Lutein and Omega-3 Both Important for Eye Health in Women

by | Jul 18, 2008 | 2008, DHA, Eye Health, Lutein, Macular Degeneration, Women's Health

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Those in a group of 57 non-smoking women who added lutein and DHA to their diets for 4 months appreciated the greatest protection against age-related macular degeneration. 

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment and blindness in the U.S. (1). The condition causes vision loss in more than 200,000 Americans every year (2) and is expected to increase to 3 million cases over the next 20 years (3). The only two known risk factors for AMD are cigarette smoking and advancing age (4). There is no cure for AMD, so preventive measures are a priority.

Fortunately, antioxidants have been found to benefit eye health (5) and AMD. Several studies over the past few years have found that lutein is important for eye health. Two mouse studies in 2006 (6, 7) as well as a third study showed that low lutein and zeaxanthin levels decrease artery health (8). A 2007 study showed that 12 mg of lutein benefits eye health (9). A study in 2008 (10) even showed that lutein and zeaxanthin benefit healthy eyes.

Lutein’s ability to promote eye health lies in its antioxidant properties (11, 12), which filter blue light and protect the macula from oxidative damage (13). Oxidative damage is elevated in the eye because of repeated exposure to light and the high rate of oxidative metabolism in the retina (14). This cumulative oxidative damage is thought to play a central role in the onset of AMD. Because research has shown that lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation increases blood levels of these antioxidants (15), antioxidant supplementation for eye health has become increasingly important.

Now a new study (16) that lutein and omega-3 fatty acids, also shown to benefit eye health (17), when taken together, may help eye health and AMD. In the study, 57 non-smoking women 60 to 80 years of age took one of four different supplement regimens with a nutrition energy drink (360 calories with 10 grams protein, 45 grams carbohydrate, and 14 grams fat) every day for four months. The patients took either a placebo, fish oil in the form of DHA (800 mg/day), lutein (12 mg/d plus 0.5 mg zeaxanthin), or lutein + DHA (12 and 800 mg/d, respectively). In addition to keeping dietary records using a 100-item questionnaire (18), patients underwent regular eye examinations to measure macular pigment eye density (MPOD), which has been used as a measure of overall eye health (19). The researchers chose older women because they tend to have an increased risk of AMD (20).

By the end of four months, the researchers found that compared to placebo, total MPOD was nearly five times greater in the lutein group and nearly three times greater in the lutein + DHA group. While the researchers expected the MPOD findings from the lutein group, they cited the results from the lutein + DHA group as “unexpected” and suggested that DHA may increase lutein uptake in the eye. They confirmed their results with previous research in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (21), which found that those who ate fish more than four times per week had a 35% lower risk of AMD than those who ate fish less than three times per month.

For the researchers, “Lutein and DHA may aid in prevention of age-related macular degeneration.”

Source: Johnson, Elizabeth J., Hae-Yun Chung, Susan M. Caldarella, and D. Max Snodderly. “The influence of supplemental lutein and docosahexaenoic acid on serum, lipoproteins, and macular pigmentation.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 87, no. 5 (2008): 1521-1529.

© 2008 American Society for Clinical Nutrition

Posted July 17, 2008.

References:

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