mistakes r crucial
Sat Oct 13, 2007, 11:07 PM
Excuse the extremely long post but I have seen a few debates on forums over the last few years regarding different forms of Astaxanthin and whether one is better than the other so I thought this may be of interest.
The more reading I do on Astaxanthin the more amazed I am at the benefits it has, not only for fish and the rest of the animal world but humans too. As I have said for a long time about NatuRose, Astaxanthin is not just about colouring fish, it's far more about it being the most powerful anti-oxidant on the planet and the health benefits it brings with it.
The below is a chapter of a book on Astaxanthin authored by Mr. Bob Capelli and Gerald Cysewski and published by Cyanotech. I have been given permission to reproduce it here.
Natural versus Synthetic and Phaffia-Derived Astaxanthin
There are a few other sources of Astaxanthin besides the natural form from Haematococcus microalgae that we have been devoting most of our attention to so far in this book. The principal alternatives to microalgae-based Astaxanthin may be commercially viable but are not nearly as practical and, except for the case of eating wild salmon, are certainly not as health-giving as taking Astaxanthin from Haematococcus microalgae in capsules.
Other Vital Information
• Synthetic Astaxanthin
• Astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma yeast
• Natural Astaxanthin from food sources, primarily salmon
We will look at each of these alternatives in detail to understand why
Natural Astaxanthin from microalgae is clearly the superior choice.
Synthetic Astaxanthin
Synthetic Astaxanthin is the most commonly sold form of Astaxanthin in
the world today, but you can’t buy it as a supplement for human nutrition because to date, it is not approved by any country’s health authority as safe for human consumption. However, most countries do allow it to be sold for use in animal feeds. In fact, if you buy salmon that is not clearly labeled as “wild” or “naturally colored,” you’re probably eating synthetic Astaxanthin. While this isn’t going to kill you, it’s certainly not the same as eating fresh, wild salmon with plenty of Natural Astaxanthin (and, incidently, much higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids than the farmed version).
We should take a moment to qualify this: There are farmed salmon appearing in supermarkets recently that are grown under much
better conditions, and one of these important conditions is the use of non-synthetic Astaxanthin. One of these natural sources can actually be the same outstanding form of Astaxanthin from microalgae that you commonly find in Astaxanthin supplements on the shelves of health food stores. But the other non-synthetic form that is more commonly used due to its lower cost is from mutated Phaffia yeast, which we’ll discuss in detail in the next section.
Synthetic Astaxanthin is produced by an intricate and highly involved
process from petrochemicals. That’s right—oil! The same thing you put into your car engine’s crankcase and the same thing that they make plastic out of is used to produce synthetic Astaxanthin, which is fed to fish and other animals to color them. But even in animals, there is a huge difference between health benefits and even pigmentation when using synthetic Astaxanthin versus algae-based formulas.
Some aquaculture companies are beginning to use Natural Astaxanthin
instead of synthetic even though it costs more. Aquaculture is a highly competitive industry, so paying more for a feed ingredient is only done when there is a clear reason why it makes economic sense. And there is.
Similar to all the research going on with Natural Astaxanthin for human nutrition, researchers and companies are sponsoring feed trials for animals with Natural Astaxanthin. Some of these trials actually compare the differences between the animals fed the synthetic versus Phaffia-derived and Natural Astaxanthin sources. And what they’re finding out is that Natural Astaxanthin is superior to synthetic for promoting health in many different animals. They’re even finding that, although synthetic
Astaxanthin is much more concentrated than natural as a percentage (synthetic products are sold at an average concentration of 8% - 10% Astaxanthin, whereas Natural Astaxanthin for animal use is sold at concentrations of 1.5% - 2%), Natural Astaxanthin can actually pigment some species of fish better than synthetic.
