Healthy living and lifestyle
dose of astaxanthin is, with varying but limited advice. Depending on the desired effect, it is generally suggested that the daily intake is between 4-12mg; many scientific studies have included a maximum daily dose of 12mg to date. In 2022, however, a study suggested the daily range should be 2-6mg. Notwithstanding Allsopp’s relative flexibility, meanwhile, there are some side-effects of consuming too much astaxanthin – including frequent bowel movements and, in more excessive cases, increased stomach pain. Dr Bradley Willcox, Allsopp’s colleague and a professor and director of research at the Department of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Hawaii contributes to the safe dose debate by suggesting that the optimal varies from person to person. “Supplements also vary in dose,” he says, “typically between 4-12mg per capsule, but it may range as low as 1mg and as high as 24mg.” Willcox adds that astaxanthin’s health benefits are thought to act, in large part, through the activation of the FoxO3 gene – increasingly recognised as a crucial player in long-term human health and longevity. “If you have the FoxO3 longevity genotype,” he explains, “you may get the same health benefits at a lower dose as someone without the longevity genotype.”
What’s next? Put differently, agreement on the ideal consumption figure seems a long way off. That, as one recent study suggests most people are only consuming around 11mg per year suggesting there is much more scope to incorporate it into our daily routines. In a broader sense – especially given the only other route is a diet high in some forms of seafood, which in itself can present risks – the best way to up the intake of astaxanthin is likely through supplements. But as so often in this exciting new research area, more studies are clearly necessary. All the while, food manufacturers are becoming increasingly aware of the potential health benefits, at a time when demand for healthy alternatives to traditional foods and ingredients grows. In particular, food companies are investigating the potential of emulsifying astaxanthin into their foods – but that obviously comes with its own set of challenges. As demand for astaxanthin supplements grows – said to account for 39% of global market share in 2022, according to Globe Newswire – it’s clear that the food manufacturers that find ways to incorporate it into their products stand to gain. It is, however, an ambition that is likely hard to reach. Ways of incorporating it, how much should be used, and where it is best suited all remain up for debate. But as should be clear by now, the food sector is nothing if not innovative.
38mg/kg
The amount of astaxanthin that is found in wild sockeye salmon. ResearchGate
The most effective method to increase astaxanthin intake is likely through supplements, as the alternative, a diet high in certain types of seafood, poses its own risks.
Ingredients Insight /
www.ingredients-insight.com
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