AstaReal Astaxanthin May Reduce Physical and Mental Fatigue
Researchers found that astaxanthin supplementation improved cognitive acuity, physical sensations of fatigue, concentration, motivation, mood, and stress compared to placebo in a human fatigue model.
Photo © iStockphoto.com/Nancy Nehring
While astaxanthin has shown potential in alleviating physical or mental fatigue in past studies, new research results shared by AstaReal (Burlington, NJ) suggest its AstaReal astaxanthin is effective at simultaneously reducing both physical and mental fatigue. Healthy adult participants consuming astaxanthin showed improvement to cognitive acuity, concentration, motivation, physical sensations of fatigue, mood, stress, and more compared to placebo in a human fatigue model.
“Fatigue is the most common complaint heard by physicians today, and in my experience, this is the first time that a natural ingredient has been shown to improve this common condition,” says Robert Corish, MD, global medical advisor for AstaReal, in a press release. “The results show that AstaReal astaxanthin suppresses and fights both mental and physical fatigue and improves performance.”
The double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 39 subjects who consumed either 12 mg of AstaReal astaxanthin plus 20 mg of tocotrienols or tocotrienols alone every day for eight weeks. Study participants were healthy men and women aged 20–64 who experienced fatigue.
At the end of the treatment period, study participants performed a regimen meant to simulate daily fatigue symptoms, which included two 15-minute sets of serial addition tasks (separated by a five-minute rest period) to assess cognitive performance. That was then followed by a 30-minute cycling routine, followed by 60 minutes of rest. Researchers measured participant fatigue with a visual analog scale before the addition tasks, after the addition tasks, after the cycling routine, and after the rest period.
They found that astaxanthin significantly reduced perceived symptoms of mental and physical fatigue compared to the placebo group, with the astaxanthin group showing improvements to measures for cognitive acuity, motivation, concentration, and mood, AstaReal reports. The astaxanthin group also showed noticeable reductions to irritation and feelings of body heaviness.
In the serial addition tests, the astaxanthin group showed almost no change between performance in the first and second test (+0.2 wrong answers), while the control group experienced a noticeable increase in errors (+3.2 errors) between the two tests, according to AstaReal. Researchers also measured salivary cortisol levels, a biomarker of stress, and found that astaxanthin supplementation significantly reduced salivary cortisol.
“Supplements containing AstaReal astaxanthin can improve daily lives by supporting physical endurance, sustained concentration, decision making, memory, and motivation,” says Arun Nair, CEO of AstaReal USA.
AstaReal Facility Granted GMP Certification
AstaReal also recently shared the news that its processing facilities in Moses Lake, Washington have been granted GMP registration from NSF International (Ann Arbor, MI)-a move that Nair says puts AstaReal in a “different league” than its competitors. The registration speaks to the proper methods, equipment, facilities, and controls in place at AstaReal’s plant in accordance with FDA’s regulations for manufacturing, packaing, and distributing dietary supplements.
“Having attained GMP registration by such a prestigious organization as NSF International highlights the emphasis AstaReal puts on our manufacturing practices,” says Joe Kuncewitch, AstaReal USA’s national sales manager. “No other natural astaxanthin producer has attained the scope of global quality registrations that AstaReal has, and this is further demonstration that AstaReal is absolutely committed to achieving manufacturing excellence.”
There’s also one other bit of news from AstaReal: the firm’s parent company, Fuji Chemical Industries, is celebrating its 70th anniversary. The company was first founded in 1946 as a yeast manufacturer. In 1994, AstaReal began large-scale industrial production of astaxanthin from Haematoccocus plubialis algae.
Read more:
AstaReal Warns Against “Misleading” Hype for Algae Life's Astaxanthin Claims
Astaxanthin: New Health Promises on the Horizon?
If FDA’s NDI Guidance Helps Level the Astaxanthin Playing Field, That’s Good, Says AstaReal
Michael Crane
Associate Editor
Nutritional Outlook Magazine
michael.crane@ubm.com
References:
Hongo N et al., “Randomized controlled trial of the anti-fatigue effects of astaxanthin on mental and physical loads simulating daily life,” Journal of Clinical Therapeutics & Medicines, vol. 32, no. 7 (2016): 277–291
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