Started on this supplement today. Asthaxanthin makes up one of our heart supplements. However, aside from heart health, it is also beneficial for joints, eyes, brain, immunity, and as a cancer and aging prevention too (more on that below). Mom rotates it with
krill oil as asthaxanthin is present in krill oil. If you're looking for something that's stronger than lutein (for eyes), you may consider using asthaxanthin. (details below)
LINK:
Astaxanthin: A Powerful Antioxidant For Your Dog
When some algae are stressed they release this powerful antioxidant called astaxanthin.
Astaxanthin belongs
to a group of compounds called carotenoids – and it’s actually a red
pigment. Carotenoids are pigment colors that occur in nature. For
example, beta carotene is an orange pigment and makes foods like orange
peppers, well, orange. Astaxanthin is a red pigment and it actually
turns animals that eat it pink. Salmon, shrimp, flamingos, crayfish and
krill would be an entirely different color if they didn’t get
astaxanthin in their diet. In fact, it’s added to many goldfish foods to
keep them a nice deep orange color. And flamingos are born with grey
feathers … they don’t turn pink until they start eating their natural
diet of algae and crustaceans.
But don’t worry … your dog won’t turn pink if he eats it. And there are plenty of good reasons to give your dog astaxanthin.
How Astaxanthin Works
Astaxanthin is an antioxidant – and antioxidants are an important nutrient to fight against free radical damage.
Free
radicals are unpaired electrons that can accumulate in cells. They’re
the byproduct of metabolism, sometimes the immune system creates them to
fight viruses and bacteria, and they’re also formed when your dog is
exposed to chemicals, pesticides, processed foods, pollution, radiation
and toxins.
Once free radicals form in cells, their single
electron makes them very unstable, so they react quickly with other
compounds so they can capture a second electron to make them stable
again. So they often just attack the closest stable molecule and steal
its electron. So the damaged molecule with the missing electron becomes
another free radical and a chain reaction is set in motion.
This
process is called oxidative stress and it causes damage to the cells,
proteins and DNA in your dog’s body. So free radicals are associated
with many common diseases including cancer, and premature aging.
Astaxanthin
is a powerful antioxidant, which means it fights free radical damage.
It’s designed perfectly to protect all parts of the cell and actually
positions itself across the entire cell membrane, attaching itself to
both the exterior, interior and lipid layer, offering entire protection
for each cell.
Astaxanthin is better than most other antioxidants
(such as vitamin E) because it controls multiple free radicals at a
time. Astaxanthin forms an electron cloud around the molecule, so when
free radicals come by to steal electrons they are absorbed into the
cloud and neutralized.
It’s a powerful antioxidant, with
antioxidant strength up to 6,000 times more potent than vitamin C and
800 times stronger than CoQ10.
And unlike other antioxidants, it never becomes a pro-oxidant in the body. It’s not called the “king of carotenoids” for nits.
So let’s look at some of the more important ways I use astaxanthin in my practice:
1. Dry Eye And Retina Health
Keratoconjuctivitis sicca
(KCS) is a condition that is commonly referred to as “dry eye” in dogs
and I like to use astaxanthin to treat dry eye. It works as an
anti-inflammatory. The medical term means inflammation of the cornea and
surrounding tissues from dryness. It’s a common condition resulting
from inadequate production of the aqueous portion of the tear film that
protects a dog’s eye by the lacrimal gland (a gland of the third eyelid
gland)
While conditions such as hypothyroidism and autoimmune
disease as well as reactions to sulfa drugs may cause KCS, the gland can
rejuvenate with the proper holistic management. Astaxanthin can cross
the barrier to reach the retina, a barrier that few make it through.
I
would also recommend astanxanthin for retinal detachment and sight in
general. While this antioxidant is relatively new on the scene, it’s an
important one for eye health, and it’s not hard for me to imagine that
it would be very effective in preventing cataracts.
2. Joint Health
Astaxanthin
is a serious anti-inflammatory. So it’s great for joint health too.
Measure it against any other joint product you use for your dogs. It
actually blocks and handles several different chemicals that create
pain. It reduces inflammation in the body and inflammation is what,
always and eventually, helps create chronic disease.
3. Heart Disease
Astaxanthin
has been proven to reduce C-Reactive Protein (CRP) in the body. CRP is a
key indicator of heart disease and lowering CRP can help prevent as
well as treat heart problems. I would recommend Astanxanthin before
CoQ10 as it is 800 times more powerful.
Other Uses
Besides
being great for joint health, eye function and heart health,
astanxanthin is also great for brain function, cancer prevention, immune
system health and slows the aging process. And these health benefits
of astaxanthin that we’re currently aware of are likely just the tip of
the iceberg.
But not all astaxanthin is the same …
Natural Sources Of Astaxanthin
Currently, the primary industrial source for natural astaxanthin is the microalgae
Haematococcus pluvialis,
which seems to accumulate the highest levels of astaxanthin in nature.
