The original sources of all astaxanthin are relatively simple organisms. Specifically, algae, fungi, bacteria, yeast and plants. Not a single animal can synthesize it from scratch. However, animals do accumulate astaxanthin in their tissues by eating astaxanthin-containing organisms or by converting certain compounds to astaxanthin. For example, in marine environments, algae rich in astaxanthin … [Read more…]
What is astaxanthin, this bizarre sounding thing? Astaxanthin is a king among the antioxidants. It belongs to carotenoids, the same group where famous beta-carotene resides. It’s a pigment. Astaxanthin gives a striking vermilion (red-orange) colour to wild salmon, funny large-eyed critters like shrimp and krill, majestic flamingos, a few algae, yeast. According to the 2015 … [Read more…]
Antioxidants… Free radicals… Ubiquitous words in health magazines and blogs, but few know what they really mean. Understanding free radicals and antioxidants might make you pay more attention to the staff of life – greens, vegetables and fruits. Wait. Isn’t bread the staff of life? Not the one you see in grocery stores. In the … [Read more…]
