Naturally-occurring Astaxanthin In Foods

By Author: Stephanie Thomas
Total Articles: 4
Comment this article

You might have heard many health experts talking about astaxanthin, a naturally-occurring carotenoid. Carotenoids are natural chemicals found in vegetables and fruits that give these produce their bright and lovely color. Unlike other carotenoids, astaxanthin is red-pigmented, and can be found in salmon and other seafood. In modern applications, astaxanthin is used as a food coloring, and is approved by the European Union.

Many people think that the only way to obtain astaxanthin is by taking an astaxanthin supplement. However, you should beware before taking any astaxanthin supplement, as many of these are not potent enough and are made using poor manufacturing processes.

Aside from ingesting an astaxanthin supplement, you can also look for food sources of naturally occurring astaxanthin. Here are some examples:

• Fish – Sockeye salmon, red sea bream, pink salmon, and rainbow trout are some wonderful sources of astaxanthin. These fish mainly get the astaxanthin from feeding on a certain microalgae, called Haematococcus pluvialis, which naturally produces the carotenoid.

However, you need to ...
... take note of two important factors when consuming fish: 1) it should be obtained from clean, pristine waters, so that it is free of mercury and other heavy metals, and 2) it should not be produced in fish factory farms. Factory farmed fish do not contain natural astaxanthin because they are not given a natural microalgae diet. Instead, they are given synthetic astaxanthin, which works to give fish such as salmon their attractive, reddish appearance.

• Shellfish – Crab, lobsters, and shrimp are all known for their astaxanthin content. If you cannot obtain fresh fish, opt for these yummy shellfish instead. Another crustacean which may contain good amounts of astaxanthin is krill. Krill, a marine crustacean that lives in pristine ocean areas, is a small and shrimp-like creature. Krill is a popular delicacy in many countries, especially in Japan, where it is sold fresh, dried, or frozen.

• Microalgae – As mentioned above, fish contain astaxanthin because they feed on the Haematococcus pluvialis microalgae. This type of microalgae uses astaxanthin as a natural sunscreen that protect them from harmful UV rays. You can buy Haematococcus pluvialis in a cracked and dried form, similar to seaweed products. Just like fish and other seafood, make sure the algae you choose comes from unpolluted waters. There is at least 1.5 to 3.5 percent astaxanthin in Haematococcus pluvialis.

Taking astaxanthin may seem like a brilliant idea, especially if obtained from yummy food sources. Try these simple food products, so that you will always get sufficient amounts of astaxanthin.

About the Author:

Odette Burnham is a health and fitness writer. She is currently researching about proper nutrition and how to obtain nutrients like omega-3s, astaxanthin, and antioxidants from whole, organic foods. When not busy with work, she makes sure to spend time with her two young daughters.