Conveniently, these little folks naturally double their volume every
week. Commercially, more than 40 g of astaxanthin can be obtained from
one kg of dry biomass.
Hemoatococcus pluvialis is used to make high dose human and pet supplements naturally.
A yeast,
Phaffia rhodozyma,
also generates substantial amounts of astaxanthin and is used to create
supplements; however it can be genetically modified, so it’s safest to
check that your supplement is made from microalgae.
Beware Synthetic Astaxanthin
Nearly
all commercial astaxanthin for aquaculture is produced synthetically
selling at over five thousand dollars a kilo. However, synthetic
production of astaxanthin is not so hot because it contains a mixture of
stereoisomers. Stereoisomers are molecules that have the same
molecular formula and but are arranged differently in three-dimensional
space. Some of these stereoisomers affect digestibility and
bioavailability. This is a good reason to avoid synthetic astaxanthin as
it may be less well absorbed by the body than the naturally-sourced
form.
Synthetic astaxanthin is not approved for human use (likely
because of petrochemicals used in astaxanthin synthesis) … and you don’t
want to give it to your dog either. Synthetic astaxanthin is used in
animal feeds, especially in the fish farming industry. So when you buy
salmon, whether for you or your dog, make sure you always buy wild, not
farmed salmon.
Recommended Astaxanthin Dosage
Astaxanthin
is a great protective antioxidant to add into your dog’s diet. Using the
natural supplement, give your dog the following amounts by size:
- Small Dogs (under 20 lbs): 1/2 tsp once daily
- Medium Dogs (21-49 lbs): 1 tsp once daily
- Large Dogs (over 50 lbs): 2 tsp once daily
Food Sources Of Astaxanthin
If
you want to feed astanxanthin-rich foods, the best is wild Pacific
salmon, which have the highest content ranging from 4 to 40 milligrams
per kilogram. Again, don’t use farmed fish as these have likely been fed
synthetic astaxanthin.
Like other carotenoids, astaxanthin has
self-limited absorption orally and such low toxicity by mouth that no
toxic syndrome is known, so it’s very safe for your dog. So you might
want to consider adding this super antioxidant to your dog’s diet.
[ Link ]
Astaxanthin: This Super-Antioxidant Improves Mitochondrial Function in Dogs Young and Old
By Dr. Becker
A study conducted at Washington State University and published recently in the Journal of Animal Science1
indicates that supplementation with astaxanthin improves mitochondrial
function in dogs. Specifically, the researchers concluded that:
“Dietary astaxanthin improved mitochondrial function in blood
leukocytes, most likely by alleviating oxidative damage to cellular DNA
and protein.”
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid. Carotenoids are colorful plant pigments
and astaxanthin is actually responsible for the bright red color of
krill oil and the pink flesh of wild caught salmon. Carotenoids have
powerful antioxidant properties, and research indicates they are also
anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory agents.
Mitochondria are present in almost all the cells of the body, and
their job is to produce energy. They are sometimes referred to as “tiny
power plants.”
Mitochondrial dysfunction or disease means there’s an energy
generation problem, with the result that certain functions in the body
don’t work properly. In humans, diseases caused by mitochondrial
dysfunction include autism, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, muscular
dystrophy, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Astaxanthin Study with Beagles
The WSU study involved both young and geriatric healthy female
Beagles. The dogs were fed 20 mgs of astaxanthin daily for 16 weeks.
Fasting blood samples were taken at the start of the study, again at 8
weeks, and again at completion of the trial.
Mitochondrial function improved in both the young and elderly
Beagles. In the older dogs, astaxanthin supplementation increased ATP
production, mitochondria mass, and cytochrome c oxidoreductase activity.
In the young dogs, astaxanthin increased the reduced glutathione to
oxidized glutathione ratio. It decreased nitric oxide in all the dogs.
This Study is More Evidence of the Benefits of My Favorite Whole Food Supplement for Pets
Astaxanthin is known as the “king of the carotenoid family.” It’s a
naturally occurring, non-toxic source of vitamin A that is hundreds of
times more potent than vitamin E, ten times more potent than
beta-carotene, and about five times more potent than lutein as a
functional antioxidant.
Astaxanthin fights oxidative stress and free radical damage. It has
very strong free radical scavenging abilities and helps protect cells,
organs and tissues from oxidative damage.
Astaxanthin provides antioxidants to parts of the body that don’t
normally receive a lot of antioxidant benefit. It can cross the
blood-brain barrier and the blood-retina barrier. This means it can help
reduce the potential for diseases of the central nervous system, the
spinal cord, and the eye. Astaxanthin also supports immune function
thanks to its high levels of beta-carotene.
Studies also show astaxanthin supports joint and muscle recovery after exercise, and cardiovascular health in dogs and cats.
