Astaxanthin and the cardiovascular system

"…The above-described studies indicate that Astaxanthin is beneficial for people suffering serious heart disease. However, is Astaxanthin useful for the healthy heart as well?

One interesting paper suggests an affirmative reply to this question. In this study (Aoi et al., 2003), the effect of dietary supplementation with Astaxanthin on oxidative damage induced by strenuous exercise in mouse hearts was investigated.

Mice were divided into groups: rested control, intense exercise, and intense exercise with Astaxanthin supplementation. After three weeks of exercise acclimation, both exercise groups ran on a treadmill at 28 m / min until exhaustion.

Exercise-increased biochemical markers in the heart were blunted only in the Astaxanthin group. In addition, the researchers measured the exercise-induced activity of the plasma enzymes creatine kinase and myeloperoxidase in the heart, and again documented a lowering effect by Astaxanthin.

These are the first indications for Astaxanthin’s role in improving cardiovascular fitness, as expressed under strenuous exercise…"