This article shows how astaxanthin:

• Provides pain relief
• Helps fight fatigue
• Supports eye health
• Cleans up cells in our body
• Protects skin
• Provides Anti-Cancer properties

Astaxanthin (pronounced “asta-ZAN-thin”), which is cited with references throughout this article, you’ll discover the latest findings on its multi-functional ability to target risk factors for various degenerative diseases. You will also learn of the drug industry’s predictably corrupt efforts to develop patented synthetic forms of astaxanthin to treat heart disease—and reap windfall profits.

Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring carotenoid found in algae, shrimp, lobster, crab, and salmon. Beta carotene, for example, is orange. Astaxanthin is dubbed the “king of the carotenoids”, and is responsible for turning salmon, crab, lobster and shrimp flesh pink.

In the animal kingdom, astaxanthin is found in the highest concentration in the muscles of salmon. Scientists theorize astaxanthin helps provide the endurance these remarkable animals need to swim upstream.

For humans, astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant with wide-ranging health benefits, and unlike other antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, vitamin E, C, D and selenium, astaxanthin never becomes pro-oxidant in the body. [23, 24, 25, 26]

Astaxanthin has been discussed by Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Joe Mercola and recommended by many health experts. Krill supplements contain trace amounts of astaxanthin, not nearly what you need to achieve the therapeutic benefits discussed today.

Astaxanthin helps to relieve pain and inflammation

Astaxanthin is a potent anti-inflammatory and pain reliever, blocking different chemicals in your body that make you feel pain. More than that, astaxanthin reduces the inflammatory compounds that drive many chronic diseases.

Even though it’s 100 percent natural, astaxanthin works like some prescription pain medications, but without the risk of addiction, GI bleeds or heartburn.

More specifically, astaxanthin blocks COX 2 enzymes just like the prescription medication Celebrex, the blockbuster drug prescribed for osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, acute pain, and monthly painful menstruation. [1]

Natural astaxanthin not only affects the COX 2 pathway that blocks pain, it also suppresses serum levels of nitric oxide, interleukin 1B, prostaglandin E2, C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and TNF-alpha (tumor necrosis factor alpha), all signs of pain and inflammation. [1]

Natural astaxanthin was shown to reduce CRP by more than 20 percent in only eight weeks; there is not a prescription drug that does that. [21] Even the American Heart Association claims CRP is a key indicator of heart disease. [22]

Astaxanthin Helps Fight Fatigue

Astaxanthin provides excellent recovery from exercise. [17] Just like salmon making the heroic upstream swim, astaxanthin can help athletes do their best. Pure natural astaxanthin is indicated for recovery of muscles, better endurance, enhanced strength and improved energy levels. [18, 19, 20]

Astaxanthin Supports Eye Health

Loss of vision is a terrifying reality for millions of aging Americans. Three major age-associated causes of blindness are cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma. All of these are associated with chronic oxidative damage, and most involve some degree of inflammation. [27] That makes powerful antioxidants such as astaxanthin of natural interest to prevention-oriented physicians. [28]

Well-designed clinical trials have shown that astaxanthin helps diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, eyestrain and fatigue and seeing in fine detail. There are also well-designed positive human clinical trials of astaxanthin supporting eye health. [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Astaxanthin cleans up cells in our body

Astaxanthin unique molecular lipophilic and hydrophilic properties allow it to enter and span the entire cell, with one end of the astaxanthin molecule protecting the fat-soluble part of the cell and the other end protecting the water-soluble part of the cell.

Natural astaxanthin is exceptionally powerful in singlet-oxygen quenching, a technical term meaning in this case, that it is an active species (antioxidant) in photodynamic therapy (against free radical damage).

A 2007 study analyzed several popular antioxidants and their antioxidant power. [10] This study found astaxanthin was:

• 6,000 times stronger than vitamin C
• 800 times stronger than CoQ10
• 550 times stronger than green tea catechins
• 75 times stronger than alpha lipoic acid

Protects skin and provides sunscreen protection

Astaxanthin has been shown to protect the body’s largest organ — our skin. The studies are clear and consistent and show excellent results for helping with skin moisture levels, smoothness, elasticity, fine wrinkles, and spots or freckles. [12]

Astaxanthin reduces damage caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In fact, if you get a sunburn, which causes inflammation, astaxanthin penetrates the skin cells and reduces UVA damage. Think of it as an internal sunscreen.

Anti-Cancer mechanisms

Astaxanthin’s multiple mechanisms of action make it an ideal candidate for prevention and adjuvant treatment of many different kinds of cancer. By quenching free radical production in oxidatively stressed tissues, astaxanthin can prevent the DNA damage that is required to initiate many forms of cancer.[28] By subduing inflammatory mediators such as COX-2 and NF-kB,[36] astaxanthin may prevent cancer promotion, the step that allows potentially cancerous cells to blossom into full-blown tumors.

