{
  "dataset": "astaxanthin-cost-by-brand",
  "title": "Astaxanthin Supplements Compared — cost per mg",
  "sourcePage": "https://verifiedsupplementdata.com/astaxanthin/best-overall/",
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Verified Supplement Data (2026), Astaxanthin Cost Comparison",
  "dateModified": "2026-07-18",
  "methodology": "All four products here disclose astaxanthin mg directly on the label, so cost per mg per day is a real, computable comparison. costPerMg = price / (servings x mg per serving). \"verdict\": low-dose (serving is at the 4 mg Ito 2018 / Earnest 2011 RCT dose), commercial-dose (serving is at the 12 mg most-common commercial and lipid-trial dose). EVIDENCE CONTEXT (modest, real-but-narrow, small often sponsor-funded trials, n=10-61 — not disease-treatment claims): 9 mg/day improved visual-fatigue measures after screen work in a ≥40y subgroup (Sekikawa 2023, PMID 36777084, industry-funded/BGG Japan); 4 mg/day improved UV-tolerance and skin-texture markers (Ito 2018, PMID 29941810, industry-funded/FUJIFILM); exercise evidence is inconsistent — 4 mg/day improved cycling time-trial performance in a tiny completer sample (Earnest 2011, PMID 21984399) while 20 mg/day found NO effect on antioxidant capacity, fat oxidation, or time-trial performance in trained cyclists (Res 2013, PMID 23274592) — give both equal weight; 12 mg/day lowered LDL and total cholesterol as SECONDARY endpoints in prediabetes/dyslipidemia, but the PRIMARY insulin-sensitivity endpoint did NOT reach significance (Ciaraldi 2023, PMID 36999233) — never presented as a diabetes trial. Brendler & Williamson 2019 (PMID 31788888) found no safety signal across 87 natural-astaxanthin human studies at 2-24 mg/day; the widely-cited \"2 mg EFSA limit\" comes from a SYNTHETIC-astaxanthin rat study and should not be applied to the natural extract sold in these products. No claim here treats or prevents macular degeneration, cataracts, or any eye disease — the evidence is screen/VDT visual fatigue in healthy adults only. This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA; these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.",
  "headline": {
    "productsCompared": 4,
    "lowDose": 1,
    "commercialDose": 3,
    "lowDoseMg": 4,
    "commercialDoseMg": 12,
    "safeCeilingMg": 24,
    "cheapestPerMg": 0.0194,
    "cheapestPerMgBrand": "Nutricost",
    "cheapestAtCommercialDoseBrand": "Nutricost",
    "cheapestAtLowDoseBrand": "NOW Foods",
    "note": "Astaxanthin products in this set all disclose mg directly, so cost per mg is directly comparable across the 4 mg (Ito/Earnest RCT dose) and 12 mg (commercial + lipid-trial dose) tiers. There is no US RDA or UL for astaxanthin; Brendler 2019 found no safety signal up to 24 mg/day of the natural form."
  },
  "columns": [
    "brand",
    "product",
    "slug",
    "form",
    "mgPerServing",
    "servings",
    "price",
    "costPerServing",
    "costPerMg",
    "verdict",
    "thirdParty"
  ],
  "units": {
    "mgPerServing": "mg astaxanthin",
    "price": "USD",
    "costPerServing": "USD/serving",
    "costPerMg": "USD per mg of astaxanthin"
  },
  "citations": [
    {
      "claim": "9 mg/day astaxanthin for 6 weeks preserved corrected visual acuity after VDT work in a ≥40y subgroup (n=60 RCT, industry-funded).",
      "source": "Sekikawa T, et al. 2023, J Clin Biochem Nutr",
      "pmid": "36777084"
    },
    {
      "claim": "4 mg/day astaxanthin for 10 weeks improved UV-tolerance and skin-texture markers (n=23 RCT, industry-funded).",
      "source": "Ito N, et al. 2018, Nutrients",
      "pmid": "29941810"
    },
    {
      "claim": "20 mg/day astaxanthin for 4 weeks had NO effect on antioxidant capacity, MDA, fat oxidation, or time-trial performance in trained cyclists (n=32 RCT) despite plasma astaxanthin rising.",
      "source": "Res PT, et al. 2013, Med Sci Sports Exerc",
      "pmid": "23274592"
    },
    {
      "claim": "12 mg/day astaxanthin for 24 weeks lowered LDL and total cholesterol as secondary endpoints; the primary insulin-sensitivity endpoint did not reach significance (n=34 RCT, prediabetes/dyslipidemia).",
      "source": "Ciaraldi TP, et al. 2023, Diabetes Obes Metab",
      "pmid": "36999233"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Safety review of 87 natural-astaxanthin human studies, 2-24 mg/day (35 at ≥12 mg): no safety signal. The 2 mg EFSA ADI derives from a synthetic-astaxanthin rat study, not the natural human data.",
      "source": "Brendler T, Williamson EM. 2019, Phytother Res",
      "pmid": "31788888"
    }
  ],
  "products": [
    {
      "brand": "Nutricost",
      "product": "Astaxanthin 12 mg",
      "slug": "nutricost-astaxanthin-12mg",
      "form": "Softgel",
      "mgPerServing": 12,
      "servings": 120,
      "price": 27.95,
      "costPerServing": 0.23,
      "costPerMg": 0.0194,
      "verdict": "commercial-dose",
      "thirdParty": "None stated"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Sports Research",
      "product": "Triple Strength Astaxanthin 12 mg",
      "slug": "sports-research-astaxanthin-12mg",
      "form": "Softgel (coconut oil carrier)",
      "mgPerServing": 12,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 24.26,
      "costPerServing": 0.4,
      "costPerMg": 0.0337,
      "verdict": "commercial-dose",
      "thirdParty": "None stated"
    },
    {
      "brand": "NOW Foods",
      "product": "Astaxanthin 4 mg (Zanthin)",
      "slug": "now-astaxanthin-4mg",
      "form": "Softgel",
      "mgPerServing": 4,
      "servings": 90,
      "price": 18.12,
      "costPerServing": 0.2,
      "costPerMg": 0.0503,
      "verdict": "low-dose",
      "thirdParty": "None stated"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Nutrex Hawaii",
      "product": "BioAstin 12 mg",
      "slug": "nutrex-bioastin-12mg",
      "form": "Softgel",
      "mgPerServing": 12,
      "servings": 50,
      "price": 31.99,
      "costPerServing": 0.64,
      "costPerMg": 0.0533,
      "verdict": "commercial-dose",
      "thirdParty": "None stated"
    }
  ]
}