Improve Your Brain

by
Joseph Mercola

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Story at-a-glance

  • Researchers
    found that supplementing with astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis
    (microalgae) extract lead to improvements in cognitive function
    in older individuals who complained of age-related forgetfulness
  • Scientists
    now believe astaxanthin could help prevent dementia, including
    Alzheimer’s, help prevent neurodegeneration associated with oxidative
    stress, as well as make a potent natural “brain food”
  • Astaxanthin
    exhibits some of the most potent antioxidant activity currently
    known; it positions itself across the entire cell membrane, attaching
    itself to both the exterior, interior, as well as the entire lipid
    layer, thereby offering global protection for each cell
  • Due to
    the limited food sources of astaxanthin, it can be difficult to
    get enough from diet alone; recommended dosages are included,
    and range from 2-12 mg/day, depending on health status and targeted
    health condition

If you’ve ever
seen a pink flamingo or dined on wild Alaskan salmon, you’ve seen
astaxanthin, found primarily in a type of marine algae, in action.

When flamingos
and salmon eat astaxanthin (or the creatures that consume it, such
as krill, algae or shellfish), it turns them pink. When you
consume astaxanthin, you won’t turn pink… but you do stand to
benefit immensely.

Astaxanthin
Improves Brain Function

Astaxanthin
is produced only by the microalgae Haematoccous pluvialis
when its water supply dries up, forcing it to protect itself from
ultraviolet radiation. It’s the algae’s survival mechanism; astaxanthin
serves as a “force field” to protect the algae from lack of nutrition
and/or intense sunlight.

In humans,
it also offers tremendous protection from a host of diseases, as
evidenced by a growing body of experimental evidence.1
Most recently, researchers found that supplementing with astaxanthin-rich
Haematococcus pluvialis extract lead to improvements in cognitive
function in older individuals who complained of age-related forgetfulness.2

This natural
pigment, which is a cousin of beta-carotene (albeit a far more powerful
one) has even been found to reduce the accumulation of phospholipid
hydroperoxidases (PLOOH) – compounds known to accumulate in the
red blood cells of people who suffer from dementia3
– and scientists now believe astaxanthin could help prevent
dementia, including Alzheimer’s.

As a fat-soluble
nutrient, astaxanthin readily crosses your blood-brain barrier.
One study found it may help prevent neurodegeneration associated
with oxidative stress, as well as make a potent natural “brain food.”4
According to yet another article in the Alternative Medicine
Review:5

“Astaxanthin
improved cognition in a small clinical trial and boosted proliferation
and differentiation of cultured nerve stem cells… Astaxanthin’s
clinical success extends beyond protection against oxidative stress
and inflammation, to demonstrable promise for slowing age-related
functional decline.”

One of the
Most Powerful Antioxidants Known

Astaxanthin
exhibits some of the most potent antioxidant activity currently
known. It is hundreds of times more effective than vitamin
E in squelching singlet oxygen free radicals, and far exceeds the
free-radical-scavenging power of vitamin C, CoQ10, beta-carotene
and green tea.

According to
Dr. Robert Corish, who has personally reviewed over 80 percent of
the published journal articles about astaxanthin (and, as a result,
is one of the most knowledgeable people on astaxanthin), the astaxanthin
molecule is very different from other carotenoids in that it positions
itself across the entire cell membrane – a portion of it attaches
to the exterior of the cell, a portion to the interior, and another
portion spans across the entire lipid layer.

“What this
translates to is it offers protection on the outside of the cell
from free radicals, the inside of the cell where there are free
radicals being generated, and also this lipid fat layer where we
always hear about lipid peroxidation… It’s perfectly designed
to protect all parts of the cell,” Dr. Corish explained.
“…Astaxanthin is really very global when it comes to cellular
protection.”

Another major
difference is in the number of free radicals it can handle at any
given time. Most antioxidants, such as vitamin C, E and various
others, can typically only handle one free radical at a time. But
astaxanthin can handle multiple free radicals simultaneously – in
some cases more than 19 at the same time, according to Dr. Corish.
It does this by forming an electron cloud around the molecule. This
is known as the electron dislocation resonance. When free radicals
try to steal electrons from the astaxanthin molecule, they’re simply
absorbed into and neutralized by this electron cloud, all at once.

