Lutein and Zeaxanthin - The Eye Protectors
Issue #005
Welcome to the 5th issue of Discover The Power of Healing Foods! newsletter. You can read the
entire issue on line by clicking here.
In our previous issues we discussed how free radicals and
antioxidants are engaged in an ongoing fight and how beta carotene
is one of the big antioxidants and where we can find it.
(If you've missed those issues catch up by clicking on the links.)
In this issue we will discuss:
Have you ever had an object you took for granted and didn't appreciate the value of it until it broke or was
lost?
Most of us do the same with our eyesight. When we have it we don't even spare a thought for it and take
it very much for granted.
Until, that is, we start having problems with it: We realize we don't see as well as we used to, we seem
to squint every time we need to focus on a written page, threading a needle becomes almost impossible,
driving at night becomes a nightmare, and so on and so forth.
At that point we start to think, is there something I can do to regain what I've lost? And if you're
lucky enough to still have your eyesight, how can you preserve it?
It must be recognized that once we've lost our eyesight it's extremely difficult to get it back.
Isn't it a hundred times easier to work toward keeping it rather than try to regain what is
lost?
If we look around carefully, we get reminders of how important it is to look after what we have. Do what
I did and look at your family and friends.
For example, my mother-in-law has had to have over 10 injections in her eyes (yes, I mean IN her eyes) to
try and prevent further loss of vision due to age related macular degeneration (AMD),
having already gone through two cataract operations.
I don't know about you, but I can't imagine anything worse than seeing a needle coming at me and knowing
that it's going to be pushed into my eye! Sorry about the graphic picture!
Some people think that these conditions are inevitable as you get older. Are they really?
The sad thing is that an increasing number of younger people develop macular degeneration and, according
to experts, it seems to be the result of diets depleted in antioxidants and rich in 'empty calories'.
Generally speaking, AMD is the most common cause of severe, irreversible vision loss in people 50 and older.
As the word implies, it targets the macula, a tiny yellow area near the centre of the
retina that is highly specialized to allow you to see details and provide clear central vision, the kind
you need to read and drive.
Cataracts occur when proteins in the lens fray and their debris muddies the lens.
While heredity may play a part, experts believe that free radicals damage is one of the main causes of
these and other conditions affecting the eyes, and much of this damage could be prevented if enough
antioxidants were present in our diet.
For example, when researchers analyzed the diets of more than 1,700 female volunteers in Iowa, Oregon and
Wisconsin, they found that women under 75 who ate plenty of foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin appeared
to have half the risk of macular degeneration compared to those who ate very little of these foods.
Closer to home, I had a look at the diet that my mother-in-law and other people I know with vision
problems had and I couldn't help wondering whether their diet was related to their problems: Meat and
potatoes seem to be their main staple foods along with lots of white bread, with fruit and vegetables
thrown in occasionally for a bit of colour or flavour, and when they do have them, they seem to be always
the same and mostly overcooked. Sounds familiar?
As mentioned above, lutein and zeaxanthin lower the risk of vision problems, but what are they exactly?
They are two antioxidants that belong to the carotenoid family like beta carotene (we discussed beta carotene in the last issue) and they're the only two carotenoids
found in the eye.
They're a pair of yellow plant pigments that give fruits and vegetable their yellow colour, but dark
green leafy vegetables are also a very rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin, although chlorophyll covers
their yellow pigment.
Not surprisingly, studies have found that people whose eyes contained high amounts of lutein and
zeaxanthin were up to 80% less likely to be suffering from AMD. This is due to the fact that the macula's
yellow pigment is made up of lutein and zeaxanthin.
Researchers believe they act as a kind of super-screen, or like internal sunglasses
protecting the retina by absorbing a damaging part of sunlight called blue light. And they also act as
antioxidants to protect the retina's cells from damaging free radicals (a previous
newsletter talked about antioxidants and free radicals
extensively).
Zeaxanthin, the main component of the macula, may also bulk up its pigment, which in turn appears to
support the macula's sensitivity to visual signals.
Healthy macular pigment can improve your ability to react to bright flashes of light or see objects
against a similar background — critical to driving at night or enjoying outdoor sports. The more
pigments your eye contains, the less likely it is to fall prey to AMD.
A Harvard study found that eating 6 mg. of lutein per day in food (roughly 1/4 cup cooked spinach) lowered
the odds of macular degeneration by 43%.
A diet rich in kale and spinach has been shown to thicken the layer of macular pigment in the eye.
Loading up on lutein also seems to reduce the odds of cataracts by 20 to 50%, according to research.
On top of being an excellent aid to prevent vision problems, lutein is also being studied in relation to
other conditions and it has been proven beneficial in boosting the immune system, in the prevention of
cancer and clogged arteries, and protecting the lungs.
As the body doesn't naturally generate lutein, you need to make sure you're getting enough from other
sources. One of the best things you can do to keep your vision sharp is to eat more greens as they're loaded
with lutein and zeaxanthin. Often these two antioxidants are found together in foods.
