Astaxanthin
Level 2 — Generally safeIn Winter's Dictionary2 sources
Astaxanthin is a colorant — Pink/red pigment in salmonid fish flesh; carotenoid
What it does
Pink/red pigment in salmonid fish flesh; carotenoid
Where you'll see it
Salmonid fish feed; wild salmon naturally contains it from crustaceans
What the research says
[metabolical] Industrially synthesized pigment fed to farmed salmon to mimic the pink color wild salmon get from krill. While astaxanthin itself is an antioxidant, its use is a marker for farmed-fish provenance — meaning the fish was raised on corn-based feed high in omega-6 and BCAAs, not algae-derived omega-3s.
Benefits
Mostly associated with eye health; may enhance fat burning during exercise and improve muscle endurance
Regulatory status
- Notes: FDA April 1995 final rule: safe in feed of salmonid fish
Sources
- Metabolical (Lustig) — Chapter 22: is the farmed salmon really pink, or is it the food dye astaxanthin? Is the fish farmed in sewage water?
- A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives (Winter): the principal pigment that imparts the pink or red coloring characteristic of the flesh of wild salmonids