A systematic review and meta-analysis has revealed the role of astaxanthin supplementation in supporting female fertility.1
The paper, which can be found in the Journal of Ovarian Research, found that daily supplementation with the carotenoid can enhance oocyte quality and reduce oxidative stress within the reproductive system.
This finding suggests that astaxanthin could play a significant role in promoting fertility when used daily as a supplement.
Antioxidants for fertility
For many couples globally, having children is a dream — though not everybody has an easy time conceiving.
According to statistics from the NHS, one in seven couples experience difficulties conceiving, highlighting the need for efficacious fertility-boosting solutions.
Researchers also theorised that dietary interventions could be particularly beneficial for women undergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), as their chances of giving birth with this treatment currently stand at around 32%.
Therefore, Maleki-Hajiagha and their team set out to explore the current research available on dietary interventions and how they could impact fertility.
After pooling nine relevant clinical and animal studies, the role of astaxanthin in supporting women undergoing assisted reproductive treatments was assessed.
It should be noted that many of the participants in the human trials had fertility-impacting conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis.
Researchers also looked at how the nutraceutical could impact pregnancy outcomes, including:
- Total number of oocytes and embryos
- Pregnancy rate (chemical and clinical)
- Miscarriage rate
- Live birth rate
They also looked into the cellular mechanisms by which astaxanthin may exhibit positive effects on fertility — specifically assessing biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress.
Astaxanthin proves effective
After assessing each respective animal and human clinical study, it was found that astaxanthin supplementation enhanced fertilisation rate in participants, though this was not statistically significant.
There was also an increase in chemical and clinical pregnancy rates seen in women who supplemented with the ingredient, though again, these were not significant.
Notably, astaxanthin improved the ovarian tissue’s redox status by reducing oxidative stress.
The nutraceutical could also positively impact the lipid profile of the ovary by decreasing cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride levels, while increasing HDL levels.
In four studies, the presence of inflammatory markers was also reduced, including IL-1 and IL-6, a well as nitric oxide synthase and NF-kβ.
These results highlight the potential of the carotenoid both as a strong antioxidant and as a fertility support for women struggling with infertility.
However, first author Arezoo Maleki-Hajiagha warns that “more well-designed and rigorous studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of astaxanthin for improving reproductive health and outcomes.”
References
1 https://ovarianresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13048-024-01472-7
2 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/
3 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ivf/