Supporting Eye Health: Lutein & Zeaxanthin
Supporting Eye Health: Lutein & Zeaxanthin
If you could only keep one of the five senses, what would it be? For many, I'm sure it would be vision. Good nutrition is so important for keeping our eyes health and functioning, and two nutrients the play a particularly vital role in eye health are lutein and zeaxanthin as they reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.
So what are Lutein and Zeaxanthin?
These nutrients are two types of carotenoids found in many fruit and vegetables, especially those with red to yellow pigments (remember when you were told carrots help you see better in the dark?) as they are what give these foods their pigments.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin are powerful antioxidants that help to defend the body against free radicals, protecting the body's proteins, fats and DNA.
What's so special about them?
Lutein and Zeaxanthin have many health benefits due to their antioxidant properties, including possibly reducing the effects of 'bad' LDL cholesterol and protecting the skin. Although their most important job role is supporting eye health.
Being the only carotenoids to accumulate in the macula - a region of the retina behind the eye - Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Meso-Zeaxanthin work hard to protect the eyes from free radicals. They work by blocking blue light from reaching the underlying structures of the retina, which then in turn reduces the risk of light induced oxidative damage which may lead to age-related macular degeneration.
Where can I get Lutein and Zeaxanthin?
As mentioned fruits and vegetables with yellow to red pigments are generally a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, as are leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach. If fruit and veg aren't really your thing, you may prefer to try a supplement such as our Lutein 40mg with Zeaxanthin 2mg.
Sources:
https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-7075-4-12
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808677/
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