Zeaxanthin

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Eye health¹

  Zeaxanthin is a plant pigment that builds up in the eye and may help slow eye diseases like macular degeneration.

• Open question

  Vision loss in older adults²

  In people at risk of vision loss, taking zeaxanthin with lutein did not clearly slow the disease.

• No harm found

  Lung cancer risk³

  In people, zeaxanthin did not raise lung cancer risk, unlike beta carotene, which nearly doubled it.

• Benefit

  Heart artery health⁴

  In people, zeaxanthin with lutein and meso-zeaxanthin lowered blood markers of inflammation and oxidized fats linked to artery plaque.

• Benefit

  Dry eye symptoms⁵

  People taking zeaxanthin with lutein and elderberry for 20 days reported less dry eye discomfort.

• Benefit

  Eye-hand coordination⁶

  In people, a mix with zeaxanthin, lutein and astaxanthin helped eye-hand coordination after screen work.

• Benefit

  Children's eye and brain health⁷

  In children, zeaxanthin gummies with lutein improved eye strain, focus and memory over six months.

• Benefit

  Eye pigment in the retina⁸

  In people, taking zeaxanthin with lutein raised the eye's protective pigment, measured in the retina.

• Benefit

  Eye health and vision loss⁹

  Eating more zeaxanthin from foods like leafy greens and eggs may help protect against a common cause of blindness.

• Open question

  Skin wrinkles and hydration¹⁰

  In people, a zeaxanthin supplement plus a skin cream improved hydration and reduced facial wrinkles compared with placebo.

• Open question

  Age-related macular degeneration¹³

  Eating zeaxanthin didn't clearly lower the risk of early AMD, though a possible link to the worse form needs more study.

• No harm found

  Children's eyesight¹⁵

  Eating zeaxanthin during pregnancy showed no clear link to children's eyesight at age 11 or 12.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Body fat and obesity²²

  In animal studies, zeaxanthin reduced body fat and improved blood fat levels in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Eye health and vision¹⁶

  Zeaxanthin is one of the pigments that collects in the eye's macula, and it may help protect against vision loss.

• Benefit

  Eye health and vision¹⁸

  Zeaxanthin is thought to help protect eyes from light damage, but scientists do not yet know all the answers.

• Benefit

  Infant eye and brain development¹⁹

  Zeaxanthin may help a baby's eyes and brain grow, but scientists do not yet know for sure.

• Benefit

  Eye and skin protection²⁰

  Zeaxanthin is found in the eye and skin, where it may help protect against light damage.

• Benefit

  Eye and brain health²¹

  Zeaxanthin is taken up into eye tissue and may help protect against blue light damage.

How it’s made and used

• Eye health and ageing¹¹

  In 8,525 US survey participants, zeaxanthin intake was lower than lutein, and the gap widened with age and in women.

• Nutrient absorption from food¹²

  Zeaxanthin from wolfberry berries mixed into hot skimmed milk was absorbed about three times better than from hot water.

• How much the body absorbs¹⁴

  In people, zeaxanthin from one supplement reached the blood at higher levels than another supplement.

• Plant pigment levels¹⁷

  In plants, zeaxanthin is scarce in leafy vegetables because it quickly converts to violaxanthin.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.