the wonders of astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a (so far) little known but
powerful antioxidant. It supports your immune
system and gives you many more benefits.

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, one of a large number
of biochemicals that give color to food, such as
beta-carotene and lycopene, which are much more
widely known.

Like them, it gives food the color red, but astaxanthin
is found mainly in sea creatures -- salmon, shrimp etc.
It is also found in microalgae.

Astaxanthin is an oxygenated pigment -- a
xanthophyll. It is fat-soluble and has a molecular
structure that gives it superior antioxidant
power. Xanthophylls are the most powerful
of the carotenoids, and astaxanthin is
the most powerful xanthophyll.

It is 100-500 stronger than Vitamin E and 10
times stronger than beta-carotene.

Astaxanthin increases the power of these other
antioxidants, so taking it along with your
regular multi-vitamin multiplies its effectiveness.

Astaxanthin boosts your immune system function
by increasing production of antibody-secreting
cells and Interleukin 2 and by suppressing
Interferon-gamma.

A number of in vivo and in vivo assays using animal
models have shown that astaxanthin increases immune
system function. Most of this comes from Harumi Jyonouchi
and colleagues at the University of Minnesota.

Astaxanthin enhances in vitro antibody production
by mouse spleen cells. Astaxanthin also partially
restores decreased humoral immune function
in old mice.

It is also an anti-inflammatory, which makes
it something to take if you are in the
highly dangerous feverish/inflammatory stage
of bird flu.

You can get it here:

Astaxanthin

References:

Bennedsen, M., et al., "Treatment of H. pylori-infected mice with antioxidant/astaxanthin reduces gastric inflammation, bacterial load and modulates cytokine release by splenocytes," Immunology Letters, December 1, 1999: 70(3) pp. 185-9.

Jyonouchi, H., et al., "Effects of various carotenoids on cloned, effector-stage T-helper cell activity," Nutrition of Cancer, 1996: 26(3) pp. 313-324.

Jyonouchi, H., et al, "Studies of immunomodulating actions of carotenoids. I. Effects of beta-carotene and astaxanthin on murine lymphocyte functions and cell surface marker expression in in vitro culture system," Nutrition and Cancer, 1991: 16(2), pp. 93-105.

Jyonouchi, H., et al., "Studies of immunomodulating actions of carotenoids. II. Astaxanthin enhances in vitro antibody production to T-dependent antigens without facilitating polyclonal B-cell activation," Nutrition and Cancer, 1993: 19(3) pp. 269-280.

Jyonouchi, H, et al., "Immunomodulating actions of carotenoids: enhancement of in vivo and in vitro antibody production to T-dependent antigens," Nutrition and Cancer, 1994: 21(1), pp. 47-58.

Jyonouchi, H., et al., "Astaxanthin, a carotenoid without Vitamin A activity, augments antibody responses in cultures including T-helper cell clones and suboptimal doses of antigen," Journal of Nutrition, October 1995: 125(10) pp. 2483-2492.

Jyonouchi, H., et al., "Astaxanthin, a carotenoid without Vitamin A activity enhances in vitro immunoglobulin production in response to a T-dependent stimulant and antigen," Nutrition and Cancer, 1995: 23(2) pp. 171-183.

Okai, Y, et al, "Possible immunomodulating activities of carotenoids in in vitro cell culture experiments," International Journal of Immunopharmacology, December 1996: 18(12), pp. 753-758.