References

Other Clinical Studies Supporting the Improved Bioavailability and Sustained Release of MicroActive Astaxanthin

Studies with MicroActive formulations with other compounds such as curcumin and CoQ10 which are also powerful antioxidants & anti-inflammatories have as well demonstrated similar results as MicroActive astaxanthin bioavailability study.

MicroActive Curcumin

MicroActive Curcumin (commercially available form) which was formulated in a proprietary mixture of surfactants, oil, and sustained release polymers form a micronized dispersion of Curcumin.   Dissolution profile of MicroActive curcumin demonstrated that the micronized curcumin was released in a period of 12 hours, indicative of sustained release on oral dosing.  In the single-dose study, all the participants showed higher absorption when taking MicroActive Curcumin compared with 95% curcumin. Bioavailability of curcumin from MicroActive Curcumin was 9.7 times more than that of the unformulated curcumin.  In the high-dose tolerability study, subjects on MicroActive Curcumin did not experience any adverse effects either during the initial 14 days or during the 3 months of continued use. Subjects on unformulated 95% curcumin complained about 1 or more of the following issues: dislike of the strong taste, bloating, or gas1.

MicroActive Co-Q10

The bioavailability of MicroActive formulation of Co-Q10 was evaluated by comparing against two commercially available formulations which included an oil-solubilized co-Q10 soft gel containing a proprietary absorption enhancer and a hard gelatin capsule of crystalline co-Q10.   Study 1 compared MicroActive Co-Q10 complex to both a crystalline product and a solubilized product. MicroActive Co-Q10 complex showed a sustained release. Bioavailability was significantly better than the crystalline form by a factor of 3.7 (P<.0001).  Study 2 compared the MicroActive Co-Q10 complex with the solubilized form, using 60 mg of co-Q10 1×/d.   0- to 24-hour absorption from the second study confirmed the sustained-release property of the MicroActive Co-Q10 complex as well as the significantly higher and uniform bioavailability (P<.006). All subjects in the accumulation phase of the study showed a minimum of doubling in the plasma co-Q10 levels after 21 days of MicroActive Co-Q10 supplementation, which represents a 100% response rate2.

Scientific Evidence Supporting Astaxanthin Benefits

A number of review based literature is available to support the vast array of health benefits of astaxanthin in humans demonstrating ant-aging benefits of astaxanthin in each of the categories as described above.   Research articles have addressed various therapeutic areas such as cardiovascular, eye health, cognitive health, skin health, immunity, inflammatory and anti-cancer.  Below is a review of clinical trials showing the benefits of astaxanthin focused on human health.

Eye Health

Astaxanthin has been extensively studied in human clinical trials to validate benefits eye health with the use of astaxanthin.  The high antioxidant power of astaxanthin has shown beneficial effects on various diseases related to oxidative damage, such as macular degeneration.3

A lot of human clinical trials have been demonstrated that astaxanthin is beneficial in supporting eye health such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, eye strain and fatigue and seeing in fine detail4,5,6,7,8,9.
Parisi et al. found that patients with macular degeneration who once received daily 4 mg doses of astaxanthin associated with other antioxidants (vitamin C and E, zinc, copper, lutein and zeaxanthin) for 12 months had improved retinal function. Despite the long-term supplementation with astaxanthin, adverse effects were not reported in this study10.

In an open-label Japanese trial, papillary constriction capacity was determined using instrumentation in middle-aged and older subjects (ages 46-65 years; n=22). They then received astaxanthin (6 mg/day) for four weeks. Astaxanthin significantly improved pupillary constriction, and more than 60 percent of the subjects indicated on a questionnaire that they also experienced improvement in the categories of “difficulty to see near objects,” “eye strain,” “blurred vision,” and “shoulder and low-back stiffness”11.

Exercise Recovery

Exercise causes excessive production of free radicals and oxidative stress, diminishing the body’s antioxidant reserves and leaving it vulnerable to damage from excess free radicals. Many studies indicate that Astaxanthin supplementation prevents excessive production of free radicals during exercise12.

In other studies, it has also been found that Astaxanthin increases endurance. In one study, amateur cyclists were given Astaxanthin for 28 weeks and required to complete a 2 hour “pre-exhaustion” ride before completing a 20 km ride. These cyclists showed a significant decrease in time for them to complete 20 km and increased power output compared to those who received a placebo, indicating Astaxanthin increases endurance13.

In a double-blind clinical trial, young healthy male students were subjected to fitness, strength, and endurance testing and randomized to receive astaxanthin (4 mg/day) or a placebo for six months. Astaxanthin significantly improved performance in the assessment designed to measure strength/endurance over the placebo group14.  Other double-blind trials currently in progress with astaxanthin for protection against oxidative stress15 and for improving speed and endurance in soccer players16.

Cognitive Health

Astaxanthin’s unique ability to easily cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is essential to supporting brain health. Once Astaxanthin crosses the BBB its antioxidant properties can reduce both acute and chronic cognitive conditions, such as brain injury after stroke, and may slow the onset and/or remediate Alzheimers & Parkinsons disease17.

Astaxanthin’s antioxidant properties have also been shown to counter brain aging and improve memory.  Its ability to prevent cellular death improves memory and cognitive functioning by deterring the loss of essential neurons within the hippocampus (brain’s memory center) and other vital brain regions. In one study, it was found that after taking Astaxanthin for 12 weeks working memory was significantly improved compared to the group not taking astaxanthin18.

