Wild Sockeye Salmon is Rich in Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment (like beta carotene in carrots and lycopene in tomatoes) that gives salmon and shellfish their red color.  Sockeye are red because of their diet of zooplankton, which feed on algae.  Algae are normally green but under the sun’s UV light they produce astaxanthin for protection. Astaxanthin is used in some sunscreens to help protect human skin from sun damage.

Astaxanthin is also a super antioxidant. Antioxidants bind to free oxygen molecules, often call “free radicals” and render them harmless.  Free radicals are responsible for damage to the cell membrane, causing aging and some diseases.  Some studies suggest that its antioxidant capacity may be as much as 10 times more effective than beta-carotene and 100-500 times stronger than vitamin E, while actually assisting the action of vitamin E and C in their antioxidant activity.

Since astaxanthin is what gives salmon its red color, it makes sense that sockeye, or red salmon has more astaxanthin than other salmon.  More important, wild salmon is the best source, since farmed salmon do not eat zooplankton, making their flesh grayish unless astaxanthin or a synthetic version, canthaxanthin, is added to their feed. 

Wild salmon delivers 4 to 10 times more of this powerful antioxidant than does farmed fish.

Clinical studies show that astaxanthin may be effective therapy for cardiovascular health, an anti-inflammatory and help to build up the immune system.  Together with the Omega 3 content, it helps account for the lower incidence of heart disease among populations that eat lots of salmon.