How Much Salmon Do You Need To Get Enough Astaxanthin?

“Or you could take six milligrams of astaxanthin in supplement form,”* says Ferira. mindbodygreen’s cellular beauty+, for example, contains astaxanthin from a natural plant source at a potent dose of 6 milligrams to reflect the current research on skin health and to leverage its wrinkle-fighting power.* 

Plus, a vast majority of astaxanthin in salmon is actually synthetic—it’s cheaper to make, and it’s typically added to feed for farm-raised salmon. This even applies to most salmon used in sushi. And the thing is, “synthetic astaxanthin happens to have a lower antioxidant capacity than the real stuff,” notes Ferira. By “real stuff,” she refers to the astaxanthin from green microalgae—salmon (and, shrimp, crab, etc.) eat this algae, and that’s what gives them their pink pigment. “[Green algae] is one of the best sources, because it’s sustainable and clean,” she adds. “That’s the way to go if you’re going to get a concentrated dose of astaxanthin in a supplement.”