The Top Food for Your Eyes

Do you know what causes the orange color of wild salmon? It is one of the most important new nutrient discoveries from a marine algae called astaxanthin, which is a far more powerful cousin of beta-carotene. Baby flamingos are born white and do not become pink until they start eating food with astaxanthin in it.

Astaxanthin is one of the most important nutrients, perhaps next to vitamin D3 in importance. Astaxathin belongs to class of naturally occurring pigments called carotenoids which have powerful antioxidant properties that are crucial for your health. Carotenoids are the compounds in your foods that give them vibrant colors, from green grasses to red beets, to the spectacular yellows and oranges of bell peppers.

Astaxanthin is produced only by algae and the sea creatures that the consume the algae such as krill, shellfish and salmon.

Astaxanthin is by far the most powerful carotenoid antioxidant when it comes to free radical scavenging: astaxanthin is 65 times more powerful than vitamin C, 54 times more powerful than beta-carotene, and 14 times more powerful than vitamin E.

Astaxanthin is far more effective than other carotenoids at "singlet oxygen quenching," which is a particular type of oxidation. The damaging effects of sunlight and various organic materials are caused by this less stable form of oxygen. Astaxanthin is 550 times more powerful than vitamin E and 11 times more powerful than beta-carotene at neutralizing singlet oxygen.

Astaxanthin crosses the blood brain barrier and the blood retinal barrier (beta carotene and lycopene do not), which brings antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection to your eyes, brain and central nervous system and reducing your risk for cataracts, macular degeneration, blindness, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Axtaxanthin is soluble in lipids, so it easily incorporates into cell membranes and protects them from oxidative damage. It is a potent UVB absorber and reduces DNA damage. It is also a very potent natural anti-inflammatory.

Astaxanthin is protective against:

Glaucama

Cataracts

Retinal arterial occlusion

Venous occlusion

Diabetic rentinopathy

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD)

Cystoid macular edema

Injuries to the brain and ans spine

Inflammatory eye diseases (i.e., retinitis, iritis, keratitis, and scleritis)

Parkinson's, Huntington's and Lou Gehrig's disease, Alzheimer's diseases, dementia

Synthetic astaxanthin is made from petrochemicals and is not as good for you as astaxanthin from natural sources.

You can obtain astaxanthin from natural sources such as salmon, shellfish and krill oil or from supplements.