One of the main reasons why Natural Astaxanthin works better in pigmenting certain species of fish is because of the fatty acids attached at the ends of the molecule. This esterified version of the Astaxanthin molecule is much better at getting to every part of the body of different animals (and although not clinically proven yet, this is almost ndoubtedly true in humans too). Natural Astaxanthin is “systemic”—it gets throughout the body into all the organs, including the skin.
This is why it works so well as an internal sunscreen. This is also why it helps Japanese sea bream fish farmers to have a much better looking end product. Some of the better tropical fish feed companies are also using Natural Astaxanthin instead of synthetic to help bring out brilliant colors in their customers’ fish. By adding a small amount of Natural Astaxanthin into the feed formula, the results can be staggering.
Another important difference is the shape of the synthetic Astaxanthin molecule. Although Natural Astaxanthin, synthetic and P h a f f i a - d e r i v e d Astaxanthin all share the same chemical formula, they are all shaped differently. The molecules are different from each other, with the Natural Astaxanthin from microalgae being shaped exactly like the Astaxanthin found in the natural food chain.
Synthetic and Phaffia-derived Astaxanthin cannot even be considered the same product as Natural Astaxanthin. But the most important difference between Natural Astaxanthin and synthetic is how they work. As we examined earlier, Natural Astaxanthin is over 20 times stronger as an antioxidant than synthetic! We also saw instances in animal trials where Natural Astaxanthin helped different species to have higher survival
rates, better immunity, fertility and reproduction, and even helped them grow faster. There is no doubt that Natural Astaxanthin is completely different and far superior to synthetic Astaxanthin.
Phaffia Derived Astaxanthin
Phaffia rhodozyma is a yeast that produces Astaxanthin. The problem is,
it is not possible to cost effectively produce Astaxanthin using wild strains of Phaffia because they produce no more than 300 ppm of Astaxanthin. Commercial Phaffia used in salmon and trout feeds are mutated strains of Phaffia that produce
about 20 times more Astaxanthin than the wild type. The mutation is done using UV light, gamma radiation, or mutagenic chemicals. The mutation process also produces substantial changes in various metabolic pathways (many of them not exclusively related to the production of Astaxanthin) to yield the necessary increment in Astaxanthin production. Thus, Phaffia yeast-derived Astaxanthin has been subjected to considerable genetic manipulation and is not a natural product.
The chemical structure of Astaxanthin from Phaffia is completely different
from that of Natural Astaxanthin found in the food chain. Astaxanthin that is ingested by marine animals is always esterified (has one or more fatty acid molecules attached to it), just like Natural Astaxanthin from Haematococcus microalgae.
Astaxanthin from Phaffia is non-esterified. It is 100% “free” Astaxanthin,
the same type of Astaxanthin that makes up only 5% of the Natural Astaxanthin complex from microalgae. Furthermore, as discussed in the last section, it actually has a different chemical structure than Natural Astaxanthin, and is much more similar to synthetic than it is to Natural Astaxanthin.
The difference in structure is in the shape of the molecule. While Natural Astaxanthin from Haematococcus microalgae is practically a carbon copy of the Astaxanthin found in krill, the tiny shrimp that larger marine animals feed on in nature’s food chain, Phaffia-derived and synthetic Astaxanthin do not share this shape. When you get right down to it, Phaffia-derived and synthetic Astaxanthin, when compared to Natural Astaxanthin, are two completely different things. And the great additional
advantage that Natural Astaxanthin from microalgae has over Phaffia and synthetic is that it comes in a natural, synergistic complex. The complex includes three different types of Astaxanthin, 70% that is monoesterified (with a fatty acid molecule attached to one end), 10% that is diesterified (with fatty acid molecules attached to both ends), and 5% that is the free astaxanthin found predominantly in the Phaffia and synthetic varieties. The remaining 15% is a wonderful blend of supporting carotenoids that make this a truly natural, synergistic product: 6% beta carotene, 5% canthaxanthin and 4% lutein.
