Zeaxanthin, lutein and age-related macular degeneration
What it found
In people, diets and supplements containing lutein and zeaxanthin are linked to a lower risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration, and one large trial found a 31% lower progression in a secondary analysis.
The authors recommend eating xanthophyll-rich foods.
What they found
Studies in people
AMD progression in people
In the AREDS2 trial, a secondary analysis found that progression from dry AMD to advanced AMD was 31% lower in groups given AREDS plus lutein and zeaxanthin compared with placebo. The main analysis found no further benefit over the original AREDS formula.
Blood levels in people
In AREDS2, serum lutein and zeaxanthin levels rose by 190 to 210% in the first to fifth year in the supplement groups, while they stayed unchanged in the placebo group.
Diet and AMD risk
Many studies have found that regularly eating more spinach, kale and cabbage is linked to significant protection against late AMD. Higher dietary antioxidant intake, including lutein and zeaxanthin, can reduce early AMD in people with certain genetic risk variants.
Animal and lab studies
Protection in animals
Studies in rats, quail, frogs and monkeys showed that macular pigments protect the retina from oxidative damage when exposed to light.
Other findings
Sources and intake
Lutein and zeaxanthin come from green vegetables like kale, spinach, lettuce and broccoli, and from egg yolk. The recommended daily intake is about 10 mg for lutein and 2 mg for zeaxanthin, but average adult intake of lutein is only 1 to 2 mg a day.
Build-up in the eye
Lutein and zeaxanthin are the only dietary carotenoids that build up in the retina, especially the macula, where they are called macular pigments. Zeaxanthin is dominant in the centre of the fovea, and lutein in the outer parts of the retina.
What the authors conclude
“The use of adjunctive therapy with carotenoid phytochemicals in clinical treatment algorithms for AMD seems to be justified.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say that adjunctive therapy with carotenoid phytochemicals in clinical treatment for AMD seems justified.
- They state that this therapy not only provides neuroprotection but may also have a beneficial effect on treatment strategies at any stage of AMD, even advanced AMD.
- They note that no supplementation can replace a well-chosen diet.
How it was done
Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in older people, and the authors wanted to review how lutein and zeaxanthin might help prevent or slow it.
The authors reviewed human studies on how lutein and zeaxanthin are absorbed and used, and on their effects in eye diseases, including the AREDS and AREDS2 trials. The AREDS2 trial ran from 2006 to 2012 and tested a supplement with lutein and zeaxanthin in a 5:1 ratio.
What it can’t tell you
- The AREDS2 finding of 31% lower progression came from a secondary analysis, not the main planned analysis.
- Observational studies can show a link between diet and AMD but cannot prove that lutein or zeaxanthin directly cause the lower risk.
- Animal and lab studies cannot show what happens in people.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by National Science Center; statutory grant of the Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University, Lodz, Poland (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Medical University of Lodz, Poland; Jesuit University Ignatianum, Poland
The paper
- Title
- Lutein and Zeaxanthin and Their Roles in Age-Related Macular Degeneration-Neurodegenerative 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
- Mrowicka M, Mrowicki J, Kucharska E, Majsterek I (2022). Lutein and Zeaxanthin and Their Roles in Age-Related Macular Degeneration-Neurodegenerative Disease. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu14040827Free full textPubMed 35215476DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error