Monday, July 8, 2013

How Much Lutein is Good For the Eyes? What You Need to Know


If you're wondering how much Lutein is good for the eyes, you're not alone. Researchers are desperately trying to find the answer to that question.

Suggested dosages range from 6-50mg per day. Even the same sources provide information indicating that 6, 10 or 20mg per day is beneficial. The average consumer may end up too confused to even bother with this supplement.

Hopefully, the information in this article will help.

Although some nutrients are toxic in large amounts, the only side effect that has ever been noticed with chronically high intakes of Lutein is a bronzing or orange tone to the skin. The same changes in the skin are seen when a person eats too many carrots or takes too much beta-carotene. It may look funny, but it is not hazardous to your health.

Generally speaking, nutrients found in vegetables and other plant foods are not toxic, even in very large amounts. Some of them may cause stomach upset or diarrhea, but that's about it.

So, when you are trying to figure out how much Lutein is good for the eyes, you don't have to worry about over-doing it. More is probably better, up to a maximum of 50mg per day, particularly if you also take a beta-carotene supplement. The two nutrients are said to "compete" with each other in the digestive system, but there is some question about that.

One study showed that 10mg improved visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and glare recovery in men with age-related macular degeneration.

In the study, one group received only the singe ingredient, while another took a supplement containing it, beta-carotene and other antioxidants. Improvement was seen in both groups. The group that received the multi-nutritional supplement actually improved a little more than the other.

When it comes to how much Lutein is good for the eyes, 6mg is most often recommended, but 10mg combined with 2mg of zeaxanthin is the supplement that has been used in large-scale studies conducted by the National Institute of Health and other research groups.

There are many quite expensive supplements on the market that do not contain zeaxanthin (Zee-a-ZAN-thin), but it is the most concentrated pigment in the macula. It doesn't make sense to take one, without the other.

People that want to know how much lutein is good for the eyes are usually interested in their long-term health. If you are interested in reducing your risk of various age-related diseases, the best solution is a multi-nutritional supplement.

Some of the ingredients to look for include reduced L-glutathione, a very potent antioxidant that is rarely found in dietary supplements because of the added expense.

Other good antioxidants are found in bilberry, grape seed and green tea extract. Everyone focuses on the common vitamins A, C and E.

While those are important, they are simply not the best antioxidants that we have.

According to a respected scientist and doctor of naturopathic medicine, 50mg per day is how much lutein is good for the eyes. I think that's sound advice.

No comments:

Post a Comment