Designs for HealthAstaxanthin - Microalgae (Haematococcus Pluvialis) Extracted Carotenoid Antioxidant Supplement - Support for Cardiovascular, GI, Skin + Eye Health (60 Softgels)

The service fast.

I liked the quality of Design for Heath productsWell worth the cost

Like very much. Coupled with Macuhealth is a far better version of Preservision for those of us trying to avoid macular degeneration.

My husband has chronic pain issues and we both have fibromyalgia so when I saw this formula available, we both started taking it. Works very well as a natural pain relief formula.

INFLAMATION IS ALMOST NIL AFTER USING THIS AMONG OTHER PRODUCTS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS

Arrived on time. Pricey, however, they are a good buy. Easy to take, no after taste or burping at all with this product.

TL, DNR; made from algae by a Japanese company's US subsidiary; its suitably opaque bottle and softgels protect from light; uses olive oil as the lipid, and bovine gelatin for softgels; its price is much higher than that of comparable brands.[1] Source. It is an algal natural AXT manufactured by AstaReal USA, a subsidiary of Fuji Chemical Industries Co. Ltd. (Japan), in a state-of-the-art indoors cultivation and processing facility in WA. It is sourced by the private labeller and online marketer Design for Health Inc., and sold here by its storefront.[2] Specs. This AXT originates from a fresh-water microalga whose carotenoids fraction is 80% to 99% AXT under the stress conditions known as the red stage, when it *may* reach 5% or less of the dried biomass ; the extract is obtained with a supercritical fluid extraction process using carbon dioxide, which achieves faster and higher yields than organic solvents. Each capsule has 6 mg of AXT dissolved in olive oil in a non-vegan softgel of bovine gelatin. The product is described as third-party tested. The claim "for professional use only" on the label is mere seller's hype -- in terms of its formulation, not only it is a run-of-the-mill OTC supplement (actually manufactured by AstaReal, and not the seller), but also is being sold OTC to anyone here by the same seller making the fatuous claim.[3] Stability. AXT is quite susceptible to oxidation, which is influenced by temperature and light exposure. Oxidation taking place during processing and subsequent storage of the product reduces its quality. The label does not give a date of manufacture ; its expiry date, typically 2 years from the manufacture, is 18 months from the date of my order. The dark-brown glass bottle is filled to about 60% of its volume with black shell softgels ; the bottle and capsules appear well suited to protect the AXT from oxidation upon home use. Store it in a dry, cool, dark place.[4] Performance. YMMV. This is the type of product for which reviewers can, at best, just give anecdotal and subjective before-and-after results. By and large, carotenoid intestinal absorption remains poorly understood, and has been found to vary within a wide range : some people are able to absorb only about 5%, and others as much as 90%. Whether the same applies to AXT is not known yet. Nonetheless, its poor water solubility, low stability to light and oxygen, and known limited oral bioavailability predict outcomes with plenty of variability. A 2022 animal study reported that AXT oral bioavailability is affected by the colon and gut microbiota status, and that Lactobacillus "might play an important role" in AXT absorption -- if so, in addition to a probiotic supplementation, taking it along with a fatty yogurt might enhance its absorption.[5] Dosage. AXT supplement amounts seem to fall nowadays into lower (6 mg or less) and higher (10 mg or more) groups. AXT has no established Daily Value in the US. The FDA increased allowed levels up to 12 mg per daily food serving in 2011. The EU's Food Safety Authority, scientifically more strict but less resistant to novel food than the FDA, raised in 2019 the Acceptable Daily Intake of AXT to 0.2 mg/kg of body weight (0.091 mg/lb) for adults and children 14 y.o. or older. For the average US adult male of 200 lb and female of 171 lb (a CDC estimate of 12/2021), these EU's daily intakes are about 18 mg and 16 mg.[6] Risks. Currently, only potential AXT risks are known. A 2005 preliminary work in human prostatic cancer cells in vitro reported that it affects an enzyme (5-alpha-reductase), which converts testosterone into the hormone DHT. In males, this might promote gynaecomastia and sexual dysfunction, just as some prescribed drugs known to affect this same enzyme (finasteride and dutasteride) do. There are several reports that AXT lowers --either notably or marginally-- systolic blood pressure after more than several (4 to 8) weeks of a daily dose of 6 mg or less; if notably, it could interfere with antihypertensive treatments. A 2020 study reported AXT alters coagulation in rodents by suppressing vitamin K levels, but it has not yet been verified in human studies.[7] Cost. My attached figure is a table comparing this brand to ten other ones on Amazon with comparable amounts of algal AXT and capsule count, several of which also use the AstaReal extract. They are anonymized by the letters A through J, and their median values are shown in a dark-grey font. I only found five other brands with the same 6 mg and 60 count as this one (D through H) ; others have a bit lower amount (A through C) or higher count (I and J). This brand parameters are at the right-most column in red font. Orangish backgrounds mark the highest costs, and bluish backgrounds lowest costs. The comparison demonstrates that --but for the inanely overpriced outlier in D-- this brand is the *most* expensive of the 6mg/60-count brands in terms of price metrics per bottle, per capsule, and per mg of AXT. It also shows that its 2x to 4x overpricing per mg is not due to its sourcing from AstaReal (which is also used by the cheapest brand), but a seller's choice.__

Honestly I have never heard of Astaxanthin so I had to look up what are some of the benefits. I found out that it belongs to a group of chemicals called carotenoids. It occurs naturally in some plants and animals, and it gives salmon it's pinkish color. I don't eat meat but I do eat fish, so I figured I would try this product. I have tried Designs for Health products in the past and have been happy as I have never had any side effects from taking. This product is supposed to protect the cells from damage. I can't back up that claim because in order to verify I would have to do all kinds of testing now and later. But what I can verify is that these soft gel capsules are very easy to swallow and I'm hoping with continued use I will see a benefit later in life. I deducted 1 star because these soft gel capsules are pricey and I'm not sure I can afford to take for years and years.