Thursday, July 17, 2008

Dress Slimmer, Look Thinner!

Introducing the secret ingredient in low-fat dressing, it’s called fashion. That’s right, fashion, and it’s time to pour it all out and reveal how it can work for you.

Imagine for a moment if every time you slipped into an outfit you automatically looked younger and thinner. Chances are your closet would become your new best friend.
Well, guess what, when it comes to looking slimmer, sexy and better than ever, you don’t have to look further than your wardrobe.

The power of fashion is often overlooked. How you look to others entirely depends on what you wear and how you wear it. Having good manners and a pleasing appearance are the most important characteristics you can posses in making good impressions. You can either make fashion work in your favor or terribly against you.

Most people unknowingly add to their weight every time they get dressed. Instead of accentuating their positive attributes, they downplay them and then magnify their negative features. This makes them look heavier and often more overweight than they really are. What do you see when you look in the mirror? Are your clothes helping you look your best or are you adding extra-pounds to your body?

Celebrities and models aren’t always as perfect-looking as they seem. They just know the formula to fashion. They know how to camouflage their problem areas and bring attention to their better qualities. They know how to play around and have fun with clothes and still look great.

People come in all shapes and sizes. A style of clothes may look good on one shape and horrible on another. Tall, short, big, small, narrow or wide, there are tricks to transforming your clothes to flatter your figure. The single most important piece in the game of fashion, however, is having confidence.

When you are self-assured and comfortable in your clothes, it shows. Fashion trends are started by people who are sure of themselves. They feel good and in return, look cool in their clothes. There is nothing more pleasing to the eye than seeing someone walking with head held high. Feel free to experiment and use your sense of style to your advantage.

Here are a few basic fashion tactics you can use to look better and boost your confidence and body:

1. Wear solid fabrics: Wearing one color from head to toe is more slimming.

2. Wear vertical lines: The longer the vertical line of the outfit, the more flattering it will be.

3. Stick to dark colors: Darker, duller and cooler colors are generally more slimming than lighter neutrals. Compare different shades and see what best complements your natural skin.

4. Wear a double-breasted jacket: A double-breasted jacket will make you look thinner than wearing a single-breasted jacket. Choose a well-fitted version. Loose jackets tend to add bulk, and never wear a jacket longer than ankle length.

5. Choose pleated pants: The pleats help conceal your stomach area -- make sure they lie flat.

6. Wear high heels: The higher the better. This will help you appear taller and thinner. If you don’t like high heels, then choose a low-heeled shoe that is cut low on the instep.

7. Accessorize: Wearing a scarf, necklace, earrings or choker takes the concentration off the body.

8. Tight is not always right: Clothes that cling can make you look heavier. Clothes that slightly contour your body give you a slim look.

9. Choose v-necklines: They make you look leaner and longer.

10. Always have confidence: The way you feel in your clothes is very important. Your attitude reflects the way people react to what you are wearing. If you feel like a million bucks, then chances are you look like it too!

Look your best by getting in shape.
For more info about how to get into shape by losing weight easily and quickly, contact Angel at verityy@yahoo.com
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Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Astaxanthin: The Little-Known Miracle Nutrient for Inflammation, Anti-Aging, Athletic Endurance and More

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Excerpt from article by Mike Adams on Natural News Website


Every once in a very great while, I discover a natural medicine so astonishing that I feel compelled to share it with you.


The verb "discover" is actually not to my credit, by the way; Mother Nature created this natural medicine eons ago, and it's been present in trace amounts in aquatic ecosystems for over a billion years.


In this article, I'm going to reveal the name of this natural medicine, what health benefits it provides to us, and how to get some right now.


But first, before revealing the name, I want to share some of the numerous health benefits with you so you get the full picture of just how significant this substance can be in enhancing your health.


As always, I have absolutely no financial ties to this product, and I earn nothing if you choose to purchase it. I do, however, buy and consume this product myself on a regular basis, as you'll see below.

Did you ever notice how the drug companies get excited when they find a drug that just slightly alters the risk of a single disease? I remember hearing all the hype about a particular cancer drug made by Big Pharma. It was called a "miracle" drug that needed to be fast-tracked so it could start saving lives. When I looked at the research, however, it only turned out to prevent cancer in one woman out of two hundred (a 0.5% reduction in the risk of breast cancer). Gee, that's not much get excited about. And yet they called it a "miracle" drug!

