Astaxanthin - heard of it? Use it?

[M1A's r Best]

Was doing some reading about a month ago. Ran across some info on this supplement.

Ordered a bottle and started taking it (12 mg. each day).

Darn. Within 3 days I was getting up from a sitting position and walking without that old issue of having to walk a good ways to get my knees "lubricated" and working without that stiff/sore feeling.

Been taking it for 3 weeks now.

My right leg/knee (1/3 of the circulation below the knee was blocked years ago due to a blood clot) no longer hurts me when I stand up, walk around on it. If I'm on it long enough to cause the usual pain the next day (that I used to suffer) it's not bothering me now.

My shoulders used to bother the crap out of me. Popping, cracking, doing those rotator cuff things (sharp pain, dropping to my side when I reach out to grab something - even a cup of coffee) seems to be gone. I was out there under the truck yesterday using a breaker bar with a big cheater bar on the end of it taking loose the spring U bolt nuts that had rusted all to hell after 15 years of being driven in the salt of the winter roads up in the mountains. No issues this morning with stiff joints, sore muscles, etc.

My feet aren't bothering me like they used to.

I'm walking darn near normally after years of hobbling around with stiff joints/muscles in my feet and knees.

Might not help some people. Might not be good for some people to take. After 3 weeks of use I just ordered a couple more bottles.

https://www.askthetrainer.com/health-benefits-of-astaxanthin/

https://draxe.com/nutrition/astaxanthin-benefits/

https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-astaxanthin#1

Three of several links to discussions/web sites with more info.

[stankasz1]

Intersting. Order link plz

[krav51]

I took this for a while a few years back,can't say i noticed a big difference. I do remember reading a report linking it to reduced t levels lately. Ill try to find it and post .

[KarlinPhoenix]

I ordered a supply today, will receive it on Saturday. Will report on findings.

I read this about this supplement: https://healthcareweekly.com/astaxanthin/

[Gabriel Suarez]

I took this for a while a few years back,can't say i noticed a big difference. I do remember reading a report linking it to reduced t levels lately. Ill try to find it and post .
That is something I check on all supplements and meds...the reduction of free T. And there are plenty rhat do just that.

[Gabriel Suarez]

On T Levels...all I found. If you have that study, I'd love to see it - I will say that I have read several about Saw Palmeto DECREASING T so I do not take it.


What are the risks of taking astaxanthin?Side effects. Some laboratory studies have shown astaxanthin may hinder an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. As a result, it could keep testosterone from changing into the hormone DHT in the body.

It's unclear what effect this may have, but prescription medicines that affect the same enzyme may cause side effects, such as:



Lower libido (https://www.webmd.com/sex/features/sex-drive-how-do-men-women-compare)
Male breast (https://www.webmd.com/women/all-about-breasts-16/rm-quiz-breasts-normal) growth
Erectile dysfunction


One small study showed astaxanthin combined with saw palmetto actually increased testosterone, which could help libido. More research is needed to better understand astaxanthin's effects on hormones.





Not a doc, but when you see "Lower Libido" anywhere, that tends to be connected to Testosterone.

[krav51]

All I can find is the the mention made in the web md article. But they don't reference the specific study:
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/astaxanthin#:~:text=Some%20laboratory%20studies%20 have%20shown,hormone%20DHT%20in%20the%20body.

[krav51]

https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2012-02/astaxanthin-review-literature



"Use cautiously in patients with hormone disorders or those using agents that affect hormones, particularly 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, as astaxanthin may inhibit 5-alpha-reductase, thereby inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Theoretically, adverse effects related to 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, such as decreased libido, gynecomastia, decreased semen quantity during ejaculation, impotence, increased skin pigmentation, hair growth, weight gain, and depressed mood, may occur."

[TangoFoxtrot]

It has mixed reviews on Amazon such as, "Worked for joint pain, but side effects too much to bear."

https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-2305-Astaxanthin-Softgel/dp/B004PGSZZC

https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Supplements-Haematococcus-Canthaxanthin-Beta-Carotene/dp/B0058AB0AQ/

I also noticed it was in this Krill Oil:
https://www.amazon.com/Antarctic-Strength-Omega-3s-Astaxanthin-Softgels/dp/B00IP1E3O0

[M1A's r Best]

Short follow up, sort of.

I've got a red, in spots dry skin/scaly rash breaking out here and there. Mostly thighs, upper arms, back. No itch, no burn, wouldn't know it was there if I couldn't see it. Spots are small, about the slize of my pinky finger nail and just here and there.

But I stopped taking this a couple days ago to see if the rash goes away.

Meanwhile, two days without it and my knees are giving me fits (compared to while I was taking it). My lower back is also kind of stiff/sore. We'll see how the rash goes. I'll give it a few more days and if it gets worse or doesn't go away I'll head to the doctor to see what he has to say.

[Mouser 1]

Hi M1A's r Best (http://www.warriortalk.com/member.php?16712-M1A-s-r-Best)

[Mouser 1]

Hi MiA's r Best
How's chances of getting an order link of the product you tried out (Astaxanthin). It might be helpful in comparing notes with each other. ---- Many thanks, Mouser 1

[M1A's r Best]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K3JEJ68/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Forklift]

Thank you

[M1A's r Best]

Back on it two days now. Rash went away a few days after the prednisone the doc prescribed ran out. Kept an eye on things a few days more and the rash is pretty much gone.

Knees/feet/lower back hurting much of the time. Had some trouble sleeping a couple nights (after working on some fencing installation out back) due to my right shoulder hurting. Started taking it again. Two days later I get up and walk after sitting on the couch without the 10 to 15 steps or so required to "get the knee joints lubricated" so I can walk almost normally. No shoulder pain. Feet aren't hurting like they were.

We'll see if the rash comes back and see how the joint/muscle pain effects go.

[barnetmill]

Yes I have heard of it years ago since being a biologist by training it is pigment found in living things and IIRC its name comes from Astacus a Greek word meaning crayfish or lobster and the name of an old world genus of crayfish. Other than possible high cost I can see no downside to consuming extracts of it. It is an antioxidant and reasonable quantities should not have a downside.

I will have to look at the best way to take it. It is a carotenoid (is a reddish pigment that belongs to a group of chemicals called carotenoids). I pasted the structure just to show it is not a super simple molecule. I am not sure what digestion does to it and exactly what portion of the molecule is needed for uptake into the body. Pigments in general found in many fruits and vegetables are considered good for health and I will look around to what is is available.
Lately I am having some general inflammation or more precisely stiffness in my that is affecting my one handed offhand shooting. The joints do not hurt or look swollen yet. I am not that far from hitting 80, and still do some rigorous outside work related to landclearing and for example winched a tree down yesterday and stepped on a nest of yellow jackets that I ran away from only getting stung on the ear.
I have nutritious, anti-oxidant berry producing bushes that I the let birds finish off: goumi, blueberry, black berry, and elder berry this year. I need to consider eating such things more often. Not too much into cooking and I like bacon lol.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Astaxanthin.svg/2880px-Astaxanthin.svg.png

Edit to add:
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/GXoAAOSwcVZfUl3H/s-l640.png

[ronlassit]

I tried it a few years ago, but did not really notice a difference. For muscle and joint aches I used to take MSM. Learned about that years ago when I had horses. I bought it for them, and my daughter’s riding instructor said she used it for her aches and pains. I tried it out and could feel a difference. I used the same white powder that I gave the horses, just sprinkled it on food. It was much cheaper and purer than the pills you could buy. It also was much cheaper. A five pound jar of it lasted me a long time.