Modern people use computers to go to work, use mobile phones to watch movies and videos, stay up late to play games, etc., and use electronic products for a long time. Eye problems are already a social problem. Whether it is children, teenagers, adults or the elderly, due to the excessive use of electronic products, the eyes have been in a state of fatigue for a long time, so eye protection has become a rigid need. There are many choices on how to buy eye care products, such as lutein supplements, and lutein ester supplements, do you know what’s the difference between lutein and lutein esters?
What is Lutein, Lutein ester?
Lutein is an important nutrient element for eye development, it accumulates in the retina of the human eye, and distributes in the macular area and the entire retina, and is mainly involves in the formation of macular pigment in the retina.
The human body cannot synthesize lutein by itself, it must be ingested from the outside world. Babies can get it from breast milk; adults can get it from nature. Common vegetables such as carrots, spinach, pumpkin, leeks, corn and other plants, 100 grams contain more than 10 mg of lutein, but the amount of lutein supplementation alone cannot achieve the effect of lutein supplementation, and lutein supplementation has become the choice of many people.
Lutein is extracted from lutein ester, which is a carotenoid fatty acid ester contain in plant marigold or microalgae. The content of marigold flower is high, it is produced through the steps of pulverization, solvent extraction, purification, concentration and drying.
What’s the difference between lutein and lutein esters?
1. Chemical structure
Lutein: C40H56O2, relative molecular weight: 568.85
Lutein ester: C72H116O4, relative molecular weight: 1045.71
2. Processing technology
Lutein ester is obtained by extraction with organic solvent from marigold flowers, and then the lutein ester is further saponified with alkali reagents, and the fatty acid structure -R in the lutein ester structure is converted into -OH, which becomes Lutein. Lutein ester is an intermediate product for obtaining lutein, which also indirectly indicates that the naturally occurring component in marigold is lutein ester, not lutein.
3. Source
Lutein: Green vegetables and fruits (broccoli, green beans, kale, spinach, lettuce)
Lutein Esters: Yellow or orange fruits and vegetables (papaya, mango, peaches, plums, squash, oranges)
4. Metabolic process
Lutein and lutein esters are used as raw materials for eye protection. Whether the effect is good or not is related to its availability and metabolism. Lutein naturally exists in the macular area of the human eye and the brain. Modern research has also found that lutein can be directly absorbed and utilized by the body through the human intestine.
However, lutein ester has a terminal fatty acid structure, and the molecule is relatively large and cannot be directly utilized. It needs to be decomposed and converted into free lutein and then absorbed and utilized.
The bioavailability of lutein esters is related to the amount of fat in the diet. Lutein esters usually require esterase or lipase to catalyze hydrolysis, so a moderate intake of fat is beneficial for the absorption and utilization of lutein esters.
5. Finished product application
Lutein as a natural yellow colorant, according to GB 2760-2014; as a nutritional fortifier, according to GB 14880-2012.
Lutein ester is a new food raw material, in addition to baby food, it can be used in baked goods, dairy products, beverages, ready-to-eat cereals, frozen drinks, condiments and confectionery.
Although there are differences between Lutein and Lutein ester, still have a large demand for these 2products in the market. With the development of this society, it’s more and more serious the Eyecare problem, it must be trendy in the future.
KS Nutripharma specializing in Marigold extract for years, and have US and Europe warehouses with competitive price and top quality. For any questions about Eyecare ingredients, KS Nutripharman always gives you the answer!
