Zeaxanthin
About Zeaxanthin
Zeaxanthin is a yellow xanthophyll carotenoid and a structural isomer of lutein. Together with lutein and its metabolite meso zeaxanthin, it is selectively concentrated in the macula of the retina, where these pigments form the macular pigment that is thought to filter high energy blue light and protect photoreceptors from oxidative damage. Zeaxanthin is most concentrated in the very center of the macula, the fovea. Humans cannot synthesize it, so all zeaxanthin comes from the diet, with sources including corn, orange and yellow peppers, egg yolks, goji berries and saffron. Zeaxanthin does not have provitamin A activity. The second Age Related Eye Disease Study, AREDS2, tested lutein and zeaxanthin as part of a supplement formula for people with intermediate age related macular degeneration and found them a suitable replacement for beta carotene in that formula. Evidence for benefit in the general population remains limited.
Related Nutrients
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Beta Carotene
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