Copyright © American Society for Nutrition 2019. All rights reserved. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (CC BY-NC 4.0). The licensor does not provide representations and warranties regarding the licensed content. First published online June 4, 2019. No changes had been made.
ABSTRACT
Lutein is a non-provitamin A dietary carotenoid found in dark green leafy vegetables, corn, eggs, and avocados. Among the carotenoids, lutein and its isomer, zeaxanthin, are the only 2 that cross the blood–retina barrier to form macular pigment in the retina. Lutein also preferentially accumulates in the human brain across multiple life stages. A variety of scientific evidence supports a role for lutein in visual as well as cognitive function across the lifespan. The purpose of this review is to summarize the latest science on lutein’s role in the eye and the brain across different ages. Curr Dev Nutr 2019;3:nzz066. Read the full article and post your thoughts/comments/questions in The Forum!