Researchers Eye Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Vitamin E To Reduce Cataracts
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Diets high in lutein and zeaxanthin, substances found in green leafy vegetables, and vitamin E may more effectively reduce women's risk of cataracts than diets laden with beta carotene, a form of vitamin A found in the vegetable typically linked to good eye health - carrots, according to a study in the January Archives of Ophthalmolog
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Diets high in lutein and zeaxanthin, substances found in green leafy vegetables, and vitamin E may more effectively reduce women's risk of cataracts than diets laden with beta carotene, a form of vitamin A found in the vegetable typically linked to good eye health - carrots, according to a study in the January Archives of Ophthalmology A high intake of lutein and zeaxanthin reduced the risk of cataracts by 18 percent in more than 35,000 women who participated in the 10-year study, say researchers led by William G. Christen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and an associate epidemicologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. In addition, women who consumed high levels of vitamin E were 14 percent less likely to develop cataracts, according to the study, which was conducted with participants recruited from the Women's Health Study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation with healthy women ages 45 and older. Meanwhile, women in the study who consumed high levels of beta carotene experienced only a "borderline significant" 13 percent risk reduction in cataracts, the researchers state. The study suggests lutein and zeaxanthin, which are the only carotenoids detected in the human lens, help maintain lens clarity, according to Christen and his colleagues. Lutein may prevent cataracts in part by filtering harmful short-wave blue light and through possible antioxidant activity, they explain. The findings add to the growing body of observational research that shows lutein and zeaxanthin may benefit eyes. Another study, the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study, published in August 2006 that found a significant and stable intake of the two carotenoids may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration in women younger than 75 years old ( (Also see "Stable Lutein, Zeaxanthin Intake May Link To Lower AMD Risk – CAREDS" - Pink Sheet, 21 Aug, 2006.), p. 6). The authors stop short of advocating lutein and zeaxanthin supplements to prevent eye disease because the study was observational and the women did not change their diets to test cataract prevention. They suggest more random trials of lutein and zeaxanthin. - Elizabeth Crawford ([email protected]) |