Astaxanthin Improves Cell Health in the Obese

by | Apr 4, 2012 | 2011, Antioxidants, Astaxanthin, Obesity

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In this study of 27 overweight healthy subjects, those who took 20 mg of astaxanthin for 12 weeks, demonstrated that astaxanthin was safe and effective in lowered LDL cholesterol by 6% and 2 markers of cell damage by 7.1% and 23.5% compared to placebo.

The Centers for Disease Control define obesity as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 (1), a definition that classifies at least 35.7% of adult Americans as being overweight (2). In 2008, obesity cost the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $147 billion, with obese people using $1,429 more medical services each year than those of normal weight (2).

One of obesity’s greatest harms to our health is oxidative stress to cells (3) which contributes to the onset of metabolic syndrome (4). This syndrome is a collection of medical conditions that increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease ($444 billion in costs in 2009 (5)) and diabetes ($174 billion in costs in 2007 (6). Now research (7) suggests that Astaxanthin, known to have strong antioxidant health effects (8) may also help with cellular health in overweight subjects.

In the study, 27 patients aged 20 to 55 and classified as overweight received either 20 mg of Astaxanthin per day or placebo for 12 weeks. The patients had blood samples drawn to measure for cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL), a form of LDL cholesterol called apolipoprotein b (12), and 2 markers of cell damage, Malondialdehyde (13), and Isoprostane (14), before and after the study.

The study results were:

Measurement Astaxanthin Group Placebo Group
LDL Cholesterol 10.4% decrease: 127.9-114.6 mg/dl 4.4% decrease: 120.1-114.8 mg/dl
Apolipoprotein b 7.5% decrease: 89.6-82.8 mg/dl 0.4% decrease: 85.4-85.1 mg/dl
MDA 33% decrease: 2.11-1.42 micromol/L 9.5% decrease: 2.18-2.0 micromol/L
Isoprostanes 59% decrease: 1783-731 pg/ml 11.6% decrease: 1731-1551 pg/ml

 

These results led the researchers to conclude that “astaxanthin supplementation is apparently safe and effective for prevention of [blood lipid]-related diseases and oxidative damage in healthy overweight subjects.”

Source: Choi, Hye Duck, Yeo Kyu Youn, and Wan Gyoon Shin. “Positive effects of astaxanthin on lipid profiles and oxidative stress in overweight subjects.” Plant foods for human nutrition 66.4 (2011): 363-369.

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG. Part of Springer Nature.

Posted April 4, 2012.

References:

  1. “Defining Overweight and Obesity” – “Adult Obesity” – see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
  2. Melissas J, Malliaraki N, Papadakis JA, Taflampas P, Kampa M, Castanas E (2006) Plasma antioxidant capacity in morbidly obese patients before and after weight loss. Obes Surg 16:314–320.
  3. Ceriello A, Motz E (2004) Is oxidative stress the pathogenic mechanism underlying insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease? The common soil hypothesis revisited. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 24:816–823.
  4. “Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention” – see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
  5. “Diabetes – Fast Facts” – see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
  6. Choi HD.  Positive Effects of Astaxanthin on Lipid Profiles and Oxidative Stress in Overweight Subjects. Plant Foods Hum Nutr (2011) 66:363–369. DOI 10.1007/s11130-011-0258-9.
  7. Esterbauer, H, Jurgens, G, Quehenberger, O, Koller, E. (1987) Autoxidation of human low density lipoprotein: loss of polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E and generation of aldehydes J Lipid Res 28,495-509.
  8. Tanaka, T, Makita, H, Ohnishi, M, Mori, H, Satoh, K, Hara, A. (1995) Chemoprevention of rat oral carcinogenesis by naturally occurring xanthophylls, astaxanthin and canthaxanthin Cancer Res 55,4059-4064.
  9. Wang, X, Willen, R, Wadstrom, T. (2000) Astaxanthin-rich algal meal and vitamin C inhibit Helicobacter pylori infection in BALB/cA mice Antimicrob Agents Chemother 44,2452-2457.
  10. “Study of Cyanotech’s BioAstin® Natural Astaxanthin Indicates Significant Reduction in Systemic Inflammation in Humans” posted on the Cyanotech website.
  11. “Apolipoprotein B” – posted on the Medline Plus website.
  12. Farmer EE.  Reactive electrophile species.  Curr Opin Plant Biol 2007; 10(4):380-386. Beuzen JN.  A comparison of the effects of olanzapine, haloperidol and placebo on cognitive and psychomotor functions in elderly volunteers.