Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to astaxanthin and maintenance of joints, tendons, and connective tissue (ID 1918, 1978, 3142), protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage (ID 1449, 3141), maintenance of visual acuity (ID 1448), maintenance of blood cholesterol concentrations and maintenance of low plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein (ID 1450) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006
Jean-Louis Bresson, Albert Flynn, Marina Heinonen, Karin Hulshof, Hannu Korhonen, Pagona Lagiou, Martinus Løvik, Rosangela Marchelli, Ambroise Martin, Bevan Moseley, Hildegard Przyrembel, Seppo Salminen, Sean (J.J.) Strain, Stephan Strobel, Inge Tetens, Henk van den Berg, Hendrik van Loveren and Hans Verhagen
Contact
nda@efsa.europa.eu
No abstract available
Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to provide a scientific opinion on a list of health claims pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation 1924/2006. This opinion addresses the scientific substantiation of health claims in relation to astaxanthin and the following claimed effects: maintenance of joints, tendons, and connective tissue, maintenance of visual acuity, protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage, maintenance of blood cholesterol concentrations and maintenance of low plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP). The scientific substantiation is based on the information provided by the Member States in the consolidated list of Article 13 health claims and references that EFSA has received from Member States or directly from stakeholders.
The food constituent that is the subject of the health claims is astaxanthin, which is a red oxygenated carotenoid measurable in foods by established methods. The Panel considers that the food constituent, astaxanthin, that is the subject of the health claims, is sufficiently characterised.
The Panel concludes that the following claimed effects are beneficial to human health: maintenance of normal joints, tendons, and connective tissue, protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage, maintenance of normal visual acuity, and maintenance of normal blood cholesterol concentrations.
The Panel concludes that the following claimed effect might be beneficial to human health: maintenance of low plasma concentrations of CRP.
On the basis of the data available, the Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of astaxanthin and the maintenance of normal joints, tendons or connective tissue, protection of DNA, proteins or lipids from oxidative damage, maintenance of normal visual acuity, and maintenance of normal blood cholesterol concentrations or the maintenance of low plasma concentrations of CRP.
Astaxanthin, joints, tendons, connective tissue, oxidative damage, visual acuity, blood cholesterol, C-reactive protein, health claims.
