Because of its ability to span the entire membrane, astaxanthin is more powerful than the other dietary carotenoids like lutein, alpha and beta carotene, and lycopene. In fact, at one time, lycopene was consider the king of all antioxidants because it was so successful at quenching singlet oxygen, the most powerful free radical our cells are exposed to. It is estimated that astaxanthin, thanks to its unique structure and the way it positions itself in cells, is about 550 times stronger than vitamin E, 65 times stronger than vitamin C, and 40 – 55 times stronger than lycopene and beta-carotene respectively. It’s important to note, that antioxidants all work together in an orchestrated manner referred to as the antioxidant network – while they all have merit individually, they work best when all are present in adequate amounts making getting a variety of food and supplements sources of antioxidants paramount for optimal health.