By supporting healthy intercellular communication, astaxanthin improves tissue resistance to cancers.[15] And by impairing enzymes like matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that cancer cells use to break down tissue barriers, astaxanthin can help prevent tumor invasion and metastatic spread.[36]

Drug companies profiteering from Astaxanthin

Despite drug companies trying to cash in on a natural form of astaxanthin, you can easily find it online here at a very reasonable price, though finding a company that is transparent with the information about the purity of their product can be challenging.

Luckily, we searched through a myriad of products and found one that is not only tested for its safety and purity, but it has the right therapeutic dose required to be effective.

The importance of astaxanthin sources

Wild Pacific salmon, especially sockeye salmon, have one of the highest astaxanthin content. However, you’d have to eat about 6 ounces (165 grams) daily to get just 3.6 milligrams, which isn’t enough to get a therapeutic dose.

However, the chances of having traces of mercury in most store bought salmon that isn’t wild caught, you run the risk of unknowingly eating heavy metals, particularly mercury, with every bite. [11]

Since salmon can also be quite expensive, there is another form of astaxanthin that is a much better source — marine algae, which is a potent form of astaxanthin when exposed to light.

Astaxanthin should come from either an outside pristine source, or an indoor cultivator, and the company should provide a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for their product to ensure its purity.

We reached out to no less than six suppliers of astaxanthin, but only one responded to our request for a COA, and that was a company named ArticFarma, marketed under the Algalife brand.

It wasn’t easy getting a COA from this company when we requested it on their website on three different occasions, but after tracking down the CEO of the company, Andrew H.Jacobson, and sending a request to his company email, he was very gracious in providing a COA for us to display to our readers.

Below is the COA we requested for the astaxanthin that we’re recommending, not only because of the third party testing by an independent lab, which clearly states just how pure this product is, but for the transparency that this company showed by providing us a copy of the COA.

In a recent press release the company put out:

“Icelandic Astaxanthin is 100% pure and natural, cultivated directly from haematococcus pluvialis, the richest source of natural Astaxanthin. Developed in a state-of-the-art facility exclusively built for the research and development of micro-algae solutions to the world’s global nutrition needs, Icelandic Astaxanthin offers unparalleled purity.”

“After searching the globe, we chose Iceland to build our facility due to its pristine environmental conditions, free of the contaminants and pollutants commonly found in other areas deemed suitable for the cultivation of algae,” said Andrew Jacobson, CEO, ArcticFarma.

Getting the proper therapeutic dosage is key

Studies show that doses of 8-12 milligrams provide therapeutic benefits. Make sure that your particular brand has undertaken all the special precautions to harvest it properly, purify it, encapsulate it and protect its potency right up to the expiration date on the bottle.

By researching several products and the companies that sell it astaxanthin online, we found AlgaLife’s astaxanthin supplement to be something we’d recommend. Not only for the myriad of health benefits that’s been shown in study after study, but this company  is one of the only one in half a dozen companies that sell this product, who is transparent and stands behind its product which, as you have seen by the COA, passes all safety protocols from a third party laboratory.

If you’d like to incorporate this powerhouse of an antioxidant into your supplement regimen, you can find it online at Amazon by clicking here.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and family. 

The post Nature’s Most Powerful Antioxidant You Never Heard Of appeared first on Natural Revolution.

Scientists have called resveratrol a “miracle molecule.” A 60 Minutes segment on the compound reported, “If [scientists] are right, we all may soon be taking a pill that could add a decade or two of healthy old age.”

Now a new compound has been found, primarily in blueberries, which acts as an antioxidant that is so powerful that one of America’s most trusted experts in medicine recently declared on national television, “It’ll help you live longer.”

In early studies, it appears that resveratrol helps in keeping cells healthy, blood flowing through the veins and arteries more fluidly, supports healthy blood sugar levels, and keeps mental function clear and sharp through enhancing the mitochondrial function in the brain.

But what scientists have recently discovered is that this groundbreaking substances is 300% more powerful than Resveratrol. Think of it as Resveratrol 2.0.

One recent study took a closer look and found that this compound worked better than resveratrol in animals in keeping brains healthy and supporting memory. They concluded that this antioxidant is “more potent” when it comes to keeping the brain young.

This compound is called Pterostilbene, and its actions work on a cellular level like Resveratrol does but in a more potent form. Let’s take a look at both of these compounds closer to get a better understanding of how they work on their own, and the benefits of when they’re combined.

