Why do some sources say 12 mg?

Because the acceptable daily intake is 0.2 mg per kilogram, which gives 12 mg for a 60 kg person. But the ADI covers total exposure including diet, whereas the 8 mg EFSA assessed applies to the supplement alone. The two figures answer different questions.

Is astaxanthin dangerous?

For an adult at 8 mg per day, EFSA concludes combined exposure is safe. The picture changes for younger groups: adolescents aged 14 to 18 reach the ADI, it is exceeded by 28% in children aged 10 to 14, and by up to 524% in infants aged 4 to 6 months. It is an adult product.

Should it be taken with food?

Astaxanthin is fat-soluble, so absorption is better with a meal containing fat. No clinical trial compares morning versus evening dosing.

Does diet already provide astaxanthin?

Yes — fish and crustaceans are the main source, and EFSA explicitly includes them in its exposure calculation. That is precisely why the level assessed for supplements (8 mg) sits below the ADI derived from body weight.

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Astaxanthin dosage: 8 mg or 12 mg per day? What the EFSA assessment actually says

Published 8/19/2026 · by VEXTA Team

The reference figure: 8 mg per day

The astaxanthin dosage question has an official answer, and it is rarely quoted. The European Commission asked the EFSA NDA Panel to assess the safety of astaxanthin used in food supplements at a maximum level of 8 mg per day, accounting for cumulative intake from all food sources (EFSA 2020, DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5993).

Its conclusion: this combined exposure — 8 mg from the supplement, plus what fish and crustaceans contribute — is safe for adults.

This is the only figure that comes out of a European regulatory assessment. It is the one to work from.

So where does the 12 mg come from?

From a different calculation, usually presented as if it were the same one.

The acceptable daily intake (ADI) for astaxanthin is 0.2 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. For a 60 kg person that is 12 mg per day; for 80 kg, 16 mg.

The ADI is a ceiling on total exposure from every source. The 8 mg figure EFSA assessed covers what the supplement alone may contribute, with dietary intake counted on top. Using the ADI as a supplement dose therefore ignores food intake — which the assessment explicitly does not.

One detail explains much of the confusion in older articles: this ADI is recent. It was set at 0.2 mg/kg in 2019 and replaced the 0.034 mg/kg value from 2014 — a six-fold difference. Anything written before 2019 is working from the old number.

Where the margin disappears

EFSA's reassuring conclusion applies to one group only: adults. The rest of the finding deserves to be read as published, because it appears on no commercial page:

Adults: combined exposure safe at 8 mg/day
Adolescents aged 14 to under 18: they reach the ADI — no margin left
Children aged 10 to under 14: ADI exceeded by 28%
Infants aged 4–6 months: ADI exceeded by up to 524%

The practical reading is simple: an astaxanthin supplement is an adult product. That is not a precautionary disclaimer — it is a published exposure calculation.

What this means in practice

Taking 8 mg per day places an adult inside exactly the scenario EFSA assessed, diet included. It is the most defensible reference point.

Going to 12 mg means consuming the entire ADI of a 60 kg person through the supplement alone, before counting the salmon or shrimp on your plate. That is not crossing a toxic threshold — but it is no longer the scenario that was assessed.

On timing: astaxanthin is fat-soluble and absorbs better alongside a meal containing fat. No trial compares morning with evening intake.

Sources

EFSA NDA Panel 2020 — safety of astaxanthin in food supplements

Questions fréquentes

8 mg per day is the level EFSA assessed for food supplements and judged safe for adults, accounting for cumulative dietary intake (EFSA 2020). It is the figure that comes from a European regulatory assessment.