Astaxanthin

What is astaxanthin and what does it do in the body?

Astaxanthin is a keto-carotenoid found naturally in bacterial and microalgal species; it attracts interest in the dietary supplement and cosmetic industries because it has shown various biological effects in laboratory and animal studies. ^[1] The meta-analysis by Zhou and colleagues reports that this xanthophyll-class carotenoid is obtained from the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis and that, in animal studies, it has been reported to alleviate skin photoaging through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. ^[2] Liu and colleagues describe astaxanthin as a fat-soluble carotenoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and note that its effects on exercise performance and recovery remain uncertain. ^[3]

Astaxanthin is not an essential nutrient for the body; because it is not a compound with a defined deficiency like a vitamin or mineral, the concepts of “requirement” or “deficiency” do not apply. EFSA’s intake assessment assumes that astaxanthin in the background diet comes from fish and shellfish. ^[7] Whether findings from cell culture and animals give the same result in humans can only be shown by controlled human studies; the sections below address these studies.

Are natural and synthetic astaxanthin the same?

The safety review by Brendler and Williamson stresses that synthetically produced astaxanthin is chemically different from natural astaxanthin. The review states that the acceptable daily intake (ADI) value proposed by EFSA, which it reports as 2 mg per day, was based on a rat toxicology study conducted with synthetic astaxanthin; the authors therefore recommend that synthetic astaxanthin results not be used in assessing the safety of natural astaxanthin and that the ADI for the natural form be based only on studies conducted with the natural form, and they note that more safety data, including human clinical studies, are needed for synthetic astaxanthin. ^[6] One of the author addresses is a botanical products company; no conflict of interest is declared in the PubMed record. The ADI value in EFSA’s 2020 opinion (0.2 mg/kg) is given separately below.

The source of astaxanthin in supplement products is therefore a separate question: the Türkiye list names krill (Euphausia superba), the haematococcus alga (Haematococcus pluvialis), and shellfish as sources; in the EU, the authorization is for Haematococcus pluvialis algal oleoresin. ^{[9] [8]}

Does astaxanthin affect the skin?

The systematic review by Ng and colleagues found eleven clinical studies examining the effect of astaxanthin on skin health: six were randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies; the others were prospective open-label studies. In many of the RCTs reviewed, astaxanthin improved skin texture, appearance (wrinkles), and moisture content by the end of the study and gave an appearance of protection against UV-induced skin damage; no serious adverse effects were reported in any study. The authors note that most studies had small samples, were conducted in healthy Japanese women, and many were funded by commercial organizations, and that this possible conflict of interest is difficult to account for in the analyses; they state that for supplements in the “3–6 mg/day” range there are “some clinical data,” particularly for photoaged skin. ^[1]

The meta-analysis by Zhou and colleagues found nine randomized controlled trials examining oral astaxanthin and two open-label studies examining topical or oral-topical use. In the meta-analysis, compared with placebo, oral astaxanthin significantly increased moisture content (SMD 0.53; 95% CI 0.05–1.01; I² 52%; p = 0.03) and elasticity (SMD 0.77; 95% CI 0.19–1.35; I² 75%; p = 0.009), but did not significantly reduce wrinkle depth (SMD −0.26; 95% CI −0.58 to 0.06; I² 0%; p = 0.11). ^[2] The authors write in the conclusion that wrinkles were reduced; however, in the pooled estimate above the confidence interval includes zero. The I² of 75% for elasticity points to large variation between studies, and both results rest on small studies.

Does astaxanthin affect exercise performance and recovery?

The 2026 meta-analysis by Liu and colleagues pooled 24 RCTs comparing oral astaxanthin with placebo or control in healthy participants and athletes. Astaxanthin reduced creatine kinase levels (SMD −0.45; 95% CI −0.83 to −0.07); lactate dehydrogenase was also found to favor astaxanthin (SMD −0.93; 95% CI −1.39 to −0.48), but heterogeneity was marked and the authors noted that this finding should be interpreted with caution. There was no significant effect on malondialdehyde and interleukin-6. Astaxanthin did not significantly improve VO2max, time trial performance, or maximal workload or power output. The authors state that the evidence favors post-exercise recovery more than direct performance gains and that larger studies with standardized doses are needed. The authors declared no conflicts of interest. ^[3]

A single study paints a different picture: in the randomized, double-blind, crossover study by Brown and colleagues, 12 recreationally trained male cyclists received 12 mg/day astaxanthin or placebo for 7 days (with a 14-day washout between). The 40 km time trial duration fell from 70.76 minutes with placebo to 69.90 minutes with astaxanthin (mean improvement 51 ± 71 s; p = 0.029; g = 0.21), and whole-body fat oxidation near the finish was higher. ^[4] This single, small study does not change the non-significant performance result in the 24-study pooled analysis.