Benefits of Resveratrol

Resveratrol has been associated with something known as the ‘French Paradox.’ This is a reference to why the French diet can be so high in fatty foods like cheeses and red meat along with red wine, yet the people seem to maintain good health.

The reason is thought to be the Resveratrol benefits contained primarily in their consumption of the red wine.

Resveratrol acts as a powerful antioxidant. This means that it is capable of removing free radicals and other toxins and poisons from the body. This helps to make all your organs function better, and even offer them some level of protection from future decline and loss of function.

This also may lead to other well-known Resveratrol benefits, such as protection against cancer and even a reduction in the risk of developing cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Resveratrol is also thought to have a number of additional benefits. It is considered to help improve the circulation, increasing blood flow where needed.

Not only this, but it also has the ability to help reduce inflammation, which is normally considered to be one of the primary markers of disease. There are some researchers who would go so far as to say all disease first begins with inflammation.

Resveratrol also helps to reduce the risk of diabetes and it enhances energy and endurance.

Benefits of Pterostilbene

Many of the benefits associated with Resveratrol also apply to Pterostilbene. For example, it is helpful at reducing the risk of developing heart disease. It fights against the hardening of the arteries, which is generally the first step in the development of heart disease.

Studies show that it helps to inhibit the buildup of LDL, the so-called “bad” cholesterol. There is also evidence to suggest that this supplement may help fight oxidative stress, another key factor in the development of heart disease.

Pterostilbene is also a highly effective antioxidant which can promote the removal of toxins and other damaging compounds from the body. This can not only protect you against developing cancer, it can also hinder the growth of certain cancers.

This is possible because Pterostilbene alters cancer cell cycles and changes their ‘pre-programmed’ cell death (apoptosis). Metastasis, or the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another, is prevented at least to some degree.

Cognitive function may also be improved by Pterostilbene supplementation. This supplement increases the production of a peptide substance known as insulin-like growth factor 1, or IGF. The IGF “axis” is also commonly referred to as the Growth Hormone/IGF-1 Axis. Insulin-like growth factor 1 is mainly secreted by the liver as a result of stimulation by growth hormone (GH). IGF-1 is important for both the regulation of normal physiology, as well as a number of pathological states, including cancer.

Pterostilbene is considered to be very important in the growth of blood vessels and neurons in the hippocampus region of the brain as well.

This region of the brain is tied directly to memory functions and an increase in blood supply and oxygen may lead to dramatic long-term improvements in cognitive performance. Some early evidence suggests that Pterostilbene supplementation is helpful in treating conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Pterostilbene and Resveratrol Comparison

Both Pterostilbene and Resveratrol are considered to be within the classification of stilbenoids, which are plant-like compounds that act as phytoalexins. Phytoalexins are antimicrobial and often antioxidative substances synthesized by plants that accumulate rapidly at areas of infection. Researchers note that phytochemicals are part of the plant’s defensive arsenal. Because of this action, these are substances that are known to have many types of health benefits.

Resveratrol is most commonly found in grapes and the wine made from those grapes; Pterostilbene is also found in grapes and blueberries primarily.

These supplements have both become more and more popular in recent years, although Resveratrol has been around longer. In fact, Resveratrol has achieved much of its popularity through its action as a potent antioxidant.

Studies found that taking Resveratrol can significantly improve lifespan and the immune system. It is even thought to have anti-cancer fighting properties.

The same holds true for Pterostilbene. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that this newer supplement possess many of the same properties of Resveratrol and is also more powerful in a number of areas.

What’s even more astonishing is that scientists have found that resveratrol activates genes near the beginning of the molecular cascade caused by caloric restriction. These in turn activate a broad array of disease-preventing genes. In essence, resveratrol’s beneficial genetic action takes place “upstream.”

But the difference with Pterostilbene is that it directly activates genes “downstream” from the sites of resveratrol’s action. This complements resveratrol’s ability to help prevent cancer and diabetes, and support healthy blood lipids. Acting together, resveratrol and pterostilbene produce potent longevity-promoting effects across the cycle of gene expression through complementary mechanisms.

A combination of the two is the best way to maximize your results when taking these supplements so you derive the greatest benefits for your overall cellular health.

Side Effects & Safety of Pterostilbene and Resveratrol

Both Pterostilbene and Resveratrol are very safe and are incredibly well-tolerated in adults. Few side effects have been reported with either of these natural compounds.

As far as long-term effects go, there does not seem to be any kind of toxicity associated with either of these. Even excessively large dosages have not been associated with side effects save for some temporary mild stomach discomfort.

Studies have shown that combining both Pterostilbene and Resveratrol have a symbiotic effect on the body. If you’d like to try this supplement, you can get it on Amazon at this link.

