According to the researchers, the ideal dose of zeaxanthin for preventing age-related macular degeneration, or the blindness that can accompany it, is still unknown.
Expert suggestions range from 2mg per day to 20mg per day. Part of the problem in determining a correct dose has to do with the difficulty of measuring the amount of carotenoid that is present in the retina. But that problem seems to have been solved.
Doctors from the Department of Ophthalmology at Utrecht University Medical Center in the Netherlands learned that they could separately measure the density of lutein and zeaxanthin in the retina using “fundus reflectometry.”
In the past, doctors had to rely on blood levels of nutrients or patient observations to determine whether or not supplementation was effective.
Study participants received a dose of 20 mg of zeaxanthin per day for 10 months. The research group was able to see a significant increase in the amount of zeaxanthin in the macula and retina, using the refectometer. The groups hope this study will aid in the investigation of the protective and preventive effects of supplementation.
Of course, it will be years before the evidence is deemed “conclusive,” but we know it certainly can’t hurt.
The National Institutes of Health found that 10 mg of lutein and a 2 mg dose of zeaxanthin, administered orally, increased circulating levels of nutrients in the blood. Although they considered the study results to be inconclusive, they believe that large-scale studies on the safety and benefit of supplementation are warranted.
It can be frustrating for those waiting for a “yes or no” answer to wait for the results of clinical studies to be published. But scientists consider them necessary.
At this time, the mainstream medical community, in the US at least, does not recommend supplementation, except in cases of deficiency diseases. The only supplement that is currently recommended for everyone is vitamin D.
The reason for the recommendation of vitamin D has been a marked increase in deficiencies among all age groups, but especially in the elderly. There are very few food sources of vitamin D, except for fortified dairy products. We get vitamin D mainly from the sun.
But, as we’ve been told, too much sun increases our risk of skin cancer, and because most of us work indoors, we don’t get a lot of sun. Apparently we don’t drink much milk either.
Natural health experts recommend 400 IU of vitamin D3 in the form of cholecalciferol, per day. They recommend a minimum zeaxanthin dose of 6 mg per day and 10 mg per day for those over 40 years of age.
Additionally, they recommend 30 mg of a similar antioxidant called astaxanthin, because it relieves oxidative stress that contributes to glaucoma and other eye diseases.
When it comes to lutein, they recommend 50 mg per day.
Some of the best anti-aging supplements on the market contain all three, as well as a variety of other nutrients that are beneficial in preventing all types of age-related diseases.
While some things are still unknown, we do know that a high dose of zeaxanthin is safe and non-toxic.
