Lutein + Zeaxanthin

What Is Lutein + Zeaxanthin?

Lutein and zeaxanthin are yellow carotenoids from the xanthophyll family. Plants make them and people do not, so every molecule in your eyes arrived in food. Kale, spinach and egg yolks carry them. The extract in these softgels is drawn from marigold petals, which hold them in quantity.

How It Works in the Body

These are the only two carotenoids the eye concentrates in the macula, the small central patch of retina that handles fine detail. There they form the macular pigment, a yellow screen sitting in front of the photoreceptors. Lutein settles toward the outer macula and zeaxanthin toward the middle, while meso-zeaxanthin, which the retina makes from lutein, sits at the very center. The pigment takes up short-wavelength blue light and quenches free radicals in tissue that is fatty and constantly lit.

What It Supports

• Macular pigment: Supports the pigment layer the retina builds from these two carotenoids.
• Normal vision: Supports the eye's everyday work in bright light and glare.
• Blue light filtering: The macular pigment takes up short wavelengths before they reach the photoreceptors.
• Antioxidant activity: Supports the body's own antioxidant defenses in the eye and the skin.

Who It May Suit

People who spend their days looking at screens, and anyone whose meals are light on dark leafy greens and egg yolks, which are the dietary sources that matter here. The softgel shell is bovine gelatin, so it does not fit vegan or vegetarian eating.

Good To Know

Carotenoids are fat-soluble, so these sit in sunflower oil, which carries them across the gut wall. There is lutein at 20 mg and zeaxanthin at 5 mg per serving. Talk with your healthcare provider before use, especially if you are pregnant or nursing.