The same pigment that turns wild salmon red is now being bottled and sold as one of the most powerful antioxidants on earth. The claim is extraordinary, but the evidence is more nuanced.
Astaxanthin is a marine carotenoid made by microalgae such as Haematococcus pluvialis and passed up the food chain through krill and shrimp to fish such as trout and salmon. The wellness world has seized on it, promoting it as an antioxidant sometimes said to be 6,000 times stronger than vitamin C in lab tests, and linking it to smoother skin, sharper vision, lower inflammation, and better brain health.
