Fuji Health Science, Inc.
Most people over the age of 40 begin to experience Presbyopia which is the increased difficulty to focus on nearby objects. Although this age related phenomena is usually assisted by reading glasses, a current study performed at the Kajita Clinic in Tokyo, Japan and published in March, 2009 has shown significant improvement in the ability to focus on nearby objects in older subjects (mean age of 53.9 +/- 5.1 years) with supplementation of the antioxidant, astaxanthin.
The researchers suggest that the underlying reason for the improved accommodation ability in the test subjects may be due to the positively activated functions of three muscles in the eye; the constrictor pupillae muscle and dilator pupillae muscle working in coordination with the ciliary muscle. Astaxanthin has been shown in other studies to improve muscle endurance and recovery.
Although the basic measure for presbyopia is to wear glasses, the researchers also suggest that astaxanthin supplementation may slow down the progression of presbyopia and improve asthenopia (eye fatigue).
The current study is the tenth human clinical sponsored by Fuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. supporting the role of astaxanthin in the reduction of eye fatigue. The studies were performed over the past 7 years at more than 6 different universities and research institutes.
Fuji Chemical is a Japanese pharmaceutical company with a 60+ year history and the maker of AstaReal astaxanthin. Fuji is the world's leading producer of natural astaxanthin for human nutritional use with state of the art facilities in Hawaii, Sweden and Japan.
Some of the other areas of astaxanthin research that Fuji is actively supporting include cardiovascular, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Fuji Chemical also holds seven patents for astaxanthin in human application as well as numerous pending patents. Fuji's AstaReal brand of astaxanthin is approved for use in nutritional supplementation in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, as well as other markets worldwide.
For additional information, please contact:
Yasuko Kuroda
Fuji Health Science, Inc.
3 Terri Lane, Unit 12
Burlington, NJ 08016
[email protected]
tel: 609 386 3030 fax: 609 386 3033