Introduction
It must have been around 2012 that Mehmet and Mercola conspired to sell vast quantities of Astaxanthin, a carotenoid whose potency had been touted as vastly superior to other antioxidants. Six-thousand times the strength of this, and 1000 times more effective than that, this certainly wasn’t your father’s supplement. Though research had been performed on algal extract containing Astaxanthin for years prior, Oz and his cohort wanted something new to promote, so, using the former’s show as a platform, these entrepreneurial minds birthed the Astaxanthin craze…one of the most successful campaigns since, well, milk.
Alright, maybe I got a little carried away, but no one can deny the skyrocketing prices of Astaxanthin following Oz’s episode, or the supplement industry’s renewed support for the carotenoid (and its seemingly endless benefits). I’ll admit, I fell victim to this beautiful marketing scheme. It was hard not to when most accessible resources (except studies – which I did not read at the time) were basically regurgitating the claims of the Wizard and his Merc (I really don’t hate them). In spite of the other benefits Astaxanthin was hailed for, there was one that truly inspired me to give it a try: UV protection.
The Claims
No matter which recess of the internet I visited, there was always tell of AX’s wondrous ability to ‘offer protection from the sun’ or ‘prevent UV damage’. These vagaries varied from site to site, and were downplayed among AX’s other benefits without much explanation. I wondered what the copywriter-salesmen meant, and if there was any hard evidence to support their claims.
This, of course, took place many Google algorithms ago, and once semantic search really kicked in I came to discover many communities that paved the way for further investigation. While I don’t believe there is a lack of discussion surrounding this specific topic today (Astaxanthin as an effective sunscreen), there does not seem to be any official consensus, outside of anecdotal claims, that UV protection occurs to a substantial degree. And just to clarify, ‘substantial degree’ to my Scotch-Irish skin means at least 30 SPF.
Inspiration
Despite the lack of conclusive evidence surrounding AX’s ability to thwart sun damage, there have been a number of studies that serve as inspiration for what I plan to attempt (more on that in a minute). Most of these are abstracts, though I hope to find an affordable solution for obtaining full texts in the future. I’m certain there are many more studies indicating favorable results, and would be grateful to any kind soul willing to point me in the right direction. I’ve taken what I found to be the most hope-filled quotes from each:
“The data indicate that the oxo-carotenoid AX has a superior preventive effect towards photo-oxidative changes in cell culture.”
Nishida Y et al. 2007. Quenching activities of common hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidants against singlet oxygen using chemiluminescence detection system. Carotenoid Science, 11(6), pp.16-20.
“Overall, astaxanthin exhibited the most potent singlet oxygen quenching activity among the compounds tested in this study because it showed a stable superior property under the three different conditions.”
“We hypothesize that AX would have a significant benefit on protecting against UVA-induced skin photo-aging such as sagging and wrinkles.”
Modulatory effects of an algal extract containing astaxanthin on UVA-irradiated cells in culture.
“In 1BR-3 cells, synthetic astaxanthin prevented UVA-induced DNA damage at all concentrations (10 nM, 100 nM, 10 microM) tested.”
Lingering Questions
Even in the midst of these findings, I still felt somewhat underwhelmed. I mean, if it is possible to use AX as a sunscreen replacement, some specifics need to be addressed, such as:
What should the dosage be?
How long do you need to supplement with AX to see protective benefits?
What SPF level will this provide?
Will it block UVB, UVA, or both?
How long will the protective benefits last?
What form is most absorbable (root powder, pill, etc.)?
Is one particular brand superior to all others?
Will it prevent vitamin D synthesis?
Will it provide protection to the eyes (since it crosses the blood-retinal barrier)?
Does it actually prevent photodamage, or just fix photodamage after the fact?
Potential Benefits
If all (or even most) of the above are satisfied, the benefits relevant to me (and perhaps you), would be:
A lack of need for oily, synthetic chemicals from sunscreen
Protection from UVA/UVB photodamage, and resultant lack of erythema, wrinkles, etc.
Vitamin D synthesis
Eye protection
The Experiment, And Intent
After living in my skin for a number of years, I’ve observed that it enjoys being pale, translucent, away from the sun, and supplemented with copious amounts of vitamin D. It has a tendency to burn more than tan, which has resulted in some freckling and mole development over the years. If the above benefits are in fact real, there should be no question as to why I would be in favor of using AX to protect my fragile exo-organ.