The dosage you decide to use should be based on your own health needs, recommended dosage, and personal sensitivity level. Before adding either Pterostilbene or Resveratrol to your supplementation routine, it is always best to contact a physician for advice.

The post Science Reveals This Substance 300% More Powerful than Resveratrol appeared first on Natural Revolution.

We’ve all been lectured on foods that are good for our hearts, minds, and stomachs, but how much do you know about antioxidant-rich foods? Antioxidants occur naturally in many foods and drinks and are great at preventing damage caused by free-radicals (oxidants). Your body needs free-radicals, but not too many. Think of antioxidants as a regulator of sorts. Antioxidants are also good for skin care as well. The Boots No 7 skincare reviews you’ve read are probably accurate but combine that with a daily dose of antioxidants and you just might have the complexion of a Greek goddess.

The antioxidant values of foods listed are expressed in ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) units, a unit of measurement for antioxidants developed by the National Institute on Aging in the National Institutes of Health (NIH). How ORAC got started was by a group of individuals with an interest in antioxidants and health who have put together information which is backed by peer-reviewed scientific publications.

The ORAC values listed are based on the laboratory measure of ORAC, expressed in micromoles of Trolox Equivalents per 100 grams of sample. This is important to consider when comparing something like a ground spice to say, a raw fruit. 100 grams of ground spice is likely to be much denser inorganic compounds, and therefore have a higher ORAC value than 100 grams of a raw fruit, which would be made up of mostly water weight.

However, you would find it difficult and possibly dangerous to ingest large quantities of spices, so it makes sense to eat a wide variety of antioxidant-rich foods – not just the ones at the top of the list.

Sumac, bran, raw

The antioxidant value of Sumac, bran, raw described in ORAC units is 312,400 μ mol TE/100g.

Sumac is a high-tannin variety of sorghum. Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents in addition to the southwest Pacific and Australasia.

Cloves

Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world. Cloves are harvested primarily in Indonesia, India, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Eugenol comprises 72-90% of the essential oil extracted from cloves and is the compound most responsible for the cloves’ aroma. Other important essential oil constituents of clove oil include acetyl eugenol, beta-caryophyllene, and vanillin, crategolic acid, tannins such as bicornin, gallotannic acid, methyl salicylate (painkiller), the flavonoids eugenin, kaempferol, rhamnetin, and many others.

Acai, fruit pulp/skin, powder

Extracts of acai seeds were reported to have antioxidant capacity in vitro against peroxyl radicals, similar to the antioxidant capacity of the pulp, with higher antioxidant capacity against peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals.

The anthocyanins of fruit likely have relevance to antioxidant capacity only in the plant’s natural defensive mechanisms and in vitro.

The Linus Pauling Institute and European Food Safety Authority state that dietary anthocyanins and other flavonoids have little or no direct antioxidant food value following digestion. Unlike controlled test tube conditions, the fate of anthocyanins in vivo shows they are poorly conserved (less than 5%), with most of what is absorbed existing as chemically modified metabolites destined for rapid excretion.

Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened

Cocoa powder is rich in flavonoids, a type of phenolic. The amount of flavonoids depends on the amount of processing and manufacturing the cocoa powder undergoes, but cocoa powder can contain up to 10% its weight in flavonoids.

Flavanols are one of six compounds further classified as flavonoids. Flavanols, which are also found in fruits and vegetables, are linked to certain health benefits linked to coronary heart disease and stroke.

The topic of how flavanols benefit cardiovascular health is still under debate. It has been suggested that the flavanols may take part in mechanisms such as nitric oxide and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiplatelet effects. Benefiting these mechanisms may improve endothelial function, lipid levels, blood pressure and insulin resistance.

Pecans

Elderberries, raw

Black elderberry has been used medicinally for hundreds of years.Some preliminary studies demonstrate that elderberry may have a measurable effect in treating the flu, alleviating allergies, and boosting overall respiratory health.

Elder is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, dissolved in wine, for rheumatism and traumatic injury.

Blueberries, wild, raw

Blueberries have a diverse range of micronutrients, with moderate levels (relative to respective Dietary Reference Intakes) of the essential dietary mineral manganese, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber (table).^[24] One serving provides a relatively low glycemic load score of 4 out of 100 per day.

Blueberries contain anthocyanins, other pigments, and various phytochemicals, which are under preliminary research for their potential role in reducing risks of diseases such as inflammation and cancer. Similar to red grape, blueberries may contain resveratrol.

Most studies have been conducted using the highbush cultivar of blueberries (V. corymbosum), while the content of polyphenols and anthocyanins in lowbush (wild) blueberries (V. angustifolium) exceeds values found in highbush cultivars.

Cranberries

Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw

Garlic, raw

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