Well imagine if there were a natural substance that operated at many different biochemical levels at once, providing all the following health benefits (yes, from a single source!):



  1. Reduces proliferation of breast cancer tumor cells by 40%

  2. Protects the brain from dementia and Alzheimer's

  3. Greatly reduces inflammation and joint pain

  4. Reduces oxidative damage to your DNA by 40% (even at low doses)

  5. Greatly increases endurance, muscle recovery and workout performance

  6. Reduces the risk of cancer

  7. Reduces blood sugar level in diabetics and prediabetics

  8. Improves fertility while decreasing the rate of stillborn births

  9. Promotes cardiovascular health, reduces C-Reactive Proteins (CRP)• Reduces or eliminates carpal tunnel syndrome

  10. Boosts immune function and helps the body resist infections

  11. Protects the stomach from ulcers and invasive bacteria

  12. Protects the kidneys from damage due to high blood sugar

  13. Causes cancer cells to commit suicide (apoptosis)

  14. Greatly improves sperm quality, motility, and sperm count

  15. Prevents asthma by normalizing histamine levels

  16. Protects the body from highly oxidative foods like fried foods

In addition, I've found that this natural medicine:



  1. Greatly protects eye health, reduces cataracts and prevents UV damage to the eyes

  2. Makes skin look younger and functions as a natural internal sunscreen that prevents DNA damage and sunburn

  3. Protects the body from the dangerous oxidizing effects of Vioxx and COX-2 inhibitors, meaning that is can actually reduce the harmful side effects and deaths caused by other anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals



Now, if all that is really true -- and I'll show you in a minute that it is true -- that would make this one of the most miraculous medicines ever discovered by modern science, wouldn't it?


For any one substance to prevent and treat so many different diseases -- and to protect the human body in so many different ways -- is nothing short of truly miraculous. So why isn't this nutrient front-page news?


The answer, of course, is because it can't be patented. This natural substance (which I will reveal below) is created by microalgae, so it's not something that was invented by a drug company scientist for patenting purposes. And the sad fact of the matter is that drug companies aren't interested in medicines that can't be patented, no matter how helpful or miraculous they may really be.


And yes, all the health benefits I've described for this supplement are, indeed, quite true. And they're backed by clinical trials and research papers that are fascinating in what they contain, and yet have never been picked up by the mainstream media. In other words, this nutrient may be the most powerful natural medicine you've never heard about!


Maybe you have heard about it already, but here's something else...It's possible, of course, that you have heard about it. Especially if you've been reading NaturalNews for some time (I've mentioned it on this website before). But until recently, I never fully understood the health benefits of taking larger doses of the nutrient.

Previously, I was only taking 2mg - 4mg per day. But for a while now, I've been taking 16mg per day (400% more than before), and I've discovered something truly astounding: The health benefits of this natural medicine keep increasing as the dose increases (to a limit, of course). I've found that 16mg a day is the ideal dosage for me to experience maximum benefits from this supplement... benefits that include outstanding athletic performance, a significant reduction in muscle soreness and joint pain, radical improvements in resistance to UV sun exposure, stabilized blood sugar and many more.

So what is this mystery nutrient? It's astaxanthin, a deep red-colored phytonutrient synthesized by microalgae called Haematococcus. It's grown in fresh water using sophisticated techniques that encourage the algae to grow its own powerful medicines that protect it from oxidation, UV radiation and other environmental stresses. When harvested from the algae and concentrated into a liquid, astaxanthin becomes the most powerful antioxidant known in the natural world, demonstrating 550 times the antioxidant power of Vitamin E, for example.


Now why is antioxidant power important? Think about it: Much of what goes on during the aging of the human body is due to oxidation. Every time you breathe, you're inhaling some oxygen, right? That oxygen reacts with your cells to create energy, but the byproduct of that energy is the creation of free radicals. These free radicals cause DNA damage, nerve cell damage, accelerated aging of internal organs and more.


The way to stop those free radicals is with antioxidants, which bind to them, neutralizing their damaging effects. Astaxanthin, it turns out, is so good at halting free radicals that it seems to confer miracle-class health benefits to the human body... benefits that might be described as "anti-aging" or "reversing disease."

Right to the muscles and tissues that need them.


