There are three main factors that affect the absorption of lutein and zeaxanthin:
1. The nature of the food: for example, cooking or eating raw, although cooking reduces the lutein content, it will increase the bioavailability of luteinoids compared to uncooked sources.
2. The amount of dietary fat: adding appropriate amounts of oil when cooking, or taking it with meals (using health supplements) can improve the absorption rate.
3. Dietary fiber from plant sources: such as taking foods containing pectin, guar gum, alginate, cellulose or bran at the same time, it has been shown to reduce the absorption of luteinoid molecules.
Which food has the most lutein?
Cabbage, sweet potato leaves, turnip leaves, celery, watercress, parsley, mustard greens, chicory, cabbage, etc. are all natural foods with relatively high lutein content.
What are the side effects of taking lutein?
Lutein is safe to use in moderation. In the large-scale AREDS2 study lasting 5 years, no adverse reactions to taking Lutein and zeaxanthin were found at a daily dose of 10 mg.
Long-term high-dose or excessive use may cause yellowing of the skin, also known as carotenemia, with symptoms of yellowing of the skin on the hands and feet. The reason is that individuals are more sensitive to lutein and poor metabolism.
Carotenemia is harmless to the human body. As long as the intake is reduced, the yellowing of the skin will gradually subside.
Who should not take lutein?
1. The safety of lutein for pregnant women and breastfeeding women is unknown, so this group of people should consume more vegetables and fruits to supplement lutein.
2. Patients with cystic fibrosis often cannot smoothly absorb carotenoids in food or supplements, so they should be careful when using lutein products.
3. Eating snacks containing alternative oils or using other carotenoid supplements at the same time may reduce lutein absorption.
4. A case found that a woman with glaucoma took lutein for a long time (20 mg per day for 8 years, combined with a high-lutein diet), which resulted in retinal crystal deposition, but this phenomenon did not affect the patient's vision, and the crystals partially disappeared after discontinuation.
Reference
[1]. Effects of Astaxanthin, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin on Eye-Hand Coordination and Smooth-Pursuit Eye Movement after Visual Display Terminal Operation in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Intergroup Trial.
[2]. Specific serum carotenoids are inversely associated with breast cancer risk among Chinese women: a case-control study.
