Lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin for eye health
What it found
Lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin collect in the macula at the back of the eye, where they absorb blue light and act as antioxidants.
Studies in people link higher intake to eye benefits, but the authors say the basic science behind these recommendations is often overlooked.
What they found
Studies in people
Human studies
Epidemiological studies and large-scale clinical trials such as AREDS2 have brought attention to potential eye health benefits of these carotenoids from diet or supplements. Higher macular pigment levels seem to preserve shortwave and scotopic function to some extent.
Animal and lab studies
Protection in lab tests
In lab tests, lutein and zeaxanthin absorb blue light and neutralize reactive oxygen species. When RPE cells were treated with lutein, damage from a lipofuscin component and blue light was greatly reduced.
Animal studies
In monkeys fed a xanthophyll-free diet, lutein supplements led to meso-zeaxanthin in the retina, showing lutein is a precursor. In quail, higher retinal zeaxanthin reduced light-induced photoreceptor cell death.
Safety data
The European Food Safety Authority set an acceptable daily intake of 1 mg per kg bodyweight per day for lutein preparations from marigold, and said 0.75 mg per kg bodyweight per day of synthetic zeaxanthin does not raise safety concerns. In rats, the highest dose tested with no adverse effects was 400 mg/kg bodyweight/day for lutein/zeaxanthin concentrate and 300 mg/kg bodyweight/day for meso-zeaxanthin.
Other findings
Where they collect in the eye
Lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin are concentrated in the macula lutea, the yellow spot at the center of the retina. Their concentration drops nearly 100-fold toward the edge of the retina.
Dietary sources
Lutein and zeaxanthin must come from food such as green leafy vegetables and orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. Meso-zeaxanthin is rarely found in the diet and is believed to be made in the eye from lutein.
What the authors conclude
- They say the basic science and clinical research underlying recommendations for nutritional interventions against age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases are underappreciated by clinicians and vision researchers alike.
- They provide a comprehensive review of the chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, and clinical studies underlying the ocular protective and functional roles of these pigments throughout the lifespan.
How it was done
The authors say these three carotenoids are widely recommended as supplements to prevent vision loss from age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases, but the basic and clinical science supporting those recommendations is underappreciated by clinicians and vision researchers.
The authors reviewed the chemistry, biology, physics and clinical studies on lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin. They looked at how these pigments are absorbed, transported to the eye, and studied in people, monkeys, rodents and birds.
What it can’t tell you
- This is a review of other studies, not a new experiment. It cannot show cause and effect.
- Many findings come from animals or cells, which cannot show what happens in people.
- The authors note that some rodent studies used much higher carotenoid levels than a typical Western diet, and wild-type mice do not take up detectable lutein or zeaxanthin into their retinas.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NEI NIH HHS; NHLBI NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- University of Utah School of Medicine, USA; Waterford Institute of Technology West Campus, Ireland
The paper
- Title
- Lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin: The basic and clinical science underlying carotenoid-based nutritional interventions against ocular disease
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Bernstein PS, Li B, Vachali PP, et al (2016). Lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin: The basic and clinical science underlying carotenoid-based nutritional interventions against ocular disease. Progress in retinal and eye research. doi:10.1016/j.preteyeres.2015.10.003Free full textPubMed 26541886DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error