Lutein

What is Lutein?

Lutein is a yellow chemical found in many plants. It belongs to a group of compounds called carotenoids, which give fruits and vegetables their bright colors. Plants make lutein to help them grow and protect themselves from too much sunlight.

How Do We Get Lutein?

Animals, including humans, get lutein by eating plants. It is found in green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, as well as in yellow carrots. In our eyes, lutein collects in a small spot called the macula lutea, where it may help our vision.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin

Lutein is similar to another compound called zeaxanthin, and the two can change into one another in our bodies. Because lutein does not mix with water, it is found in fatty parts of foods, like egg yolks. Its special structure lets it absorb light, which is why it gives plants their yellow color.

As a pigment

This xanthophyll, like its sister compound zeaxanthin, is often used in food and supplements to give a yellow-red color. Lutein absorbs blue light, which makes it look yellow when there is a little of it and orange-red when there is a lot.

Many songbirds, such as the golden oriole, evening grosbeak, yellow warbler, common yellowthroat, and Javan green magpies, get lutein from what they eat and use it to color their feathers. However, birds like the American goldfinch and yellow canaries do not use lutein this way.

Role in human eyes

Lutein is found in a part of the eye called the macula. This helps us see colors clearly. Scientists are still learning how lutein works there.

Studies show that eating foods with lutein or taking supplements might help slow down a condition called age-related macular degeneration. But it’s not clear if lutein alone can prevent this condition.

Some research suggests that getting enough lutein might lower the chance of developing cataracts. But more studies are needed to know for sure.

In foods

Lutein is a natural part of our diet. It is found in orange-yellow fruits, flowers, and leafy vegetables. Adults in the United States eat about 1.7 mg of lutein each day, but there is no official recommendation for how much to eat. Good sources of lutein include paprika, frozen spinach, sweet potato leaves, dandelion greens, red cayenne pepper, and turnip greens.

Lutein can also be used as a food additive. It comes from the petals of Mexican marigold flowers. It is allowed in some countries but not as a food coloring in the United States. It can be used in animal feed and as a dietary supplement. Eating too much lutein can cause a bronzing of the skin, but this is not harmful.

Commercial value

Lutein is used in many products, like medicines, vitamins, food, pet food, and animal and fish feed. It helps give chicken egg yolks their yellow color and makes farm fish look more like wild fish. Many vitamin products contain lutein because people think it helps keep eyes healthy.