Cardiovascular benefits with natural astaxanthin

Citation

(2010), "Cardiovascular benefits with natural astaxanthin", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 40 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2010.01740cab.019

Cardiovascular benefits with natural astaxanthin

Article Type: Food facts From: Nutrition & Food Science, Volume 40, Issue 3.

Astaxanthin has been reported to improve dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome in animals but the effect in humans have not been well studied. A recently published study by Yoshida et al. “Administration of natural astaxanthin increases serum HDL-cholesterol and adiponectin in subjects with mild hyperlipidemia, Atherosclerosis October 14 (Epub ahead of print) is the first long-term investigation in humans to show a positive outcome in subjects with moderately raised level of triglyceride. This suggests cardiovascular health benefits with the intake of natural astaxanthin. The collaborative study was performed in Japan among various medical departments of Jikei University Hospital, Chiba and Fuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd, Toyama. A total of 61 non-obese subjects with mild hyperlipidemia (triglyceride level 120-200 mg/dl) were recruited in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study investigating the effect of 0, 6, 12 and 18 mg of AstaREAL astaxanthin per day for 12 weeks. Mean age of subjects was 44 years and they maintained their habitual diet and lifestyle while taking natural astaxanthin. All subjects underwent anthropometric, blood pressure and full-blood chemistry measurements at baseline and end of the study period.

Adiponectin, produced by adipocytes, form part of the system that controls the regulation of food intake, energy expenditure and a series of metabolic processes. Studies have shown that obesity, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis are accompanied by decreased adiponectin levels in adults. In conclusion, this is the first human randomized, placebo-controlled trial that showed astaxanthin intake positively affected lipid profiles. Elevated triglyceride levels were significantly decreased by 12 and 18 mg/day intake whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased and adiponectin increased by 6 and 12 mg/day. The authors suggested that astaxanthin may be expected to treat impaired lipid metabolism and prevent atherosclerosis.