It gets even better: Unlike most antioxidants, astaxanthin is fat-soluble, meaning it gets carried by fat molecules directly to tissues and organs in your body where it can do the most good, like your retina, your brain, your breast tissue, prostate tissue, and skeletal muscles.


You know what makes the flesh of salmon pink? Astaxanthin. And guess what gives salmon the seemingly superhuman ability to achieve marathon swimming feats, leaping up waterfalls against the current? Astaxanthin, of course. Without astaxanthin, salmon are mere average performers, and their survival rate drops to less than one in five. But with astaxanthin, they become superstars of the aquatic world, performing feats of physical strength and endurance that, in proportion, dwarf the greatest achievements of the world's top human athletes. (And their survival rate on salmon farms leaps from 17% to an astonishing 98%!)


You see, when astaxanthin is present in muscles and other tissues, it prevents oxidation right where it's needed: Right at the site of stress or potential oxidation. Ever notice how you breathe more air when you're exercising? That's more oxygen you're pumping through your tissues, and more oxygen means more oxidation. So the more you exercise, the more you need powerful antioxidants like astaxanthin. This helps explain why some athletes who work out hard but don't supplement with superfoods and antioxidants seem to age faster than everyone else. Exercising without antioxidants is like putting yourself on an aging acceleration program!

The fact that astaxanthin goes right to the muscles gives it the ability to protect muscles from all sorts of degenerative conditions. A horse suffering from a severe muscle conditions called rhabdomyolysis, for example (which can also be caused by statin drugs), was given 30mg of astaxanthin a day. In merely a few weeks, he was 100% symptom free and running again! (The owners were no doubt astonished.)


In fact, astaxanthin has been used in all kinds of ways to enhance the health of animals. In animal tests, it has been shown to:


  • Greatly increase the longevity and survival rate of salmon and chickens

  • Increase egg production by a whopping 300% in salmon

  • Significantly lower salmonella infections in chickens

  • Reduced infections by increasing immune resistance in every animal it's been tested with

  • Accelerated the growth of farmed salmon by 600%! (Seems impossible, but it's true...)
    The animals who have been fed a small amount of astaxanthin in their diet, it seems, experience phenomenal health benefits. Every type of animal given astaxanthin lives longer, grows faster, exhibits greater fertility and shows much stronger immune system function.


Do these sound like benefits you'd like to experience, too?

My top 3 nutrients for human health

Speaking of top nutrients for human health, would you like to know what I think are the top 3 most important nutrients for human health? They are:
#1: Vitamin D

#2: Omega-3 fatty acids

#3: Astaxanthin

Vitamin D is crucial, of course, due to its miracle-class ability to halt cancer (77% of ALL cancers are prevented by vitamin D alone!), to ease depression, boost bone health, enhance heart health and much, much more. It's the single most impressive nutrient I've ever found. Nothing beats vitamin D in terms of the number of important health benefits derived from a single substance.

Next comes omega-3 fatty acids, which have proven to be miraculous, too, in terms of preventing cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, depression and much more. Plus, you can get these from plant sources (like chia seeds or flax seeds) or animal source (fish oil, krill oil, etc.).

And now, astaxathin joins my list as the third most important nutrient for human health. It is the "King of the carotenoids," as they say, and it has the ability to ease systemic inflammation, protect the eyes and brain from oxidative damage, prevent cancer, protect the body from dangerous foods, enhance skin health and even protect the skin from excessive UV sun exposure. It's truly miraculous.

I've heard some ignorant conventional medical doctors (and FDA bureaucrats) say there are no miracles in the world of supplements, herbs and natural medicine. The only miracles in the world, they claim, are found in pharmaceuticals. I think that's nonsense: Nature is full of miracles! Growing a baby in the womb is a miracle. Automatic skin repair following a scratch or scrape is a miracle. The nanotechnology in your immune system is a miracle. The building of a highly complex organism from microscopic DNA is a miracle, too. Nature abounds with miracles! And astaxanthin is simply one miracle among many that have been provided for us by Mother Nature.

(If you would like to experience the miracle of Astaxanthin, contact Angel at verityy@yahoo.com)


Note:


  • Astaxanthin won't counteract unhealthy habits like smoking cigarettes, eating fried foods or drinking a fat-laden Starbucks "coffee" that's really more like a 600-calorie milkshake. Don't take astaxanthin as an excuse to pursue unhealthy foods or lifestyle choices (like smoking).

