An Antioxidant 6,000x Stronger Than Vitamin C Will Soon Be Available in Infused Beverage and Topical Treatment Form

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

Image Provided By PXFuel

Astaxanthin, a natural red pigmentation found in algae and crustaceans, has been a focus of research for the past few years as studies reveal how much more potent it is than standard antioxidants like Vitamin C or Vitamin E. However, the oil based Astaxanthin is not easily absorbed by the human body because it’s not water-soluble, making it a challenge to develop effective treatments using the potent antioxidant. That is, until now. This month, Pressure BioSciences PBIO announced its breakthrough UST™ delivery platform can use nanoemulsion processing to transform the oil based Astaxanthin into a water-soluble form that can be infused into beverages or topical creams for easy, fast absorption by the human body. 

Why Researchers Are Determined to Develop Astaxanthin-Based Treatments

Astaxanthin has the ability to strengthen immune systems, improve muscle endurance, support heart and brain health, protect skin against UV damage, stop premature aging of the skin, and much, much more. 

While other antioxidants offer similar health benefits to the human body, none come close to the effectiveness of Astaxanthin which is 6,000x stronger than Vitamin C, 800x stronger than CoQ10, and 100x stronger than Vitamin E. Recent studies have even found that when added to a patient’s treatment plan, Astaxanthin can help speed up cancer cell death in breast cancer patients.

In two studies completed in 2020, researchers found that the antioxidant could play a key role in preventing COVID-19 from progressing into fatal or chronic conditions. The research suggests that Astaxanthin, which acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory and protective agent for organs, could prevent COVID-19 from progressing into cytokine storm (an inflammatory condition in which the body’s immune system starts to attack its own cells). It may also prevent COVID-19 from causing autophagy dysregulation, which decreases the body’s ability to clean out dead cells, leading to organ damage, especially in the heart and lungs. 

For all its potential, Astaxanthin is extremely difficult for the human body to absorb in its natural form. Because it’s not water-soluble, it can’t circulate freely through the blood so current absorption rates are estimated to be less than 10%, meaning the body is only getting a fraction of the antioxidant’s full potential.

Pressure BioSciences Is Harnessing the Power of Astaxanthin

Pressure BioSciences, a leading developer of pressure-based consumables and platform technology solutions in biotech, biotherapeutics, cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals, and food and beverage industries, has been working on a way to improve absorption rates to unleash the full power of Astaxanthin and other oil-based active ingredients.

This month, the long-awaited breakthrough came. The biotech company has found a way to use its Ultra Shear Technology™ (UST™) delivery platform to produce a nanoemulsion of Astaxanthin. Essentially, the UST platform breaks the oil drops containing the antioxidant down into tiny (nano) oil droplets (that still contain the antioxidant) that are so small that they can spread freely through the water-based human body. This process effectively transforms it into a water-soluble form that the body can absorb much more effectively.

This Astaxanthin nanoemulsion can then be infused into a beverage that can remain stable, without the nano droplets coalescing back into larger oil droplets, for at least four months (longer-term stability studies are on-going). This creates a range of opportunities for developing dietary supplements, infused beverages, and other products that make it possible for consumers to enjoy the full health benefits of the most powerful antioxidant known to science.

Richard T. Schumacher, President and CEO of Pressure BioSciences announced that the company is already in discussion with prospective partners worldwide to work on commercial applications for the UST-based processing of Astaxanthin. The company is optimistic it can meet its goal for commercial release of its first UST-based instrument by the end of 2021 so this new highly absorbable form of the antioxidant should be available to consumers worldwide soon. 

The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.