Protecting the Body with Astaxanthin: Top Antioxidant

You may not know it, but what you have been eating contains powerful substances that can instrumental in fighting cancer, one of which is astaxanthin. Of course if your diet already consisted of the red seafood, you have probably noticed you are healthier than your other friends who do not share the same taste for food.

This is because what you are eating contains a very important substance. Its name is astaxanthin. It is the red pigment coming from the group of substances called carotenoids. Other carotenoids include lutein, beta-carotene, and lycopene, which are all plant based. So how did the animals get the color?

How Did They Get Red?

The animals did not produce the carotenoids naturally but were able get them from what they eat. When sea animals eat a plant that produces carotenoids, they inherit a similar color.

Astaxanthin food sources include staples like shrimp, crabs, and lobster. Other than crustaceans, fish like trout and salmon have been found to be rich in astaxanthin. Some commericial fish growers even feed their fish with astaxanthin in order to get the color.

What Makes Astaxanthin So Important?

Astaxanthin, just like their other carotenoid cousins, possesses antioxidant properties. This means actively scavenges for free radicals. Free radicals have been attributed to the several damages that are happening in the body.

They have been linked to aging, cancer, and illnesses on several organs of the body including the skin. It is necessary then that such an antioxidant such as carotenoid, particularly this one found on seafood, is added into the body.

Several tests have confirmed its effectiveness to the brain, the eyes, the skin, and even the immune system.

What's interesting is that it one of the most potent antioxidants right now is this. It has been said that it is 500 times better than vitamin E and 10 times more active that beta-carotene.

It is even more potent than the popular acai, which is usually considered the best antioxidant to date. In reality, it is no more effective than astaxanthin.

Astaxanthin in a Bottle

For those who would like to experience the benefits of astaxanthin but do not have a liking for seafood, they can use astaxanthin supplements instead. Instead of digesting food that contains the astaxanthin, you simply swallow a capsule for the effects to be felt faster.

One such product is Total Balance from xtend-life. Premium versions of the product contain 40mg of astaxanthin. Aside from this, the same capsule gives the antioxidant powers of other carotenoids such as lutien, beta-carotene, and lycopene. In fact, Total Balance has up to 80 helpful ingredients in a single capsule.

Note that the astaxanthin dosage should be kept moderate in order to reduce adverse effects. Astaxanthin side effects include skin pigmentation, some hormonal changes, and reduced blood pressure. This will only occur, though, if excessive amounts of the capsule are taken unregulated. The capsule itself has a lot of ingredients, and taking more than what is prescribed will only aggravate the situation since there are several supplements that also have side effects when used uncontrollably.

It is advised that Total Balance should be taken no more than 6 tablets for adults and 4 tablets for children daily.

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