Although, unlike synthetic Astaxanthin, Phaffia-derived Astaxanthin is
permitted to be sold as a human nutrition supplement in the USA, it is still an inferior form for human consumption and is permitted only with restrictions.
Many other countries do not permit this mutated variety. The US FDA, in a letter dated July 17, 2000, allowed the manufacturer of Phaffia-derived Astaxanthin to market the product in the United States with these restrictions:
• Maximum dosage of 2 mg per day
• Only permitted for limited durations of time
• Not permitted for use by children
The restrictions show some serious safety concerns for this mutated yeast
product. None of these restrictions apply to Natural Astaxanthin from
Haematococcus microalgae, with its extensive safety profile and ten years of public consumption as a supplement.
Natural Astaxanthin from Salmon
If you eat farm raised salmon, which comprises a large majority of the
salmon marketed around the world, there is a high probability you’re eating synthetic Astaxanthin. There is a chance that you’re eating Phaffia, and a very small chance that you’re eating Natural Astaxanthin from Haematococcus. Such is the current state of farmed salmon worldwide: Synthetic Astaxanthin dominates the market, Phaffia is a distant second with a small niche, and Natural Astaxanthin from microalgae or krill together hold far less than 1% of the market. And unfortunately,
other fish and seafood may also be colored with synthetic Astaxanthin
or other unnatural pigments.
Wild salmon is a healthy alternative that contains Natural Astaxanthin, but
it can be very hard to find. In fact, even if you think you’ve bought wild salmon, there’s a chance that you’re being cheated. Both the New York Times in 2005 and Consumer Reports Magazine in 2006 found widespread cheating—salmon sold as “wild” at much higher prices that was actually farm-raised and synthetically pigmented. And not only are consumers being cheated out of the best Astaxanthin, but farm raised salmon has lower levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids as well.
But even if you are successful in finding wild salmon to buy, there are
other problems with wild salmon: It is very expensive and may contain high levels of mercury or other unwanted toxins. Because of these problems, the easiest, safest and most cost effective way to get the health benefits of Astaxanthin is to take a high quality Natural Astaxanthin supplement from a respected manufacturer.
The more reading I do on Astaxanthin the more amazed I am at the benefits it has, not only for fish and the rest of the animal world but humans too. As I have said for a long time about NatuRose, Astaxanthin is not just about colouring fish, it's far more about it being the most powerful anti-oxidant on the planet and the health benefits it brings with it.
The below is a chapter of a book on Astaxanthin authored by Mr. Bob Capelli and Gerald Cysewski and published by Cyanotech. I have been given permission to reproduce it here.
Natural versus Synthetic and Phaffia-Derived Astaxanthin
There are a few other sources of Astaxanthin besides the natural form from Haematococcus microalgae that we have been devoting most of our attention to so far in this book. The principal alternatives to microalgae-based Astaxanthin may be commercially viable but are not nearly as practical and, except for the case of eating wild salmon, are certainly not as health-giving as taking Astaxanthin from Haematococcus microalgae in capsules.
Other Vital Information
• Synthetic Astaxanthin
• Astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma yeast
• Natural Astaxanthin from food sources, primarily salmon
We will look at each of these alternatives in detail to understand why
Natural Astaxanthin from microalgae is clearly the superior choice.
Synthetic Astaxanthin
Synthetic Astaxanthin is the most commonly sold form of Astaxanthin in
the world today, but you can’t buy it as a supplement for human nutrition because to date, it is not approved by any country’s health authority as safe for human consumption. However, most countries do allow it to be sold for use in animal feeds. In fact, if you buy salmon that is not clearly labeled as “wild” or “naturally colored,” you’re probably eating synthetic Astaxanthin. While this isn’t going to kill you, it’s certainly not the same as eating fresh, wild salmon with plenty of Natural Astaxanthin (and, incidently, much higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids than the farmed version).