Does astaxanthin affect blood lipids and sugar?

The meta-analysis by Ursoniu and colleagues pooled 7 RCTs (10 treatment arms; 280 participants, 163 astaxanthin and 117 control). No significant effect was found on total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglyceride, or glucose concentrations; for glucose, the weighted mean difference was −2.65 mg/dL (95% CI −5.84 to +0.54; p = 0.103). The authors write in the abstract that a “mild glucose-lowering effect” was observed; however, the confidence interval includes zero and the p-value is above the significance threshold. ^[5] The findings rest on a pool with a small number of participants.

Is astaxanthin safe? EFSA and other assessments

Brendler and Williamson report that approved or recommended doses vary between countries from 2 to 24 mg. The review examined 87 human studies; no safety concern was found with natural astaxanthin supplementation, and in 35 of them the dose was 12 mg per day or more. ^[6] These data come mostly from short-term studies in healthy adults; product purity, long-term use, and special groups have not been separately measured.

In its 2020 opinion, EFSA’s Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) assessed the safety of astaxanthin at up to 8 mg per day in food supplements, taking into account cumulative intake from all food sources. The Panel noted that the acceptable daily intake (ADI), which was 0.034 mg/kg body weight in 2014, was renewed to 0.2 mg/kg body weight with the 2019 FEEDAP opinion. It concluded that the combined intake of the background diet (fish and shellfish) and an 8 mg supplement is safe for adults, that the ADI is reached in adolescents aged 14 to under 18 years, and that the ADI is exceeded by up to 28% in children aged 10 to under 14 years and by up to 524% in infants aged 4–6 months. ^[7]

What is the regulatory status in Türkiye and the EU?

Türkiye. In Türkiye, astaxanthin falls under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s food supplement legislation; it is not a medicine. In the September 21, 2026 version of the Ministry’s Restricted Substances List for Food Supplements, the sources listed for astaxanthin are krill (Euphausia superba), the haematococcus alga (Haematococcus pluvialis), and shellfish. The upper limits are written as 10 mg/day for ages 4–10 and 40 mg/day for ages 11 and over; the publication date is March 8, 2016 for ages 11 and over and September 13, 2018 for ages 4–10. ^[9]

European Union. The European Commission’s Implementing Regulation 2021/1377 amended the novel food conditions of use concerning Haematococcus pluvialis algal astaxanthin oleoresin. The recitals of the regulation state that, in EFSA’s December 18, 2019 opinion, it was concluded on the basis of current evidence that the ADI is 0.2 mg/kg body weight/day and that up to 8.0 mg of astaxanthin per day is safe for adults and adolescents over 14 years; a product definition and labeling requirement were introduced to ensure that children and adolescents under 14 years do not consume these supplements. ^[8]

The figures in the two regulations belong to different legal frameworks: the Türkiye list contains daily maximum intake limits, whereas the EU text contains the conditions of use of a specific novel food and the EFSA assessment; these figures are not a recommendation compared on a single scale. This guide does not recommend products or places of purchase.

How reliable is the overall evidence?

Most skin studies have small samples, were conducted in healthy Japanese women, and many were funded by commercial organizations; the findings therefore cannot be generalized to men, older adults, different skin types, or patients. ^[1] In the exercise meta-analysis, creatine kinase is a biomarker; reduced muscle damage does not mean a better training outcome or better performance, and the authors found no significant improvement in performance. ^[3] The number of participants in the blood lipid analysis is limited to 280. ^[5] Because doses, durations, and products vary between studies, no single “effective dose” has been defined; figures such as 3–6 mg/day (skin) and 12 mg/day (time trial) in the reviews are reports of the amounts used in studies. ^[4]

Evidence table: claim, population, and limits

This guide does not recommend individual doses; the figures above are reports of study results.