Taking this one daily supplement found in wild salmon can protect brain health and ease joint pain, according to a dietitian

When it comes to supplements, I try to keep things pretty minimal these days. There was a time in my life when I had more pills stacked in my weekly organizer than my eighty-year-old grandparents. Now, I mostly stick to Vitamin B12, an occasional omega, magnesium to quiet my never-ending brain loops before sleep, and creatine (which I am actually kind of religious about).

Like most people who love fitness, I spent years adjusting my stack, trying every new pill on the market, and taking every vitamin I could find just to see if it would shift my bloodwork numbers even a fraction of a degree. In the name of science, I basically turned myself into a human lab rat. I got blood panels done every few months out of sheer curiosity and a mild obsession with optimizing my health. My mental health and my wallet have both thanked me for taking a step back from my routine Quest Diagnostic visits. It is really time to reevaluate your life when the phlebotomist knows your name on sight. Still, I find myself deeply fascinated by how different vitamins and minerals work inside the body.

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So when Gillean Barkyoumb, MS, RD, founder of the meal-planning service What's for Dinner Club, told me she regularly recommends astaxanthin to her clients, my interest was immediately piqued. And no, for the record, I did not go out and buy it that exact second.

"It's a naturally occurring carotenoid found primarily in wild salmon, and it's backed by over 500 medical research studies," Barkyoumb says. "What makes it stand out is the sheer range of benefits from a single daily dose. I consider it the Swiss army blade of supplements because it supports multiple aspects of health."

Astaxanthin is the red-orange pigment responsible for giving wild salmon its vibrant pink color. One of its most famous perks is its ability to boost skin elasticity, lock in moisture, and soften wrinkles. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory, immune-regulating, and DNA-repairing properties, it acts like internal armor for your skin.

"At 12 milligrams per day, astaxanthin supports skin collagen, hydration, and elasticity, but the benefits go well beyond skin deep," Barkyoumb adds.

Research shows that this potent antioxidant helps fight off oxidative stress, which is the internal biological chaos caused when free radicals outnumber your body's defenses. Beyond skin health, studies suggest astaxanthin can help maintain bone mineral density, slow down bone loss, and protect brain function as we age.

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"For anyone in their 30s and 40s, this is the window where you start noticing real physical shifts: recovery takes longer, energy isn't quite what it was, and those physical changes start to add up," Barkyoumb says. "Astaxanthin works at the cellular level, depositing in cell mitochondria where it neutralizes the free radical byproducts that accumulate the harder your body works. That's why it supports everything from joint mobility to brain health simultaneously."

The most natural way to load up on astaxanthin is through diet, particularly wild salmon. The catch is that you would need to eat a full fillet of wild sockeye salmon every single day to reach the clinically effective dose. If that sounds like a burden on your stomach or your grocery budget, a quality daily supplement is a solid alternative. Just keep in mind that astaxanthin can occasionally interact with certain herbs or nutrients that contain calcium and other carotenoids, so it is always worth checking in with your doctor before adding a new bottle to your pantry.

Experts

• Gillean Barkyoumb, MS, RD

Sources

• Davan, I., Fakurazi, S., Alias, E., Ibrahim, N. ‘I., Hwei, N. M., & Hassan, H. (2023). Astaxanthin as a Potent Antioxidant for Promoting Bone Health: An Up-to-Date Review. Antioxidants, 12(7), 1480. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12071480
• Bjørklund, G., Gasmi, A., Lenchyk, L., Shanaida, M., Zafar, S., Mujawdiya, P. K., Lysiuk, R., Antonyak, H., Noor, S., Akram, M., Smetanina, K., Piscopo, S., Upyr, T., & Peana, M. (2022). The Role of Astaxanthin as a Nutraceutical in Health and Age-Related Conditions. Molecules, 27(21), 7167. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27217167