Nutrient explainer · Eye Health

Lutein and zeaxanthin: the eye nutrients hiding in your greens

Grandma was right that vegetables are good for your eyes, but it wasn't really about the carrots. The real stars are two yellow pigments called lutein and zeaxanthin, and they're packed into the dark leafy greens on your plate. Here's what they do and how to get more of them.

By the Herbal Bee teamUpdated 3 min read

Two women harvesting kale in a vegetable garden

What lutein and zeaxanthin do

Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids, natural pigments that give plants their yellow and orange colors. In your body, they collect in the macula, the small spot at the center of your retina that handles sharp, detailed vision for reading, driving and recognizing faces [1].

There, together with a related pigment called meso-zeaxanthin, they form the macular pigment. It works in two ways:

  • It filters blue light before it reaches the light-sensing cells behind it.
  • It acts as an antioxidant, helping protect those cells from everyday wear.

Your body can't make lutein or zeaxanthin. It has to get them from food or supplements.

Who tends to get less

There's no "deficiency" of lutein the way there is with vitamins, and there's no official daily requirement. But most Americans eat only about 2 mg a day [2], mostly because they don't eat many dark leafy greens.

You likely get less if you:

  • Rarely eat leafy greens, peas, corn or squash.
  • Eat very low-fat meals. These pigments need some fat to be absorbed.
  • Smoke. Smoking is a major risk to eye health [1].

What low intake can mean

Eating more lutein and zeaxanthin raises the density of your macular pigment over time [3]. Researchers measure this with a test called macular pigment optical density (MPOD). In studies, supplements at 5 mg a day or more raised MPOD, while effects of lower amounts and diet alone were less clear [3].

Lower macular pigment has been linked in studies to age-related eye changes, but that research can't prove cause and effect. If you notice changes in your vision, see an eye doctor. Regular eye exams are the only way to know how your eyes are doing.

How much you need

There's no RDA, Daily Value or US upper limit for lutein or zeaxanthin.

Reference point Amount
Typical US intake About 2 mg a day [2]
Amount in the AREDS2 eye study 10 mg lutein + 2 mg zeaxanthin a day [4]
Amounts that raised macular pigment in a review 5 mg a day or more [3]
Observed safe level for lutein Up to 20 mg a day [5]

Top food sources

Food Serving Lutein + zeaxanthin (mcg)
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 20,354
Turnip greens, frozen, cooked 1 cup 19,541
Collard greens, cooked 1 cup 11,774
Green peas, cooked 1 cup 4,149
Summer squash, cooked 1 cup 4,048
Spinach, raw 1 cup 3,659
Pumpkin, cooked 1 cup 2,484
Sweet corn, canned 1 cup 2,194
Brussels sprouts, cooked 1 cup 2,012
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 1,685
Romaine lettuce 1 cup 1,087
Pistachios 1 oz 824
Carrots, raw 1 cup 328
Egg 1 large about 250

Source: USDA nutrient data, as listed by the USDA National Agricultural Library and FoodData Central [6]. 1,000 mcg = 1 mg. No Daily Value has been set.

Did you notice the carrots? They're near the bottom. Carrots are great for vitamin A, but greens are where the lutein is.

Easy wins: Southern collards or turnip greens, Korean spinach namul with sesame oil, saag, calabacitas with squash and corn, spinach in your eggs, or a handful of pistachios.

Food first, then supplements

  • Add a little fat. Lutein is fat-soluble. Cooking greens with olive oil, or eating them with eggs or avocado, helps you absorb more.
  • Cooked greens give you more per cup because they shrink down. Half a cup of cooked spinach has around 10 mg.
  • Eggs are a small but well-absorbed source. In a USDA study, lutein from eggs was absorbed better than from spinach or supplements [2].
  • Supplements: lutein and zeaxanthin have a good safety record at studied amounts [5]. Take them with a meal that contains some fat.
  • A note on AREDS2: that large NIH study tested lutein and zeaxanthin in people who already had a specific eye condition [4]. It doesn't show that supplements prevent eye disease in healthy people. Talk to your eye doctor about what's right for you.

Where you'll find lutein and zeaxanthin in our products

  • Eye Supplement: 10 mg lutein, 10 mg meso-zeaxanthin and 2 mg zeaxanthin per softgel, from marigold flowers. Take it with a meal.

Related reads

Sources

  1. National Eye Institute. "Age-related macular degeneration." https://www.nei.nih.gov/eye-health-information/eye-conditions-and-diseases/age-related-macular-degeneration
  2. USDA Agricultural Research Service. News release on egg lutein absorption, Aug 18, 2004. https://www.ars.usda.gov/IS/pr/2004/040818.htm
  3. Wilson LM, Tharmarajah S, Jia Y, et al. The effect of lutein/zeaxanthin intake on human macular pigment optical density: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Adv Nutr. 2021;12(6):2244–2254. doi:10.1093/advances/nmab071
  4. Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Research Group. Lutein + zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids for age-related macular degeneration: the AREDS2 randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2013;309(19):2005–2015.
  5. Shao A, Hathcock JN. Risk assessment for the carotenoids lutein and lycopene. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2006;45(3):289–298.
  6. USDA National Agricultural Library. Lutein + zeaxanthin content of selected foods (USDA National Nutrient Database). https://www.nal.usda.gov/sites/www.nal.usda.gov/files/lutein_zeaxanthin.pdf

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

This article is for general education and isn't medical advice.

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