'Naturally good': Natural astaxanthin top form for functionality and antioxidant activity - Review
Natural astaxanthin from algae was “undisputedly demonstrated” to be the most effective form of the ingredient for a variety of health benefits, according to a new review.
The literature review, published in the journal Functional Foods in Health and Disease, sought to assess head-to-head studies comparing astaxanthin from three different sources in animals and in-vitro.
They were:
- Natural astaxanthin (NAT-AX) that is found in Haematococcus pluvialis, a ubiquitous uni-cellular microalgae, which grows in fresh water throughout the world. When these algae undergo environmental stress, they hyperaccumulate NAT-AX as a survival mechanism.
- Synthetic astaxanthin (SYN-AX), which is synthesized from petrochemicals in a highly involved, multi-step process.
- Phaffia’ astaxanthin (PH-AX), which is produced from a species of genetically manipulated yeast.
