Lutein Supplements Boost Serum Levels in Elderly

COLLEGE PARK, Md.—Supplementation with lutein for six months boosts levels of the carotenoid and its metabolites in the serum of elderly adults, both with and without age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In the study, coordinated out of the University of Maryland in conjunction with researchers from the National Eye Institute and EMMES Corp., 45 subjects received daily supplements of lutein (with 5-percent zeaxanthin) for six months at doses of 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/d. After six months of supplementation with 10 mg/d of lutein, serum levels increased from 210 to 1,000 nM/L for lutein and from 56 to 95 nM/L for zeaxanthin. Mean concentrations of lutein metabolites also increased significantly. There were no reported side effects or apparent toxicity, and serum levels of these carotenoids gradually declined in the six months after supplementation ended.

The study appeared in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (47:5234-42, 2006) (DOI:10.1167.iovs.06-0504).

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