Lutein and zeaxanthin supplement mix for dry eye symptoms
What it found
In 110 adults with dry eye symptoms, a daily sachet containing lutein, zeaxanthin and elderberry extract improved eye symptom scores over 20 days compared with a placebo.
Immune scores did not clearly improve.
What they found
Studies in people
Eye symptom score
The eye symptom score (OSDI) fell from 38.15 to 18.26 in the supplement group, a 52.2% drop. This was significantly greater than the drop in the placebo group.
Perceived eye health
On a 10-point visual scale, the supplement group's eye health rating rose from 5.31 to 6.73, a 26.7% improvement. This was significantly better than the placebo group.
Immune score
The immune status score improved by 15.9% in the supplement group, but this was not significantly different from the 10.0% improvement in the placebo group.
Perceived immunity
Self-rated immunity on a visual scale rose slightly in the supplement group, but the change was not significantly different from the placebo group.
Usual lutein intake
From a food questionnaire, the average daily intake of lutein and zeaxanthin among participants was 663.49 micrograms. This is only 5.5% of the suggested optimal daily intake.
What the authors conclude
“This study provides compelling evidence that the combined lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation used can significantly alleviate DED symptoms, with marked improvements in patients’ perceived ocular health.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the findings support the use of combined lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation as an add-on approach to improving eye health.
- They note that the immune effects were not significant at the dose and duration tested, but the trends suggest possible benefits from longer or higher-dose use.
- They call for targeted dietary strategies and supplementation to address dry eye disease, especially in people with low intake of these nutrients.
How it was done
The authors wanted to test a lower dose and shorter duration of lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation, because most research has used higher doses for longer periods and the effects of low doses are unclear.
They randomly assigned 110 adults with dry eye symptoms to take either a daily sachet with 6 mg lutein, 1 mg zeaxanthin and 100 mg elderberry extract, or a placebo sachet, for 20 days. Participants and investigators did not know who received which. Eye symptoms and immune status were scored by questionnaire before and after.
What it can’t tell you
- The study lasted only 20 days, so it cannot show whether the eye improvements would last longer.
- The results are based on questionnaires, which may not be objective.
- The supplement contained several ingredients, so the specific effect of lutein and zeaxanthin alone cannot be separated.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Ministry of Higher Education; UCSI University (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- Author Kok Ming Goh was employed by the company Ecolite Biotech Manufacturing. Authors Kok Ming Goh and Li Ann Lew were employed by the company Xmegami Manufacturing. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- UCSI University, Malaysia; University of Leeds, UK; Aston University, UK
The paper
- Title
- Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Elderberries on Dry Eye Disease (DED) and Immunity: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Goh KM, Tan ESS, Lim CSY, et al (2024). Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Elderberries on Dry Eye Disease (DED) and Immunity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu16244366Free full textPubMed 39770987DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error