Key points
What these pigments are
The macula (the yellow spot) is the center of the retina that we use to read and recognize faces. Its color comes from lutein and zeaxanthin. This pigment absorbs blue light; its amount is measured as macular pigment optical density (Stringham JM Foods 2017. PMID 28661438[6]).
Which foods have more of them
Among 33 vegetables and fruits studied, plus egg yolk, lutein and zeaxanthin made up the largest share of carotenoids in egg yolk and corn — more than 85%. Dark green leafy vegetables have a lot of lutein (15–47% of carotenoids) but almost no zeaxanthin; among vegetables, orange pepper has the most zeaxanthin (Sommerburg O Br J Ophthalmol 1998. PMID 9828775[7]).
Macular degeneration: AREDS and AREDS2
AMD is a disease of the macula in people over 50 in which central vision suffers. An early sign is drusen, yellow deposits under the retina; an ophthalmologist sees them during a fundus examination.
If you do not have AMD
Screens and “blue light”
In one study, 48 healthy young people who spent at least 6 hours a day at screens took 24 mg of a mix of lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin, or placebo, for six months. On the supplement, pigment density rose, visual tests and sleep improved, and headaches and eye fatigue were less frequent; the 24 mg dose is higher than the well-studied one, and the author consults for the study sponsor (Stringham JM Foods 2017. PMID 28661438[6]). This is one small study of well-being, not of retinal health over years.
How much is needed
In AMD, 10 mg of lutein with 2 mg of zeaxanthin a day was studied as part of the full formula (AREDS2 Research Group JAMA 2013. PMID 23644932[2]). The handbook gives 5–20 mg of lutein a day for a supplement — this is the authors’ own dose, not a norm (Burgerstein, Handbuch Nährstoffe 2015, p. 63). Safety is reliably confirmed up to 20 mg a day (Shao A Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2006. PMID 16814439[5]).
What the studies showed
| What was tested | Who took part | Result |
|---|---|---|
| AREDS: vitamins C, E, beta-carotene, zinc, 6.3 years, 2001 | 3,640 people aged 55–80 with signs of AMD | Odds of late AMD 0.72; at high risk 0.66 |
| AREDS2: plus lutein 10 mg and zeaxanthin 2 mg, 5 years, 2013 | 4,203 people aged 50–85 | Did not further slow the disease (29% vs 31% of eyes); lung cancer with beta-carotene 2.0% vs 0.9% |
| AREDS2 after 10 years, 2022 | 3,882 people | Lutein vs beta-carotene: late AMD 0.85 (post-trial follow-up, exploratory analysis); lung cancer: beta-carotene 1.82, lutein 1.15 |
| Cataract in AREDS2, 2013 | 3,159 people with AMD | No fewer operations: 0.96 |
| Vision in AMD, meta-analysis, 2014 | 8 studies, 1,176 patients | Slight improvement in acuity and contrast |
| Screens 6+ hours a day, 2017 | 48 young people | Higher pigment density, better visual tests and sleep |
| AMD prevention, Cochrane, 2017 | 5 studies, 76,756 people | Vitamins E, C, beta-carotene did not help; no studies of lutein were found |
Not everything is equally proven: for preventing AMD in healthy eyes, the benefit of lutein has not been studied, and for cataract it has not been shown — this is “no effect shown”, not “proven not to work”.
Who should be more careful
- Formulas with beta-carotene are not suitable for smokers and people who have quit smoking; the handbook warns smokers about high doses of synthetic beta-carotene (Burgerstein, Handbuch Nährstoffe 2015, p. 65).
- The AREDS formula contains 80 mg of zinc — this dose is worth discussing with a doctor; more in the article Zinc: why you need it, signs of deficiency and how much is safe.
- With a constant excess of carotenoids, the skin turns yellow — this is carotenodermia; the handbook describes it with a daily intake of about 1 kg of carrots (Burgerstein, Handbuch Nährstoffe 2015, p. 62). Show yellowed skin to a doctor so as not to miss jaundice.
- If straight lines look bent, a spot appears in the center of vision, or vision drops quickly, you need an ophthalmologist: a supplement does not replace an examination and treatment.
Bottom line
Lutein and zeaxanthin are macular pigments; in egg yolk and corn they make up the largest share of carotenoids — more than 85% — and leafy greens are also rich in lutein. The data are most reliable in intermediate AMD: the AREDS formula slows the disease, and lutein in it is safer than beta-carotene. For healthy eyes and for cataract, a benefit has not been shown. You can discuss testing and whether you personally need a supplement at a consultation.
This material is for information only and does not replace a doctor’s consultation. The decision to take the AREDS2 formula is made together with an ophthalmologist after a fundus examination.
References
- AREDS Research Group Arch Ophthalmol 2001. PMID 11594942
- AREDS2 Research Group JAMA 2013. PMID 23644932
- Liu R Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2014. PMID 25515572
- Evans JR Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2023. PMID 37702300
- Shao A Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2006. PMID 16814439
- Stringham JM Foods 2017. PMID 28661438
- Sommerburg O Br J Ophthalmol 1998. PMID 9828775
- Chew EY JAMA Ophthalmol 2022. PMID 35653117
- Chew EY JAMA Ophthalmol 2013. PMID 23645227
- Evans JR Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017. PMID 28756617
Key facts
- In people with signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), antioxidants with zinc lowered the odds of the late stage over 6.3 years: odds ratio 0.72 (AREDS, Arch Ophthalmol 2001).
- In intermediate AMD, these vitamins give about 78 fewer cases of the late stage for every 1,000 people (Evans JR, Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2023).
- In AREDS2 (the second Age-Related Eye Disease Study), lung cancer occurred in 2.0% of people on beta-carotene versus 0.9% without it, mainly in former smokers; so it was replaced with lutein 10 mg and zeaxanthin 2 mg (AREDS2, JAMA 2013).
- Over 10 years, in a direct comparison with beta-carotene, late AMD developed 15% less often on lutein (post-trial follow-up, exploratory analysis), and lutein gave no significant rise in lung cancer (Chew EY, JAMA Ophthalmol 2022).
- Safety data for lutein are reliable up to 20 mg a day; above that, it is insufficiently studied rather than proven harmful (Shao A, Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2006).
