High dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin, compounds with a long history of eye health benefits, may reduce the risk of late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Increased intakes of the carotenoids were associated with a 26% reduction in the risk of late-stage AMD.
The macula is a yellow spot of about five millimeters diameter on the
retina. As we age, levels of the pigments in the macula decrease
naturally, thereby increasing the risk of AMD. The yellow color is due
to the content of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which we derive
from the diet.
These compounds are the only carotenoids capable of filtering the
harmful blue light than can damage cells in the eye, the rods and the
cones.
A thin macular pigment can allow the blue light through and destroy the
cells. Maintaining high levels of both carotenoids, and therefore the
macular pigment, is a valid approach to maintaining eye health and
reducing the risk of AMD.
Lutein, a nutrient found in various foods including green leafy
vegetables and egg yolk, has a ten-year history in the dietary
supplement market as a nutrient to reduce the risk of age-related
macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the over
50S.
Category: Productos
Source: Nutraingredients