In one clinical trial that evaluated the effect of astaxanthin on the brain, ten older adults with age-related forgetfulness took 12 mg of astaxanthin every day for three months. By the end of the study, there was evidence that those taking astaxanthin had better “working memory”19.

Studies indicate that Astaxanthin reduces the accumulation of harmful amyloid peptides and inflammation preventing further damage20.

Anti-Inflammatory

Park et al reported astaxanthin reduced the DNA oxidative damage biomarker inflammation, thus enhancing immune response in young healthy adult female human subjects21.

An eight-week, double-blind RCT was conducted on rheumatoid arthritis subjects where one group received 12 mg/day astaxanthin plus 120 mcg of lutein, 195 IU vitamin A activity (from beta-carotene), and 150 IU of vitamin E, while the other group received a placebo. The improvement in self-reported scores of pain and satisfaction for the astaxanthin group was significantly better than for the placebo group, which suggests a possible anti-inflammatory effect22.

The effect of astaxanthin on CRP was also investigated in a small double-blind trial. Subjects with no diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or cancer, received astaxanthin at 12 mg/day (with 120 mcg of lutein, 195 IU of vitamin A activity [in the form of beta-carotene), and 150 IU of vitamin E) or a placebo for eight weeks. The astaxanthin combination lowered CRP levels by about 20 percent which was significantly better than placebo23.

References

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  2. Madhavi D and Kagan D. A Study on the Bioavailability of a sustained-release Coenzyme Q10-β-Cyclodextrin Complex. Integrative Medicine 2010;9(1):20-24.
  3. Santocomo M, Zurria M, Berrettini M et al. Influence of astaxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein on DNA damage and repair in UVA-irradiated cells. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2006; 85(3):205-15.
  4. Tsuneto I and Akihiko T. Effects of astaxanthin on eyestrain induced by accommodative dysfunction. Journal of the Eye 2006;6:829-34.
  5. Nagaki Y, Hayasaka S, Yamada T et al. Effects of astaxanthin on accommodation, critical flicker fusion, and pattern visual evoked potential in visual display terminal workers. Journal of Traditional Medicines 2002;19(5):170-3.
  6. Yasunori N et al. The effect of astaxanthin on retinal capillary blood flow in normal volunteers. Journal of Clinical Therapeutics & Medicines 2005; 21(5);537-42.
  7. Sun Z, Liu J, Zeng X et al. Protective actions of microalgae against endogenous and exogenous advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) in human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Food Funct. 2011;2(5):251-8.
  8. Ishida S. Lifestyle-related diseases and anti-aging ophthalmology: suppression of retinal and choroidal pathologies by inhibiting renin-angiotensin system and inflammation. Article in Japanese: Nihon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi. 2009;113(3):403-22; discussion 423. Review. Japanese.
  9. Liao JH, Chen CS, Maher TJ et al. Astaxanthin interacts with selenite and attenuates selenite-induced cataractogenesis. Chem Res Toxicol. 2009;16:22(3):518-25.
  10. Parisi V, Tedeschi M, Gallinaro G et al. Carotenoids and antioxidants in age-related maculopathy Italian study. Ophthalmology 2008;115(2):324-33.
  11. Kajita M, Tsukahara H, Kato M. The effectsof a dietary supplement containing astaxanthin on the accommodation function of the eye in middle-aged and older people. Med Consult New Remedies 2009;46:89-93.
  12. Djordjevic B, Baralic I, Kotur-Stevuljevic J et al. Effect of astaxanthin suppplementation on muscle damage and oxidative stress markers in elite young soccer players. Journal of Sports Medicine & Physical Fitness 2012;382-92.
  13. Earnest CML, White KM, Church TS. Effect of astaxanthin on cycling time trial performance. International Journal Of Sports Medicine 2011;882-8.
  14. Malmsten CL and Lignell A. Dietary supplementation with astaxanthin-rich algal meal improves strength endurance – A double blind placebo controlled study on male students. Carotenoid Sci 2008;13:20-22.
  15. Baralic I, Djordjevic B, Kotur-Stevuljevic J et al. Astaxanthin supplementation prevents muscle and oxidative damage induced by training in elite young soccer players. European Database of Sports Science (EDSS). 16th Annual ECSS-Congress, Liverpool 2011. http://www.ecss2006.com/asp/congress/ScPro1AbstractText.asp?MyAbstractID=887.
  16. Radivojevic N, Dikic N, Baralic I, et al. Effects of astaxanthin supplementation on sports performance in young elite soccer players. European Database of Sports Science (EDSS). 16th Annual ECSS-Congress, Liverpool 2011. http://www.ecss2006.com/asp/congress/ScPro1AbstractText.asp?MyAbstractID=744.
  17. Grimmig B, Bickford PC, Morganti J Immunomodulators as Therapeutic Agents in Mitigating the Progression of Parkinson’s Disease. Brain Sciences 2016; 2076-3425.
  18. Katagiri MS. Effects of aastaxanthin-rich haematococcus pluvialis extract on cognitive function: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition 212;10-107.
  19. Satoh A Tsuji S Okada Y et al. Preliminary clinical evaluation of toxicity and efficacy of a new astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extract. J Clin Biochem 2009;44:280-4.
  20. Wu H, Niu N, Shao A et al. Astaxanthin as a potential neuroprotective agent for neurological diseases. Marine Drugs 2015; 5750-4766.
  21. Park JS, Chyun JH, Kim YK et al. Astaxanthin decreased oxidative stress and inflammation and enhanced immune response in humans. Metab. 2010;7:1–10.
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