2023-06-29 10:45:25
Well known for its ocular and cutaneous virtues, astaxanthin, thanks to the new properties discovered in it, has not finished surprising us. Powerful antioxidant, it reveals for example many benefits for cardiovascular health.
Very recent studies indeed report the impressive actions of this carotenoid from krill and microalgae on the cardiovascular system, especially for metabolic balance, prevention of atherosclerosis and protection of the heart.
The regulation of metabolism
The prediabetes (difficulty of the pancreas to manage blood sugar) and dyslipidémies (blood lipid abnormalities) are metabolic disorders that are cardiovascular risk factors. In a recent clinical study, prediabetic and dyslipidemic adults took 12 mg of astaxanthin daily for 24 weeks(1). This treatment made it possible to reduce total cholesterol and LDL, but also other cardiovascular risk factors such as fibrinogen, a protein involved in blood clotting and, as such, promoting when it is in excess the formation of blood clots. Research has noted a tendency towards the improvement of insulinaemia and the abolition of insulin resistance.
Astaxanthin is also able to improve people’s lipid profile with proven type 2 diabetes(2). In people with obesity (another cardiovascular risk factor), combining three 60-minute high-intensity sports sessions with taking 20 mg/day of astaxanthin for 12 weeks improved adipokine levels. (compounds produced by fat mass and involved in glucose and lipid metabolism), decrease body weight, body fat percentage, BMI (body mass index) and overall improve lipid and metabolic analyses(3) .
Read also Prediabetes: what symptoms and what to do?
Prevention of atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis (formation of deposits of inflammatory fatty deposits, also called “atheroma plaques”, on the walls of the arteries) is a cardiovascular risk factor, in particular of coronary disease if a deposit is located in the coronary artery. Astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant, has shown its effectiveness in a clinical trial(4) on 50 patients with coronary heart disease: taking 12 mg/day for 8 weeks improved total cholesterol and LDL. Astaxanthin therefore reduces the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood, cholesterol which, when it is oxidized, contributes to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. But the effect of astaxanthin does not stop there: it has been shown that it also directly prevents the formation of atherosclerotic plaques by promoting the elimination of cholesterol from these fatty deposits(5), which therefore see their volume decrease.
The protection of the heart
Protective of the heart, astaxanthin has in particular made it possible to suppress, in animals, amiodarone toxicity (a medicine for heart rhythm disorders) on the heart, possibly by supporting our detoxifying and antioxidant systems(6). Moreover, it protects the mitochondria (powerhouses) of heart cells and optimizes their functioning, thus contributing to the prevention of heart disease(7). It also protects the heart from damage caused by the increase in oxidative stress associated with aging(8) and helps to reduce the (too high) heart rate of overweight patients during sports practice(9).
Read also Heart health and physical activity: it’s never too late to get started
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