Lutein and Zeaxanthin:
Do They Protect Eyes and Vision?

By Shereen Jegtvig, Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS);
reviewed by Brian S. Boxer Wachler, MD

Lutein and zeaxanthin are compounds called xanthophylls, which are carotenoids related to beta-carotene that gives vegetables like carrots their orange color. Lutein and zeaxanthin add yellow pigment to plants and can be found in the flesh of colorful fruits and vegetables and in the leaves.

But lutein and zeaxanthin do more than give plants their pretty colors. These two compounds are found in large amounts in the lens and retina of our eyes. Here they function as antioxidants to potentially help protect our eyes from damage caused by unstable atoms known as free radicals, which can interact with and break down healthy tissue.

Lutein and zeaxanthin may also help to protect our eyes by filtering high-energy blue light. By filtering blue light, the pigment protects underlying cell layers from potential light damage.

Adding Lutein and Zeaxanthin to Your Diet

These helpful xanthophylls might protect our eyes only if we obtain enough of them from our diets. Studies (see references below) show that a diet that has sufficient amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin from fruits and vegetables could help protect our eyes from damage in different ways, such as potentially helping prevent common eye diseases of macular degeneration and cataracts.

Studies also show that failing to get enough of those fruits and vegetables in our diets may place us at greater risk for developing macular degeneration and significant cataracts.

Some studies indicate that lutein supplements may also work to protect our eyes. However, many experts believe the best way to get any type of antioxidant is from the diet itself.

[Editor's note: An exception to this recommendation may be found in results of the National Eye Institute's Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) of antioxidants including beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and zinc and copper. High doses achieved with supplementation appear to provide protective effects against progression of macular degeneration. See sidebar for more details.]

If you choose a lutein and zeaxanthin supplement, make sure it's a high quality product from a reputable dietary supplement company.

Remember that taking dietary supplements can only augment a diet, not replace a poor diet. Eating healthy foods is always the best way to get the nutrients you need.

Also remember that individuals sometimes react differently to certain supplements, which can have unintended effects such as adverse reactions with medications. Consult with your physician before trying supplements.

Dark, green leafy vegetables like kale, green leaf lettuce, and beet greens contain substantial amounts of both lutein and zeaxanthin. Eggs also contain lutein in the yellow yokes. Other good food sources include yellow and orange fruits and vegetables such as squash, peaches, sweet potatoes, and carrots. In order to obtain enough lutein and zeaxanthin, be sure to eat five to nine servings of colorful fruits and vegetables every day.

While many people have trouble including enough servings of healthful foods such as greens and fruits in their diets, it is actually possible to eat too many carotenoids. In a rare but usually harmless condition known as carotenemia, pigment from over-consumption of these plants can actually turn the skin yellowish.

Before eating fresh greens, even those that are packaged and marked as pre-washed, you should wash them again because of the potential for presence of harmful bacteria.

[For related information, please read our article on vitamin A and carotenoids.]

Other Resources:

Macular pigments lutein and zeaxanthin as blue light filters studied in liposomes. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2001 Jul 15; 391(2): 160-4

Plasma antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids and age-related cataract. Ophthalmology. 2001 Nov; 108(11): 1992-8

Oxidative stress in ocular disease: Does lutein play a protective role? CMAJ. 2005 Oct 11; 173(8): 861-2

The science behind lutein. Toxicol Lett. 2004 Apr 15; 150(1): 57-83

Nutritional and clinical relevance of lutein in human health. British Journal of Nutrition, Volume 90, Number 3, September 2003, pp. 487-503(17)

[Page updated September 2007]