Lutein is often referred to as the ‘eye vitamin’ because it plays a crucial role in preventing problems like retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and cataracts. It is a carotenoid vitamin which is linked with Vitamin A and beta carotene. Often linked with zeaxanthin, the 2 minerals are mostly taken from Tagetes erecta (marigold flower) and are both considered to be pivotal in the overall health of the eyes and blood circulation.
Sources
The best method to obtain the right amount of lutein is through your daily diet. This is because lutein can be found in most types of vegetables and fruits. Among those that are known for high contents of lutein includes oranges, grapes and kiwi fruit. Apart from that, vegetables like spinach and broccoli has high contents of this mineral while you can get them through kale and corn as well. When taking high-fat meals, lutein can be easily absorbed into the blood stream. If you do not practice a healthy and balance diet that involves a lot of vegetables and fruits, then you can source lutein from most types of multivitamins.
What does it do?
As it is known, lutein’s main role is in enhancing vision health. Besides aiding in building strong eyes and its muscles, lutein has been used to prevent serious diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease as well as cancers in the breast and colon.
Deficiency and Symptoms
A person who is lacking in lutein simply means that there will be problems with vision. As you grow older, your eye sight might deteriorate faster than others which could lead to blindness. Besides that, it could lead to inflammatory polyarthritis which is connected to the joints while it could put you in the high risk group of people who could get several types of cancer. If your diet is sugar rich, then not having enough lutein could well put you at risk of type 2 diabates.
Recommended Dosage
If you are taking standard multivitamin products from known health supplement producers, then you will most likely be receiving adequate levels of lutein which is usually about 6mg per day. If your daily diet is rich in fiber from vegetables, then you should be receiving enough daily dosage.