What are Lutein & Zeaxanthin?
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What is age-related macular degeneration?
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in Americans 65 years of age or older. The central fine vision required for “straight ahead” viewing such as reading and driving is damaged in this condition.
Who is at risk for age-related macular degeneration?
The number one risk factor is age. One third of adults over the age of 75 are affected by age-related macular degeneration.
What are cataracts?
A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.
A cataract can occur in either or both eyes, though one eye may advance faster than the other. It cannot spread from one eye to the other.
Who is at risk for cataracts?
Cataracts develop as part of the aging process, so everyone is at risk eventually. By age 75, about 70 percent of people will have cataracts.
Are nutritional supplements needed to ensure eye health?
It is likely that nutrients are acting synergistically to provide protection. Therefore, it may be more practical to recommend food choices rich in some of the key nutrient of interest, e.g.vitamins C and E, β-carotene, zinc, lutein and zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids. Such a recommendation may also provide benefit from possible other components in food that may be important.
Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruit, berries, tomatoes, and broccoli. Good sources of vitamin E are vegetable oils, wheat germ, nuts, and legumes. β-Carotene can be found in carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins. Oysters, beef, and other meats are rich sources of zinc. Nuts, legumes, and dairy are relatively good plant sources of zinc. The two foods that were found to have the highest amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin were kale and spinach. Other major sources include broccoli, peas, and brussels sprouts. Fish oils are the primary source of omega-3 fatty acids.
A healthy diet including a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes, lean meats, dairy, fish, and nuts, will have many benefits and will be a good source of the antioxidant vitamins and minerals implicated in the etiology of age-related eye health. There is no evidence that nutrient-dense diets high in these foods, which provide known and unknown antioxidant components, are harmful. In fact, intake of fruits, vegetables, and legumes is associated with reduced risk of death due to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all causes. Such a dietary recommendation does not appear to be harmful and may have other benefits.
What is AREDS?
The first Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS1) was a major ten year study sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI), one of the Federal government’s National Institutes of Health, and was conducted at 11 major medical center research facilities around the country. The study, completed in October 2001, sought to determine whether taking vitamin and/or mineral supplements could help prevent, treat or cure certain eye conditions. AREDS found that people at high risk of developing advanced stages of AMD, a leading cause of vision loss, lowered their risk by about 25 percent when treated with a high-dose combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and zinc. 500 milligrams of vitamin C; 400 international units of vitamin E; 15 milligrams of beta-carotene; 80 milligrams of zinc as zinc oxide; and two milligrams of copper as cupric oxide (Copper was added to the AREDS formulations containing zinc to prevent copper deficiency, which may be associated with high levels of zinc supplementation).
The AREDS1 formulation is considered the standard of care for those at high risk for advanced AMD. The dietary information from AREDS1 pointed to the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin and the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA as being protective against developing AMD. AREDS2 (www.nei.nih.gov/areds2), a multicenter phase III randomized clinical trial, accessed the effects of oral supplementation of macular xanthophylls, lutein + zeaxanthin, and/or EPA + DHA as a treatment for cataract, AMD, and moderate vision loss. In secondary analysis, lutein and zeaxanthin supplements on top of the AREDS supplement lowered the progression to advanced AMD in persons with low dietary lutein and zeaxanthin.