  • Don't go overboard with your exercise in an unsafe way. Always work with a qualified health practitioner concerning ANY changes in your exercise or diet. Ease into your exercise slowly and carefully. It's better to slowly ramp up to more exercise over time than to injure yourself because you got overly excited and went too far...

  • Always take astaxanthin with healthy fats. Since it's fat-soluble, it needs fat to hitch a ride to your body's cells.

  • Remember that if you eat fried foods (including so-called "healthy" snack chips fried at high temperatures), you will "use up" a lot of the antioxidant power in astaxanthin, leaving less to help the rest of your body. Unhealthy foods are often highly oxidizing, so even though I don't recommend eating fried foods, if you do, you may want to consider taking an extra astaxanthin capsule at the same time to protect your body from the fried foods.

  • Not to make this too scatalogical, but at 16mg per day, astaxanthin will turn your poo slightly red, just like when you drink beet juice. Drink some chlorophyll too (which turns your poo green) next December, and you can poo in vibrant holiday colors! (Only recommended for the easily amused...)

  • There's virtually no way to overdose on astaxanthin. Remember, this isn't a drug. It's something that's been in the natural food supply for millions of years. The studies that have been done show virtually no toxicity even at ridiculously high doses. However, based on what I've read it seems that the benefits of astaxanthin reach a point of diminishing returns after about 20mg per day for a human being, so that's why I take 16mg a day: It's enough to generate wonderful benefits, but I'm not going overboard with it. In one study, they gave 30mg per day to a horse! So probably, it's a fair guess to say you would need less than a horse. The lighter you are, the less you need, of course. I weigh 190 and take 16mg. If you only weigh 110 pounds, you might only want to take 8mg or 12mg per day. Even 4mg per day produces some benefits, by the way.

You can also just buy astaxanthin at your local health food store, of course. Or you might have other online retailers if you're living in the U.K., Australia, Canada or another country. Frankly, it doesn't matter to me where you get your astaxanthin, just make sure of one thing, which is VERY important: Always by "natural" astaxanthin, not "synthetic astaxanthin."

You see, there's a lot of synthetic astaxanthin on the market, too, and it's made from -- if you can believe this -- petroleum! It doesn't provide any health benefits, by the way, just like synthetic vitamin E or synthetic B vitamins. They're all garbage, if you ask me. Only the natural stuff really works to protect and enhance your health. So wherever you buy astaxanthin, make sure you're buying only natural astaxanthin.


About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher and author with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He has authored more than 1,500 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient LED lighting products that save electricity and help prevent global warming. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a noted technology pioneer and founded a software company in 1993 that developed the HTML email newsletter software currently powering the NaturalNews subscriptions. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and pursues hobbies such as Pilates, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
For more info about some cost effecient health foods with astaxanthin to regain perfect health and regain your figure, contact Angel at verityy@yahoo.com
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Astaxanthin sources revealed: super antioxidant eases arthritis pain, joint pain, sore muscles and protects against heart disease

Saturday, November 06, 2004
Excerpt from article by Mike Adams on Natural News Website



What is astaxanthin? I call it "Vitamin X," and it's a supercharged antioxidant derived from microalgae. It's 500 times stronger than Vitamin E and crosses the blood/brain barrier, meaning it offers powerful oxidative protection for the nervous system (eyes, brain, nerve tissues, etc.) I used astaxanthin as part of my strategy for achieving a whopping 89,000 score on the Pharmanex nutrition scanner!


I'm working on an entire report on astaxanthin where I'll go into detail about this miraculous substances.



But the short version is as follows:




  1. Virtually eliminates arthritis pain for many people
  2. Eases or eliminates chronic back pain Accelerates muscle healing for strength trainers, weekend warriors, and people who get sore easily (I use it following my strenuous gymnastics workouts, and my soreness recovery time has been cut in half)
  3. Functions as an internal sunscreen to enhance your tolerance of sun exposure
  4. Offers powerful protection for the eyes and prevents macular degeneration
  5. Prevents heart disease due to oxidative damage
  6. Boosts immune system function
  7. Reduces pain from carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive motion injuries
  8. Protects the nervous system from degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease
  9. Multiplies the effects of vitamin E and vitamin C in your body
  10. Enhances athletic performance: both strength and endurance
  11. Lowers LDL cholesterol ...
and much more.



I don't have time to give you all the details here just yet.



