formed by the photo-oxidation properties of UVA and UVB radiation.
Included in these are the previously mentioned highly reactive
singlet oxygen and also triplet oxygen that astaxanthin is able
to neutralize without becoming oxidized. In fact reactive oxygen
species in general can cause oxidative stress, and they have been
thought responsible for many forms of disease and health conditions,
and the powerful effect of astaxanthin in targeting many of these
has led it to be regarded as highly beneficial to the immune system
and to health in general.
Another
benefit is the ability of the substance to help prevent the oxidation
of high density lipoproteins (HDL) that are responsible for carrying
cholesterol in the blood back to the liver for destruction. Free
radical oxidation of HDL impairs its ability to transport cholesterol,
and so decreasing the level of such free radical oxidation will
by definition increase the quantity of good HDL available, and
hence reduce the concentration of cholesterol in the blood. Studies
have proved this to be the case, and astaxanthin supplements are
very beneficial to those suffering from high blood cholesterol
levels, and helps protect them from heart disease and strokes.
The
substance is naturally available from a wide range of marine sources,
such as lobsters (where it was first discovered), shrimp, salmon,
trout and in a wide variety of red and green algae. The substance
is also used as a red pigment. Carotenoids are essential, meaning
that they are not produced in the human body and can only be obtained
in our diets.
For
that reason, the most convenient way to take it, apart from continually
eating shrimp and lobster, is as a supplement. Astaxanthin is
available either as a powerful antioxidant in its own right, or
in combination with other substances with which it acts to provide
a very strong deterrent to any free radicals that think they can
freely roam your body.
About
the Author: More information on antioxidant Carotenoids
like astaxanthin is available at VitaNet ®, LLC Health
Food Store. http://vitanetonline.com/
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