Zeaxanthin Frequently Asked Questions

		1. What is zeaxanthin?
		2. What is so special about zeaxanthin?
		3. How much zeaxanthin do I need?
		4. Who else offers zeaxanthin?
		5. What can I do to prevent it?

Q: What is zeaxanthin? A: Zeaxanthin, a strong antioxidant and one of two yellow carotenoids found in the retina, is found in fruits and vegetables like spinach, collard greens, and corn. Studies show zeaxanthin acts to filter, and shields harmful blue light (sunlight) from the eye. Without proper nutritional intake, this nutrient may decrease over time. The zeaxanthin from our diet is deposited in the eye in an area responsible for central vision called the macula. Q: What is so special about zeaxanthin? A: Studies show that low dietary intake of zeaxanthin results in lower levels found in the macula, which can negatively impact normal, healthy eye function. Zeaxanthin also protects the eye's sensitive cells and helps the eye repair itself. In fact, studies have shown that the portion of the macula with the highest concentration of zeaxanthin is the last to degenerate. Q: How much zeaxanthin do I need? A: It is now well established in scientific research that a diet rich in zeaxanthin contributes to the health of the macula. However, even if we were to eat the five zeaxanthin-containing servings of fruits and vegetables per day that nutritionists recommend, it would still not adequately replenish the macula's depleted zeaxanthin supplies. Zeaxanthin is rare in our diets – that’s what makes supplementation with formulas like EyePromise Restore or EyePromise Five so important to eye health. Learn more about dietary zeaxanthin and the importance of supplementation. Q:Who else offers zeaxanthin? A: EyePromise Restore and EyePromise Five are the only available and patent-protected zeaxanthin dietary supplements that provide a large enough dosage of zeaxanthin shown to be effective on eye health. Check the label on any other products claiming to contain zeaxanthin. If amounts are listed as mcg, that is micrograms not milligrams (represented by mg). It takes 1000 mcg to equal 1 mg. Also, if the ingredient is listed as lutein/zeaxanthin, then the amount of zeaxanthin is approximately 1/20 th the amount shown on the label. Q:Why haven’t I heard more about zeaxanthin in the news and from my eye doctor? A: The big news in nutritional supplements to bolster eye health came from the large clinical trial conducted by the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health . The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS 2001) produced compelling results with important implications for zeaxanthin. Investigators concluded that a combination of relatively high doses of antioxidants, plus zinc and copper lowered the risk of macular degeneration by about 25% in people with a high risk of developing advanced stages of the disease. The implications are striking when put in concrete terms, as one recent report did (Bressler, 2002): "If the 1.2 million U.S. citizens who will likely develop advanced age-related macular degeneration over the next five years took these supplements, more than 300,000 would be spared." The NEI has also strongly endorsed the use of antioxidants for advanced macular degeneration sufferers. Their clinical trials did not include zeaxanthin because it was unavailable at the start of the study. The AREDS summary report says that the study would have included zeaxanthin as part of the formula, had it been available at the time of the study. Your eye doctor is far more likely to know about the AREDS formula; but zeaxanthin is rapidly becoming better known to eye care professionals every day — particularly with the new AREDS II formula taking front and center stage.