Where Does the Astaxanthin in Krill Oil Come From?

Astaxanthin is not only an anti-oxidant; it is also a pigment that can be seen in many of the animals that consume it. Since astaxanthin has only been introduced to the general public in terms of benefits, recently, it hasn’t been readily studied. As we learn more and more about it, we are finding the benefits to outweigh other anti-oxidants ten-fold.

Krill, lobster and even flamingos are some of the animals that show the red pigmentation of astaxanthin. It is found in some flowers that show hues of red and yellows and is frequently seen in sea life because of the red algae’s growth on the sea floor. Photosynthetic plants also use astaxanthin.

Although the algae that astaxanthin is derived from (Haematoccus algae) is naturally green in color, it changes to a red pigment when it is at risk of being damaged by the sun. Beauty products are now seeing the benefit of putting into some of their skin products for natural protection from the sun and blockage of free radicals that reign in the body. It also prevents wrinkles, preventing any oxidization occurring in skins collagen.

You can see how concentrations of astaxanthin change in regards to the food chain. It starts with animals like krill, which will eat the algae. Then, whoever eats the krill will also get a concentration of astaxanthin. Salmon and lobster also have red pigmentation because they too, contain an amount of astaxanthin in them. This is why krill oil has such a high concentration of krill oil. Since it is the first consumer of the red algae, then it can pass it on to us in higher concentrations. Astaxanthin is very strong. If you took one kilogram of red algae, you could get about 30mg of astaxanthin from it. There really are no side effects of the anti-oxidant and has shown no negative symptoms even taken in high doses.

Astaxanthin is an "essential" nutrient that our body cannot reproduce, just like EPA and DHA in omega3’s. This means that we have to ingest it and take it from other whole food forms to get the benefits from it. This is a great example of why krill oil is such an important supplement to take in our daily vitamin consumption. It’s also a holistic approach to curing and assisting in alleviating inflammation and prevents membrane breakdowns in the body.

One big benefit of astaxanthin concentrations in krill is the fact that it is pure in form and is not synthetic in any way. Astaxanthin can be added to a product but will not have the same effects on the body that it will in pure form. Nothing is done to the krill once they are taken out of the water, except extraction of the oil. This keeps the astaxanthin fresh and free of any harmful metals or mercury particles that can be regularly found in fish. –Elyse Jewell

For more information on krill oil, please visit http://krilloil.com