We should take a moment to qualify this: There are farmed salmon appearing in supermarkets recently that are grown under much
better conditions, and one of these important conditions is the use of non-synthetic Astaxanthin. One of these natural sources can actually be the same outstanding form of Astaxanthin from microalgae that you commonly find in Astaxanthin supplements on the shelves of health food stores. But the other non-synthetic form that is more commonly used due to its lower cost is from mutated Phaffia yeast, which we’ll discuss in detail in the next section.
Synthetic Astaxanthin is produced by an intricate and highly involved
process from petrochemicals. That’s right—oil! The same thing you put into your car engine’s crankcase and the same thing that they make plastic out of is used to produce synthetic Astaxanthin, which is fed to fish and other animals to color them. But even in animals, there is a huge difference between health benefits and even pigmentation when using synthetic Astaxanthin versus algae-based formulas.
Some aquaculture companies are beginning to use Natural Astaxanthin
instead of synthetic even though it costs more. Aquaculture is a highly competitive industry, so paying more for a feed ingredient is only done when there is a clear reason why it makes economic sense. And there is.
Similar to all the research going on with Natural Astaxanthin for human nutrition, researchers and companies are sponsoring feed trials for animals with Natural Astaxanthin. Some of these trials actually compare the differences between the animals fed the synthetic versus Phaffia-derived and Natural Astaxanthin sources. And what they’re finding out is that Natural Astaxanthin is superior to synthetic for promoting health in many different animals. They’re even finding that, although synthetic
Astaxanthin is much more concentrated than natural as a percentage (synthetic products are sold at an average concentration of 8% - 10% Astaxanthin, whereas Natural Astaxanthin for animal use is sold at concentrations of 1.5% - 2%), Natural Astaxanthin can actually pigment some species of fish better than synthetic.
One of the main reasons why Natural Astaxanthin works better in pigmenting certain species of fish is because of the fatty acids attached at the ends of the molecule. This esterified version of the Astaxanthin molecule is much better at getting to every part of the body of different animals (and although not clinically proven yet, this is almost ndoubtedly true in humans too). Natural Astaxanthin is “systemic”—it gets throughout the body into all the organs, including the skin.
This is why it works so well as an internal sunscreen. This is also why it helps Japanese sea bream fish farmers to have a much better looking end product. Some of the better tropical fish feed companies are also using Natural Astaxanthin instead of synthetic to help bring out brilliant colors in their customers’ fish. By adding a small amount of Natural Astaxanthin into the feed formula, the results can be staggering.
Another important difference is the shape of the synthetic Astaxanthin molecule. Although Natural Astaxanthin, synthetic and P h a f f i a - d e r i v e d Astaxanthin all share the same chemical formula, they are all shaped differently. The molecules are different from each other, with the Natural Astaxanthin from microalgae being shaped exactly like the Astaxanthin found in the natural food chain.
Synthetic and Phaffia-derived Astaxanthin cannot even be considered the same product as Natural Astaxanthin. But the most important difference between Natural Astaxanthin and synthetic is how they work. As we examined earlier, Natural Astaxanthin is over 20 times stronger as an antioxidant than synthetic! We also saw instances in animal trials where Natural Astaxanthin helped different species to have higher survival
rates, better immunity, fertility and reproduction, and even helped them grow faster. There is no doubt that Natural Astaxanthin is completely different and far superior to synthetic Astaxanthin.
Phaffia Derived Astaxanthin
Phaffia rhodozyma is a yeast that produces Astaxanthin. The problem is,
it is not possible to cost effectively produce Astaxanthin using wild strains of Phaffia because they produce no more than 300 ppm of Astaxanthin. Commercial Phaffia used in salmon and trout feeds are mutated strains of Phaffia that produce
about 20 times more Astaxanthin than the wild type. The mutation is done using UV light, gamma radiation, or mutagenic chemicals. The mutation process also produces substantial changes in various metabolic pathways (many of them not exclusively related to the production of Astaxanthin) to yield the necessary increment in Astaxanthin production. Thus, Phaffia yeast-derived Astaxanthin has been subjected to considerable genetic manipulation and is not a natural product.
