Eye Health And Lutein

Lutein is considered to be a carotenoid vitamin due to its relation to vitamin A and beta-carotene, and it is often used to help a person to avoid age-related eye problems and keep an overall better level of general eye health. Lutein protects the eye from sustaining damage from harmful rays of UV light by acting as a filter to lessen the blow the cells may take from harmful light waves, thereby keeping the cells healthy and working properly throughout the course of a person’s life. Without antioxidants such as lutein, the cells of the eye would be damaged over and over again from the harmful light rays of the sun, and this damage is what leads to age related eye illnesses and macular degeneration. Lutein has also been found to slow the progression of age related eye diseases in those who may already be suffering with them. While lutein’s eye benefits are well known, recent studies have shown that it may also help in preventing certain cancers, diseases, and diabetes. Those suffering with colon cancer, breast cancer, heart diseases, or type 2 diabetes have found that taking lutein supplements or eating a diet rich in lutein helps to improve their condition due to the assistance the carotenoid vitamin brings to the cells of the body. Lutein can be brought into the body through foods or supplements, and some foods with naturally occurring lutein are:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Grapes
• Oranges
• Squash
• Kiwi fruit
• Broccoli
• Orange peppers

However, if eating a natural diet rich in lutein is not feasible due to schedule constraints or any other reason supplements can be taken instead to reap the benefits of the carotenoid. Many different multivitamins contain lutein to enhance a daily vitamin intake, and this allows a person to get their daily recommended level of nutrients with lutein included at an optimal level of convenience.