You can learn
more in my recent
interview with Dr. Corish below.

Download
Interview Transcript

As you might
suspect, an antioxidant with this kind of power can have an extraordinary
impact on health; more studies are being published all the time
about this incredible nutrient. Here are just some of the ways astaxanthin
can positively impact your health, according to the latest research:

Boosting
your immune function

Improving
endurance, workout performance and recovery

Improving
cardiovascular health by reducing C-Reactive Proteins (CRP),
reducing triglycerides, and increasing beneficial HDL

Helping
to stabilize blood sugar, thereby protecting your kidneys

GREATLY
protecting your eyes from cataracts, macular degeneration,
and blindness

Relieving
indigestion and reflux

Protecting
your brain from dementia and Alzheimer’s

Improving
fertility by increasing sperm strength and sperm count

Reducing
your risk for many types of cancer (including cancers of the
breast, colon, bladder and mouth) by stimulating apoptosis
(cancer cell death) and inhibiting lipid peroxidation

Helping
to prevent sunburn, and protecting you from the damaging effects
of radiation (i.e., flying in airplanes, x-rays, CT scans,
etc.)

Improving
recovery from spinal cord and other central nervous system
injuries

Reducing
oxidative damage to your DNA

Reducing
inflammation from all causes, including arthritis and asthma

Reducing
symptoms from pancreatitis, multiple sclerosis, carpal tunnel
syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, and Lou
Gehrig’s disease, and neurodegenerative diseases

How Much Astaxanthin
do You Need to Protect Your Brain?

Unless you
are a flamingo or some other marine animal, you are probably not
getting very much astaxanthin from your diet alone because there
are only two prime sources: microalgae and sea creatures that consume
the algae (such as salmon, shellfish, red trout and krill). Compared
gram for gram:

  • Salmon contains
    5-40 parts per million of astaxanthin
  • Krill contains
    about 120 parts per million of astaxanthin
  • Shrimp provides
    about 1,200 parts per million, and
  • Microalgae
    (H. pluvalis) contains 40,000 parts per million

I have mentioned
astaxanthin in reference to krill oil, which has been my preferred
source of animal-based omega-3 fats for many years now, because
krill oil naturally contains astaxanthin (about 1 milligram (mg)
per serving). The typical dose of astaxanthin when taken in supplement
form is 2-4 milligrams, but emerging evidence suggests many people
probably need more, depending on their health status.

Based on my
discussions with Dr. Corish, I increased my own dosage to 8 mg a
day and I’m considering increasing it to 12 mg, which he believes
is the optimal dose for both brain and heart health. Dr. Corish
explained:

“We have
found that there is an abnormal accumulation of hydroperoxides within
red blood cells in people who have dementia and Alzheimer’s. We
now know that if you give these patients astaxanthin, the amount
of peroxides – these harmful free radicals – is reduced by 50 percent.
That’s a significant reduction, and that is at a dose of 12
milligrams.

…I take
12 milligrams. I want to have this essential nervous protection.
I want the cardiovascular protection and also because of my activities.
I have increased energy. It protects my mitochondria.

You know,
we are bombarded by such an amount of free radicals. The free radicals
that come from the environment, those in our food, pesticides, herbicides,
environmental smoke, and excessive sunlight. If I know that I’m
going to be out playing golf for more than a couple of hours, I
definitely want some protection. And astaxanthin provides that internal
protection.

I think
12 milligrams really covers everything.

If you
want to just take it as a general antioxidant coverage, I believe
between four and six milligrams will be adequate. If you want it
for skin, two to four milligrams would be adequate. Once again,
depending on the condition that you are really trying to target,
you can tailor your dose.”

Fortunately,
astaxanthin has a flawless safety record. No harmful side effects
have been noted in any of the safety studies performed. If you were
to take very high doses (about 50 mg a day, which I don’t
currently recommend) your skin may take on an orange hue, but this
is simply a cosmetic change and will not harm your health in any
way.

[+] Sources and
References

October
30, 2012

Copyright ©
2012 Dr. Joseph Mercola

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