How astaxanthin works in endometriosis
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory and estrogen-dependent disease that affects approximately 10 to 15 percent of all women of childbearing age and 35 to 50 percent of all women with abdominal and/or other pain. There is mucosal tissue (similar to the lining of the uterus) outside the uterine cavity. One speaks of endometriosis foci or lesions.
In addition, various other characteristics can be recognized in those affected, e.g. B. a changed pelvic anatomy, hormone disorders, impaired ovarian function (not enough mature egg cells are formed) or pain during sexual intercourse – all of which often contribute to infertility.
Since there is always an inflammatory environment around the endometriosis foci rich in inflammatory messengers, steroid hormones (especially estrogen), oxidative stress and iron, and at the same time the body’s own antioxidants (e.g. SOD (superoxide dismutase), glutathione) are less active, Iranian researchers tested the Omid Fertility Clinic in Tehran, how endometriosis patients (who also suffered from infertility) could benefit from the administration of astaxanthin ( 1 ) – a powerful antioxidant that is obtained from special algae and belongs to the carotenoids. The study was published in March 2023 in the specialist journal frontiers in Endocrinology.
Astaxanthin reduces inflammation
The randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study enrolled 50 women with stage III and IV (moderate to severe) endometriosis. Half took 6 mg of astaxanthin (AST) daily for 12 weeks, and half took a placebo.
In the blood of the women from the AST group, increasing values of the antioxidative capacity (TAC for Total Antioxidant Capacity) and the SOD (an endogenous enzyme with an antioxidative effect) were then found, which means that the power of the organism to independently deal with oxidative stress again fight, apparently had increased. At the same time, the values that indicated oxidative stress (MDA; malondialdehyde) and some inflammatory values (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) decreased – which could not be observed in the placebo group.
Astaxanthin improves fertility
Since the participants wanted to use assisted reproductive technology (ART) (artificial insemination), the effect of astaxanthin on fertility was also investigated. It is known that high inflammatory parameters can contribute to poor oocyte quality, impaired fertilization and failure of embryo implantation. If the carotenoid now lowers the inflammation values, it should also have a positive effect on these aspects. In fact, it was then also shown that more oocytes could be retrieved from the AST group, that there was also a higher number of mature oocytes and the embryos were also in better health.
A previous clinical study from April 2022 (2) reported the beneficial effects of astaxanthin intake (8 mg per day for 40 days) in infertile women with PCOS. PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a disease associated with obesity, menstrual irregularities, insulin resistance, impure skin and often infertility. Also in this study, the carotenoid increased the number of mature eggs and improved the health of the embryos.
Conclusion: Astaxanthin is helpful for endometriosis
In their summary, the researchers wrote that a 12-week pre-treatment with astaxanthin could reduce the endometriosis-related inflammatory processes and the oxidative stress also increased by endometriosis and also positively influence the results of artificial insemination. The carotenoid can thus be included in the therapy for appropriate women.
In earlier studies, other antioxidants had already had a very positive effect on endometriosis and could be integrated into therapy: vitamin C, vitamin E, resveratrol, curcumin, melatonin and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG from green tea extract) (1).
Studies have also shown that astaxanthin can help with type 2 diabetes. The antioxidant can also support muscle building in older people.