NOTE: I have no financial relationship with this product or the companies producing it. I don't earn a dime from your purchase here. In fact, feel free to buy it anywhere you like. Just get some. This is an amazing supplement and I strongly recommend it for people who wish to be healthy and free of pain.


About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher and author with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He has authored more than 1,500 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a maker of super bright LED light bulbs that are 1000% more energy efficient than incandescent lights. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NaturalNews email newsletters. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and regularly pursues cycling, nature photography, Capoeira and Pilates. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds.



For more information on some health foods that might help you lose weight effortlessly, contact Angel at verityy@yahoo.com

For more info on Astaxanthin:
Astaxanthin eyed as weight loss ingredient

Astaxanthin may boost muscle endurance and fat loss

Astaxanthin: The Little-Known Miracle Nutrient for Inflammation, Anti-Aging, Athletic Endurance and More



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Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Astaxanthin may boost muscle endurance and fat loss

From American Website, Nutra Ingredients

By Stephen Daniells

05-Feb-2008


Astaxanthin, the carotenoid mostly associated with eye health, may enhance the burning of fat during exercise and lead to improved muscle endurance, suggests a new study with mice that needs to be repeated in humans.

Mice supplemented with astaxanthin (AstaReal 50F, BioReal) and were found to have accelerated body fat reduction or "fat-burning" when combined with exercise compared to just exercise alone, reports the study in the journal Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications.

"Our present observations firstly demonstrated that astaxanthin could elevate fat utilization as energy substrate during exercise, at least partly, due to the antioxidant effect, which leading to improvement of endurance in prolong exercise and efficient reduction of adipose tissue with sustained exercise," wrote the researchers from Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, University of Shizuoka, University of Hyogo, and University of Nagoya report that.

The study adds to a small but growing body of research linking the carotenoid to potential weight management benefits.

Astaxanthin, the nutrient that gives salmon its pink colour, has been found to be a potent antioxidant, with tests suggesting that it may have a free radical fighting capacity worth 500 times that of vitamin E.

The carotenoid is produced by the Haematacoccus pluvialis algae when water supplies in its habitat dry up to protect itself against the effects of UV radiation. Research has shown it to have a similar structure to lutein and zeaxanthin, but there are indications that it has an even stronger antioxidant activity.

Research on animals and some human clinical trials have suggested that the carotenoid may help protect against cataracts and UVA damage to the skin, as well as a number of other serious conditions such as stroke.

Annual growth of the global market for astaxanthin for human use is thought to be at least 15 per cent, with current estimates valuing the market at $15-20m (€12.4-16.6m) per year.

Lead researcher Wataru Aoi reports that the carotenoid appeared to protect the function of carnitine palmitoyl transferase I (CPT I) in mitochondria. CPT I is a lipid transport enzyme found on the membrane of mitochondria and reportedly supplies lipids or "fuel" into the mitochondria for energy production.

The researchers divided mice into four groups: no exercise, no exercise plus with astaxanthin, exercise, and exercise plus astaxanthin. After four weeks the animals in the exercise groups were placed on a treadmill to test a range of physical parameters.

Aoi and co-workers report that astaxanthin supplementation "accelerated the decrease of body fat accumulation with exercise training."

Moreover, the carotenoid was found to increase the co-localisation of fatty acid translocase with carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I) in skeletal muscle. Fatty acid translocase is a glycoprotein found on the surface of the cell receives and transports long-chain fatty acids.

Finally, they also report that modifications of CPT I by hexanoyl-lysine, which occurred during exercise, where prevented by astaxanthin.

"Our results suggested that astaxanthin promoted lipid metabolism rather than glucose utilisation during exercise via CPT I activation, which led to improvement of endurance and efficient reduction of adipose tissue with training," concluded the researchers.

The study supports previous studies that show the carotenoid may have a role to play in the burgeoning weight management market. With 50 per cent of Europeans and 62 per cent of Americans classed as overweight, the food industry is waking up to the potential of products for weight loss and management. The category estimated to already be worth $7bn (€5.1bn).

