Are you getting enough lutein in your diet? If not, you should be, because your healthy vision and your heart could depend on it.
Lutein is one of more than 600 different carotenoid antioxidants. What are carotenoids? They are the yellow and orange pigments found in many fruits and vegetables. You will know which ones when you think of foods that are bright orange and yellow like corn, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, citrus, egg yolks and mangoes. There are also carotenoids in some foods that are green or red like tomatoes and dark, leafy greens.
Lutein’s structure resembles beta-carotene and zeaxanthin, other carotenoids. But unlike beta-carotene, lutein does not convert into vitamin A. This makes it unique. Lutein is also fat soluble.
Lutein is prevalent in Asian diets, which are richer in fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately in western diets we don’t consume enough fruits and vegetables and there is a shortage of these critical antioxidants. Why does that matter? Read this list and see five reasons that you want to have more lutein in your diet.
1.) Lutein supports eye health. Lutein can help with macular degeneration, which is the most common cause of blindness in the elderly. Macular degeneration is the loss of vision in the central part of the eye. You can see more about macular degeneration here. It’s estimated that one million people over the age of 65 have macular degeneration. Not only that, when it’s combined with Vitamin E and zeaxanthin (another carotenoid) it can reduce the risk of cataracts. Doctors can test the pigment levels in the eyes to determine if the lutein levels are low and if you are at risk for developing one of these conditions. Lutein and zeaxanthin together can filter more of the harmful blue wavelengths of light that damage the eyes. You can read more from the American Optometric Association here.
2.) Lutein may reduce your risk of some types of cancer. There is a negative correlation between the higher levels of lutein in the blood and lower instances of breast, colon, cervical and lung cancer. Consuming lots of these beneficial antioxidants can reduce inflammation, which is linked to cancer and lots of other health conditions.
3.) Lutein can improve heart health. Because lutein has anti-inflammatory properties it goes along with lowering risk of heart disease, which is partly caused by inflammation.
4.) Lutein can lower diabetes risk. Higher levels of lutein in the blood are linked to better blood sugar control.
5.) Lutein promotes better skin. Like your eyes, your skin is vulnerable to sun damage. Carotenoids can help protect your skin from sun-related damage like skin cancer and aging.
How to get more lutein in your diet.
Lutein is found in many fruits and vegetables. It is better to get the lutein from raw vegetables because cooking them can damage the antioxidant and it won’t perform as well inside your body. The best sources of lutein and zeaxanthin are:
- Kale – 1 cup raw has 20-25 milligrams. Raw kale can be too strong for some people but if you let it rest in a vinaigrette for 30 minutes it can help tenderize the leaves and make them taste more palatable.
- Spinach -1 cup has up to 12 milligrams (depending on if it is cooked or raw). Spinach is an easy green to toss into a smoothy or a salad because the flavor is mild.
- Broccoli – 1 cup cooked has 3.4 milligrams. I prefer broccoli blanched and then tossed with olive oil and lemon in a sauté pan.
- Zucchini – 1 cup of chopped raw has 2.7 milligrams. Zucchini is another easy food to put into a smoothy because raw it has very little taste.
- Peas – 1 cup has 2.4 milligrams.
- Romaine lettuce – 1 cup has 1.4 milligrams. Romaine lettuce is common in Caesar salad but it’s also on just about every salad bar.
- Corn – 1 cup 1.4 milligrams. It’s preferable to find corn that is non-GMO if you can.
- Egg yolk – One of the best non-vegetable sources of lutein is egg yolk. One egg yolk has 200-300 micrograms of lutein but it is thought to be more bioavailable in eggs than in vegetables. Read more about this here.
- Brussels Sprouts – 1 cup cooked 2.0 milligrams.
- Oranges – 1 orange has .25 milligrams.
It’s always better to get nutrients from your diet, but if you are not getting enough lutein through food alone, you can take lutein supplements.
One study showed that taking 6 milligrams of lutein per day in the form of soft-gel capsules with meals reduced the risk of developing macular degeneration by 43%. There is no standard recommended daily intake for lutein and zeaxanthin, however 6 milligrams to 10 milligrams of lutein plus 2 milligrams of zeaxanthin per day can have health benefits.