The chemical structure of Astaxanthin from Phaffia is completely different
from that of Natural Astaxanthin found in the food chain. Astaxanthin that is ingested by marine animals is always esterified (has one or more fatty acid molecules attached to it), just like Natural Astaxanthin from Haematococcus microalgae.
Astaxanthin from Phaffia is non-esterified. It is 100% “free” Astaxanthin,
the same type of Astaxanthin that makes up only 5% of the Natural Astaxanthin complex from microalgae. Furthermore, as discussed in the last section, it actually has a different chemical structure than Natural Astaxanthin, and is much more similar to synthetic than it is to Natural Astaxanthin.
The difference in structure is in the shape of the molecule. While Natural Astaxanthin from Haematococcus microalgae is practically a carbon copy of the Astaxanthin found in krill, the tiny shrimp that larger marine animals feed on in nature’s food chain, Phaffia-derived and synthetic Astaxanthin do not share this shape. When you get right down to it, Phaffia-derived and synthetic Astaxanthin, when compared to Natural Astaxanthin, are two completely different things. And the great additional
advantage that Natural Astaxanthin from microalgae has over Phaffia and synthetic is that it comes in a natural, synergistic complex. The complex includes three different types of Astaxanthin, 70% that is monoesterified (with a fatty acid molecule attached to one end), 10% that is diesterified (with fatty acid molecules attached to both ends), and 5% that is the free astaxanthin found predominantly in the Phaffia and synthetic varieties. The remaining 15% is a wonderful blend of supporting carotenoids that make this a truly natural, synergistic product: 6% beta carotene, 5% canthaxanthin and 4% lutein.
Although, unlike synthetic Astaxanthin, Phaffia-derived Astaxanthin is
permitted to be sold as a human nutrition supplement in the USA, it is still an inferior form for human consumption and is permitted only with restrictions.
Many other countries do not permit this mutated variety. The US FDA, in a letter dated July 17, 2000, allowed the manufacturer of Phaffia-derived Astaxanthin to market the product in the United States with these restrictions:
• Maximum dosage of 2 mg per day
• Only permitted for limited durations of time
• Not permitted for use by children
The restrictions show some serious safety concerns for this mutated yeast
product. None of these restrictions apply to Natural Astaxanthin from
Haematococcus microalgae, with its extensive safety profile and ten years of public consumption as a supplement.
Natural Astaxanthin from Salmon
If you eat farm raised salmon, which comprises a large majority of the
salmon marketed around the world, there is a high probability you’re eating synthetic Astaxanthin. There is a chance that you’re eating Phaffia, and a very small chance that you’re eating Natural Astaxanthin from Haematococcus. Such is the current state of farmed salmon worldwide: Synthetic Astaxanthin dominates the market, Phaffia is a distant second with a small niche, and Natural Astaxanthin from microalgae or krill together hold far less than 1% of the market. And unfortunately,
other fish and seafood may also be colored with synthetic Astaxanthin
or other unnatural pigments.
Wild salmon is a healthy alternative that contains Natural Astaxanthin, but
it can be very hard to find. In fact, even if you think you’ve bought wild salmon, there’s a chance that you’re being cheated. Both the New York Times in 2005 and Consumer Reports Magazine in 2006 found widespread cheating—salmon sold as “wild” at much higher prices that was actually farm-raised and synthetically pigmented. And not only are consumers being cheated out of the best Astaxanthin, but farm raised salmon has lower levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids as well.
But even if you are successful in finding wild salmon to buy, there are
other problems with wild salmon: It is very expensive and may contain high levels of mercury or other unwanted toxins. Because of these problems, the easiest, safest and most cost effective way to get the health benefits of Astaxanthin is to take a high quality Natural Astaxanthin supplement from a respected manufacturer.