Astaxanthin, a member of the carotenoid family, is a powerful antioxidant. In vitro research demonstrates that astaxanthin is ten times stronger in scavenging free radicals than other carotenoids such as lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene, and one-hundred times stronger than alpha-tocopherol. Astaxanthin has also been shown to prevent low density lipoprotein oxidation in human blood and to enhance the immune system in animal studies. *