Top 10 Foods Highest in Lutein and Zeaxanthin
www.myfooddata.com
Foods high in Lutein and Zeaxanthin include dark leafy greens, peas, summer squash, pumpkin, brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, carrots, and pistachios.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/6374430

Couple people in my family have become diligent about taking vitamin supplements daily for eye health. They’ve been taking “Vision Defender” by “Intelligent Formula”, which apparently just contains 3 ingredients:

  • Meso-Zeaxanthin
  • Lutein
  • Zeaxanthin

One of them went to the driver license authority and took the eye test without his glasses, passed, and was able to have the corrective lenses restriction removed from his license. It’s pure anecdote… I wouldn’t put too much stock into vitamins having that effect. But noteworthy nonetheless. They pay $30 for 90 capsules (Amazon, sadly).

On the other side of the pond, there are a couple vitamin cocktails, one called “Nutrof Omega by Théa” and the other “PreserVision 3” by “Bausch+Lomb”. They both lack the Meso-Zeaxanthin (which is supposedly important yet rarely mentioned) but have more stuff than “Vision Defender”. All the following ingredients are in Nutrof Omega, and “PV3”-tagged things are also in “PreserVision 3”:

  • (PV3) lutein and zeaxanthin (for the protection of the macula region of the retina from oxidative stress and signs of aging and can increase visual ability)
  • (PV3) omega-3 fatty acids (support retinal health)
  • (PV3) vitamins C, D and E, zinc and copper (help protect cell constituents from oxidative damage)
  • (PV3) zinc (contributes to the maintenance of normal vision) – but counteracts copper to some extent
  • selenium (key antioxidant and also supports the action of vitamin E and zinc)
  • resveratrol (anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects, and protects retinal cells from oxidative stress)
  • manganese
  • B complex

They both have a €33 price tag for 60 tablets. Over 50¢/day is a bit much but at least it’s from a pharmacist and does not feed Amazon.

Apparently vitamin A is missing from both of those supplements, which Harvard claims is relevant. But there are many other supplements… if someone finds something more complete plz mention it.

So then I looked for relevant foods:

  1. Dark Leafy Greens (Spinach)
  2. Green Peas
  3. Summer Squash
  4. Pumpkin
  5. Brussels Sprouts
  6. Broccoli
  7. Asparagus
  8. Romaine Lettuce
  9. Carrots
  10. Pistachios