Centenarian reveals SURPRISE drink that helps her live longer
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Natural sources of astaxanthin have been undisputedly proven the most effective in delivering health benefits. One of the antioxidant’s many advantages is its role in the prevention and treatment of chronic health conditions. In recent years, studies have suggested it may also have a role in life extension.
In 2020 a review published in the journal Functional Food in Health and Disease assessed the benefits of astaxanthin from three different sources.
It looked at a natural form of the antioxidant, which is a micro-algae that grows ubiquitously in freshwater, a synthetic version and a genetically manipulated version.
According to the findings of the study, the natural form demonstrated 14 to 90 times greater antioxidant activity than the synthetic version.
Natural sources of astaxanthin are yeast and algae, but the micro-organisms are also present in certain fish.
According to the journal of Marine Drugs, “shrimp, crab and salmon, can serve as dietary sources of astaxanthin”.
It continues: “Wild-caught salmon is a good source of astaxanthin. In order to get 3.6 mg of astaxanthin one can eat 165 grams of salmon per day.”
How does astaxanthin affect longevity?
In 2020, the Burns School of Medicine of the University of Hawaii demonstrated that astaxanthin “activated” the FOXO3 gene in mice.
According to the findings, the expression of the longevity gene in heart tissue increased by up to 90 percent.
In the pilot study, rodents were fed either a normal diet or food containing a low or high dose of astaxanthin for two weeks.
The intervention was followed by an analysis of the FOXO3 expression levels in the brain, skeletal muscle, blood and heart tissues.
The researchers wrote: “The animals that were fed the higher amount of the [astaxanthin] compound experienced a significant increase in the activation of the FOXO3 gene in their heart tissue.”
They added that a similar, but slightly more modest, activation was observed in the blood as well.
In basic terms, the FOXO3 is a master regulator that increases the production of genes that combat signs of ageing.
More specifically, it involves the production of genes that combat cellular ageing, such as damage to DNA, proteins, lipids, and loss of stem cell function.
The unique antioxidant has also been shown to improve the way the immune system functions in a string of studies.
This, researchers believe, could render it useful for several purposes including Alzheimer’s disease, ageing skin, and muscle soreness from exercise.
In 2017, Doctor Richard Allsopp, Associate Professor and researcher with the JABSOM Institute of Biogenesis Research, said the study was the first of its kind to probe the role of astaxanthin in FOXO3.
He said: “We found a nearly 90 percent increase in the activation of the FOXO3 ‘longevity gene’ in the mice fed the higher dose of the astaxanthin compound CDX-085.
“This groundbreaking University of Hawaii research further supports the critical role of astaxanthin and health and why the healthcare community is embracing its use.”
Doctor Bradley Willcox, who also took part in the study, explained that all humans carry the FOXO3 gene.
He continued: “But one in three persons carry a version of the FOXO3 gene common in all humans, we can make it act like the ‘longevity’ version.
“Through this research, we have shown that astaxanthin ‘activates’ the FOXO3 gene.”
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