Plant source Lutein is the key pigment that makes up the macular area of the eye fundus. It has a key maintenance effect on the macular area of the eye. It can not only resist oxidation, and inhibit the production of harmful oxygen free radicals, but also block harmful light to the eyes, such as natural light Ultraviolet light in the display, high-definition blue light from the display, etc. The only carotenoids that accumulate and form macular pigment in the human fovea are lutein and its isomers zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin. The biological specificity of these carotenoids suggests that they are involved in the visual system. Therefore, lack of lutein can easily lead to vision loss, resulting in various eye diseases such as myopia, cataract, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. This article would be talked about Lutein from plant sources.
Lutein is a yellow lutein carotenoid found in egg yolks and many fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens like kale and broccoli. What plant does lutein come from in daily life?
- Egg yolk
Egg yolk contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which can help the body supplement lutein. And the more yellow the egg yolk is, the more beneficial it is to the physical and mental health of the eyes. - Kiwifruit
Kiwi fruit contains a variety of ingredients that are beneficial to the human body. Eating it in daily life can help avoid eye fatigue. In addition, kiwifruit also contains high-efficiency antioxidants such as vitamin C, which can remove abnormally deposited metal oxides in the human body and prevent the destruction of tissues around the eyes. - Corn
Corn contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which can protect the macular area of the eye and prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. - Green leafy vegetables such as Broccoli, Kale
Dark green, light yellow, and orange vegetables and fruits all contain lutein, but among them, dark green vegetables and fruits such as broccoli and kale have the most lutein.
Safety regulations and dosage regulations for lutein in various countries
- The U.S. FDA approved lutein as a food supplement in 1995 for improving vision, beverages and infant food. In 2002, approved lutein esters as a recognized food. In 2003, approved crystalline lutein as safe food.
- The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirmed the safety of lutein and adopted an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 1mg/kg bw/day (that is, an ADI of 70 for a person weighing 70 kg/mg/day), while the safety of lutein for infant nutrition was confirmed in 2006.
- China Nutrition Association published the “Chinese Dietary Nutrient Reference Intake Manual” in 2013 for the first time to put forward the concept of the recommended intake of nutrients for the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases. According to the manual, the recommended intake of lutein is 10mg per day, and the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) is 40mg, which is the daily intake is 10~40mg.
However, the intake of fruits and vegetables in the dietary structure of many countries and regions in the world is low, and the intake of lutein is much lower than 10mg/day. For example, the total intake of lutein and zeaxanthin in American adults is between 0.8 and 1.1 mg/day, in European populations between 0.5-4.0 mg/day, and in Brazil 0.6-1.1 mg/day, in Japan 1.1mg/day and China were 0.35 and 2.9mg/day.
The recommended Lutein dosage by Oral
For an eye disease that leads to vision loss in elder adults (age-related macular degeneration or AMD):
- For preventing AMD, about 6-12 mg of lutein daily, either through diet or supplementation has been used.
- For reducing symptoms of AMD, 10-20 mg daily has been used.
- For reducing symptoms, 10-12 mg of lutein daily has been used.
For cataracts:
- For preventing cataracts, about 6-12 mg of lutein daily, either through diet or supplementation has been used.
- For reducing symptoms, 15 mg of lutein three times weekly or 10 mg of lutein plus 2 mg of zeaxanthin daily has been used.