Although greens - especially slightly cooked ones - carry the largest share of these two antioxidants,
the pair is also plentiful in brightly coloured fruits and vegetables like orange bell peppers, corn,
persimmons and tangerines.
Helpful Hint:
Saute your greens in olive oil or add some oil-based dressing to your salad.
Fat helps the body absorb lutein and zeaxanthin. |
If you eat lots of green leafy vegetables, along with brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, you
also get plenty of beta carotene, vitamin C and E, all of which are essential for good
eyesight.
In a major clinical trial, the National Eye Institute found that high doses of beta carotene and vitamins
C and E, coupled with zinc, stopped or slowed the progression of AMD by 19 to 25%, and that is without the
added benefits of lutein and zeaxanthin!
Although the effective doses were far higher than what you get from diet alone, heaping your plate with
food dense in these nutrients makes sense, especially for people who already have AMD or those at
increased risk of it (such as those with a family history of the disease, those with light eye colour or
if you sit at the computer everyday!).
In the Harvard study mentioned above, eating sauteed spinach four to seven times a week for three months
even reversed some early signs of macular degeneration.
One cup of cooked kale, collards, spinach or turnip greens supplies a whopping 12 to 25 mg. of these two
nutrients.
Foods |
mg. per 1/2 cup |
Kale, cooked |
10.0 |
Collards green, cooked |
7.0 |
Spinach, raw |
3.3 |
Spinach, cooked |
6.3 |
Broccoli, raw |
1.0 |
Broccoli, cooked |
1.7 |
Brussels sprouts, cooked |
1.7 |
Yellow corn, cooked |
1.2 |
Egg yolks have small amounts of lutein (about 200 mcg. per yolk), which gives them their yellow
colour, due to the fact that hens eat corn.
However, egg lutein is particularly well absorbed by the body, probably due to the type of fat they
contain.
Tufts University research showed that blood levels of lutein shot up 200 to 300% higher after
eating egg yolks than after eating spinach!
|
- beet greens
- broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- cilantro
- collard
- dill
- egg yolks
- green beans
- honeydew melon
- kale
- kiwi
- leeks
- lettuce, Cos and Romaine
- mangoes
- marigolds
- mustard
- oranges
- papayas
- peaches
- peas
- persimmons
- spinach
- sweet red and orange pepper
- sweetcorn
- tangerines
- turnips
- yellow squash
- beet greens
- chicory leaf
- collard
- kale
- kiwi
- mangoes
- mustard
- okra
- oranges
- papayas
- spinach
- sweet red peppers
- Swiss chard
- turnip
- yellow squash
If you think you can't eat huge amounts of these fruits and vegetables (for whatever reason) you might consider supplementing with lutein and zeaxanthin.
The lutein and zeaxanthin present in supplements is usually extracted from marigolds, which are a very rich
source of these antioxidants.
The amount needed to maintain good eyesight has not been confirmed yet. Some experts believe that 4 to 10 mg
daily may be needed to convey the benefits shown in some eye studies - the amount in 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked
spinach. Other studies show that you need more, 20 mg. of lutein and 6 to 10 mg. of zeaxanthin daily.
Probably the best policy is to eat as many of the fruits and vegetables listed above as you can, plus
take a supplement for good measure.
There are no known side effects from either short-term or long-term use of supplements of lutein and zeaxanthin
and no interactions with other drugs have been found.
The best combination of supplements to preserve sight, even if it has started to fail, is almost certainly a
combination of lutein and zeaxanthin, together with vitamin C, riboflavin, lycopene and
selenium; a turmeric supplement to boost the antioxidant enzyme glutathione
peroxidase; and the flavonoids in bilberry, a herb traditionally used to treat visual
complaints.
Other supplements that can help prevent and treat the early stages of vision problems are vitamin D and
omega-3 fatty acids, also present in salmon and other fatty fish.
Have a look at this list of supplements to support your eyesight that
I've compiled for you...
In Conclusion...
... don't wait until you've lost your eyesight before you decide to implement the advice you find here.
Act now by including as many of the foods mentioned above as you can on a daily basis and
start taking supplements now if you're concerned. It might take months before you start seeing an
improvement, so the sooner you start the better!
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Coming Next...
I hope you have enjoyed reading this newsletter. So far we've discussed three antioxidant carotenoids, beta
carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Another important carotenoid is lycopene - which I meant to
discuss this time, but I realized it would have been too much to take in, so I will discuss it next time. How can
you benefit from it and where can you find it?
Look out for the next newsletter, you don't want to miss it!
Also, if this newsletter has raised some questions in your mind about antioxidants or you'd like specific
information on them, don't hesitate to get in touch with me.
The next issue will be sent out on Wed 13th March 2013.
Until Next Time
Aurora Raisbeck
Go to Foods' Healing Power Homepage
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