Based on the aforementioned studies and sheer anecdotal accounts from numerous communities, I have decided to test whether AX can provide broad spectrum protection from photodamage while exposed to a Texas UV index during an appreciable part of the day in June. To lessen the blow of a potentially destructive experience, my sister - who works in a director capacity at a waterpark - has offered free admission for a few days…so at least there’s that.
Background and Conditions
As previously stated, I am white. At this time, I am also 31 years old. For the past few months I have been supplementing with Radiant Life’s Astaxanthin (non-Krill) formula, which also includes a small amount of vitamin E, and is derived from Haematococcus Pluvialis algae. In the past I have also supplemented with Radiant Life’s Krill Plus 12 product, as well as Captain’s Krill Oil. It has been argued that AX is absorbed wonderfully with fats containing a phospholipid backbone. While I’m sure there is truth to that claim, I switched from the previous products due to uncertainties about the long-term inflammatory effects of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and more specifically polyunsaturated fats in general. I currently take Radiant Life’s 12mg capsule with a glass of whole milk.
Additionally, I am currently taking the following supplements once daily:
Vitamin D – Central Market (cholecalciferol from wool oil), 5000 IU
Vitamin E – LEF Gamma E Mixed Tocopherols
Vitamin C – NutriGold Organic Whole-Food Vitamin C Gold
OptiZinc – Source Naturals OptiZinc (30mg zinc monomethionine)
I’m not aware of substantial photoprotective benefits from any of these, mainly because I take each for reasons other than UV protection. If anyone knows that they do, I’d appreciate your input so I may pull them from the repertoire when testing.
No need to pretend my diet is anything to write home about, so bluntly:
Raisen Bran
Whole Milk
Chicken
Steak
Pickled Okra
Various Fruit
Fiji water (1 L/day)
Ice Cream (1-2 days/week)
Dark Chocolate (70% +) (1-2 days/week)
A1 Sauce (for the steak/chicken)
Pizza (Domino’s and Central Market frozen) (0-1 days/week)
Fast food burgers (1-2 days/week)
Dr. Pepper (1-3 glasses/week)
Izze Drinks
Cheese (Kraft String Cheese)
All servings are 1/day unless otherwise specified. Come to think of it, my distrust of the nutrition obtained from my regular diet probably informs my supplementation quite a bit. I may be pulling the pizza prior to testing, because whatever you say about Domino’s, there may be photoprotective benefits coming from the canned tomato paste (lycopene).
I do enjoy exercise, though:
Resistance training 3x/week, (3x5: squats, standing calf raises, bench press, weighted pull ups, dumbbell curls, weighted dips, 3x8: shrugs, lateral/front raises, 3x30: abdominal crunches, 1x30: weighted oblique raises)
Cardiovascular (5 days/week) – Attempting HIIT on a treadmill, so 10 sprints at 10 speed, 2% incline maximum
Walking (4-5 days week) – As in of dogs. A few miles.
Sleeping is a large requirement, and I may have my thyroid checked in the future:
9+ hours required to feel fully rested
I live in Austin, but will perform the experiment in Corpus Christi, TX. I will need to update on the predicted UV index, as I’m not yet sure what day this will occur.
Though I now feel as if you know more about my daily routine than most people, I realize I may have left out some bit of pertinent information. If so, please let me know and I will do my best to fill in the blanks. My hope here is to provide a comprehensive accounting for what happens next, with the intent of shedding some light (sorry) on the extent to which AX is effective. Speaking of, I should mention the other supplements purported to prevent photodamage that I will not be testing this time around:
Polypodium Leucotomos
Lycopene
Tiron
Pycnogenol
IP6 (Inositol Hexaphosphate)
Para-Aminobenzoic Acid
If this garners even a speck of interest, I will follow up with any visible effects on the skin (burn, tan, peel, etc.) and provide before and after photos. These are pretty much the only anecdotal results I can offer up, unless anyone knows of a more sophisticated way to test the before and after state of the skin. Also, if there are any other conditions that should be modified for a more accurate result, I’m all ears. Thanks for reading!
, therefore rather suggest synergies of that whole as most contributing.
