Carotenoids are pigments generated by plants that give fruits and vegetables a yellow to reddish colour. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two prominent carotenoids.
They're structurally quite similar, with just a little change in how their atoms are arranged.
Both are powerful antioxidants with several health advantages. Lutein and zeaxanthin, on the other hand, are best recognised for safeguarding your eyes.
The advantages of lutein and zeaxanthin foods, as well as supplement doses, safety, and dietary sources, are discussed in this article.
Antioxidants are essential
Lutein and zeaxanthin are potent antioxidants that protect your body from free radicals, which are unstable chemicals.
Free radicals may harm your cells, speed up the ageing process, and accelerate the spread of illnesses including heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer's.
Lutein and zeaxanthin protect your body's proteins, lipids, and DNA against stresses, and may even assist in the recycling of glutathione, another important antioxidant.
Furthermore, their antioxidant capabilities may lessen the effects of "bad" LDL cholesterol, resulting in less plaque build-up in your arteries and a lower risk of heart disease.
Lutein and zeaxanthin also help to prevent free radical damage to your eyes.
Both oxygen and light are absorbed by your eyes, promoting the creation of damaging oxygen-free radicals. These free radicals are no longer able to harm your eye cells because lutein and zeaxanthin balance them out.
Even at the same concentration, these carotenoids seem to act better together and may attack free radicals more efficiently when combined.
They are beneficial to eye health
The only dietary carotenoids that accumulate in the retina, namely the macula area in the back of the eye, are lutein and zeaxanthin.
Macular pigments are named for the fact that they are concentrated in the macula.
The macula is required for clear vision. In this location, lutein and zeaxanthin serve as vital antioxidants, protecting your eyes from damaging free radicals. It's hypothesised that a decrease in these antioxidants over time might have an adverse effect on eye health.
By absorbing extra light energy, lutein and zeaxanthin also operate as natural sunblocks. They're considered to shield your eyes from damaging blue light in particular.
The following are some of the problems that lutein and zeaxanthin may assist with:
- Consumption of lutein and zeaxanthin may prevent the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to blindness.
- Cataracts are hazy areas that appear at the front of your eye. Eating meals high in lutein and zeaxanthin may help to inhibit the development of these pigments.
- Supplementing with lutein and zeaxanthin has been proven to lower oxidative stress indicators that harm the eyes in animal diabetic investigations.
- Eye detachment: Lutein infusions reduced cell death by 54 percent in rats with eye detachments compared to corn oil injections.
- Uveitis is a disorder in which the central layer of the eye becomes inflamed. Lutein and zeaxanthin may aid in the reduction of the inflammatory process.
Although research on lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health is encouraging, not all studies suggest that they are beneficial. Some studies, for example, revealed no relationship between lutein and zeaxanthin consumption and the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration at an early age.
Having adequate lutein and zeaxanthin is still important for your general eye health, despite the fact that there are numerous variables at play.
May Help to Keep Your Skin Healthy
The skin-beneficial properties of lutein and zeaxanthin have just recently been recognised.
Their antioxidant properties save your skin from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
In two-week animal research, rats fed a 0.4% lutein- and zeaxanthin-enriched diet exhibited less UVB-induced skin inflammation than rats fed just 0.04% of these carotenoids.
Another research of 46 adults with mild-to-moderate dry skin revealed that those who took 10 mg of lutein and 2 mg of zeaxanthin had considerably better skin tone than those who took a placebo.
Furthermore, lutein and zeaxanthin may protect your skin cells against UVB-induced cancers and premature ageing.
Sources of Food
Although lutein and zeaxanthin are responsible for the vibrant hues of many fruits and vegetables, they're found in higher concentrations in leafy greens.
Chlorophyll in dark-green vegetables obscures lutein and zeaxanthin pigments, giving the veggies a green appearance.
Kale, parsley, spinach, broccoli, and peas are all good sources of carotenoids. With 48–115 mcg per gramme of kale, it is one of the richest sources of lutein. A carrot, on the other hand, may only provide 2.5–5.1 mcg of lutein per gramme.
Lutein and zeaxanthin may also be found in orange juice, honeydew melon, kiwis, red peppers, squash, and grapes, and lutein and zeaxanthin can also be found in durum wheat and maize.
Furthermore, egg yolks may be an essential source of lutein and zeaxanthin, since the yolk's high-fat content may aid in their absorption.
Because fats aid in the absorption of lutein and zeaxanthin, having them in your diet, such as in a green salad or with cooked greens in butter or coconut oil, is a smart option.