Source: Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications (Elsevier)
22 February 2008, Volume 366, Issue 4, Pages 892-897
"Astaxanthin improves muscle lipid metabolism in exercise via inhibitory effect of oxidative CPT I modification"
Authors: W. Aoi, Y. Naito, Y. Takanami, T. Ishii, Y. Kawai, S. Akagiri, Y. Kato, T. Osawa, T. Yoshikawa


If you would like to find out how to lose weight healthily and easily using some natural health foods containing astaxathin, email Angel at verityy@yahoo.com

For more info about Astaxanthin:
Astaxanthin eyed as weight loss ingredient
Astaxanthin sources revealed: super antioxidant eases arthritis pain, joint pain, sore muscles and protects against heart disease
Astaxanthin: The Little-Known Miracle Nutrient for Inflammation, Anti-Aging, Athletic Endurance and More


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Astaxanthin eyed as weight loss ingredient

From American Website, Nutra Ingredients

By Stephen Daniells

30-Apr-2007


Astaxanthin, the carotenoid mostly associated with eye health, stopped weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet and offer an interesting alternative to the blossoming weight management market if results can be repeated in humans.

Writing in the journal Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry researchers from Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology report that female mice fed a high-fat diet supplemented with astaxanthin (AstaReal 50F, BioReal) reduced body weight gain, the build-up of fatty tissue, and improved blood fatty acid levels.

"We found that astaxanthin inhibits the elevations in body weight and adipose tissue weight caused by a high-fat diet," wrote lead author Mayuni Ikeuchi. "These results indicate that astaxanthin might be of value in preventing obesity and the metabolic syndrome in affluent societies."

Astaxanthin, the nutrient that gives salmon its pink colour, has been found to be a potent antioxidant, with tests suggesting that it may have a free radical fighting capacity worth 500 times that of vitamin E.

The carotenoid is produced by the Haematacoccus pluvialis algae when water supplies in its habitat dry up to protect itself against the effects of UV radiation. Research has shown it to have a similar structure to lutein and zeaxanthin, but there are indications that it has an even stronger antioxidant activity.

Research on animals and some human clinical trials have suggested that the carotenoid may help protect against cataracts and UVA damage to the skin, as well as a number of other serious conditions such as stroke.

Annual growth of the global market for astaxanthin for human use is thought to be at least 15 per cent, with current estimates valuing the market at $15-20m (€12.4-16.6m) per year.

The researchers assigned four-week old female ddY mice to one of five groups: one group ate a normal diet (control group) while the other four groups were assigned to a high-fat diet and supplemented with olive oil (placebo), or astaxanthin at concentrations of 1.2, 6, or 30 mg per kg of body weight for 60 days.

The group fed the high-fat diet supplemented with olive oil resulted in a significant increase in body weight, compared to the control group.

"However, feeding a high-fat diet plus astaxanthin at levels of 6 mg/kg or 30 mg/kg significantly reduced the body weight gain induced by the high-fat diet," said the researchers.

The high-dose astaxanthin group also had lower adipose tissue weight, while the lower dose astaxanthin groups did not have significantly lower adipose tissue weight than the olive oil group.

Triglyceride levels were higher in the high-fat diet supplemented with olive oil group than for the control group, but supplementation with astaxanthin at levels of 6 and 30 mg/kg resulted in triglyceride levels about 50 per cent lower than the high-fat diet supplemented with olive oil group.

"In the present study increases in the body weight and weight of adipose tissue were prevented in mice fed a high-fat diet plus astaxanthin without changing the energy intake, except in the normal diet group," wrote the researchers.

The mechanism behind such effects was related to a stimulation of fatty acid utilisation, suggested the researchers, meaning that glucose use decreases and fatty acids are metabolised preferentially as the energy source.

"Further studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms," they said.

With 50 per cent of Europeans and 62 per cent of Americans classed as overweight, the food industry is waking up to the potential of products for weight loss and management. The category estimated to already be worth $7bn (€5.1bn).

Source: Bioscience, Biotechnology, and BiochemistryVolume 71,Pages 60521-1 to 60521-7, doi:10.1271/bbb.60521"Effects of astaxanthin in obese mice fed a high-fat diet"Authors: M. Ikeuchi, T. Koyama, J. Takahashi, K. Yazawa


If you would like to find out how to lose weight healthily and easily using some natural health foods containing astaxathin, email Angel at verityy@yahoo.com

Other info about Astaxanthin:

Astaxanthin may boost muscle endurance and fat loss

Astaxanthin sources revealed: super antioxidant eases arthritis pain, joint pain, sore muscles and protects against heart disease

Astaxanthin: The Little-Known Miracle Nutrient for Inflammation, Anti-Aging, Athletic Endurance and More



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