The company exhibited a cold-water soluble version of its astaxanthin, which is extracted from the algae Haematococcus pluvialis grown in the company’s plant in Washington state.
“It’s suitable for instant drink applications which are especially popular for athletic performance, muscle performance,” Karen Hecht, PhD, scientific affairs manager at AstaReal, told NutraIngredients-USA.
The manufacturing involved a proprietary process to make the fat-soluble ingredient disperse easily in water.
She explained that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties neutralizes free radicals both during exercise and after exercise.
The ingredient is often formulated into supplements marketed for beauty-from-within and skin health, but suppliers and researchers continue to explore its benefits for athletic performance and other physical activities.
Last year, researchers in Japan, supported by AstaReal, found that esterified astaxanthin "promoted energy production and protected tissues from oxidative damage during exercise." It was published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition.
Another study published last year, supported by an AstaReal competitor called AlgaeHealth, found that astaxanthin may lower the heart rate of recreational athletes during exercise.
It joined many similar studies that found performance benefits for astaxanthin, though conflicting science also exists. A paper published in 2013 in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found no benefits on performance for a 20 mg per day dose of astaxanthin for four weeks.
Active Nutrition Online Event
Are you interested to learn more about the Active Nutrition category? Sign up for NutraIngredients-USA's upcoming Active Nutrition Online Event on May 23. The event will include a market overview session provided Diane Ray of the Natural Marketing Institute. It will also feature ingredient-specific sessions sponsored Kyowa Hakko USA and Mitsubishi International Food Ingredients.
A forum with a panel of experts will include sports nutrition consultant Susan Kleiner, PhD, Tim Avila, principal in the consultancy Systems Bioscience, and Rachel Kreider, MPH, manager of innovation at bodybuilding.com.
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