Lutein amount for continued eye health

Today, people are thinking different way to maintain good eyesight. Whilst lots of them have to use prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, there is still a large group that is emphasizing the importance of regular eye care. Taking some healthy nutrients in daily life is a popular means. Vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids are two examples. In this article, we introduce another significant substance named lutein.

Lutein is beneficial to eye health

Lutein is commonly thought to be beneficial to eye health. And this nutrient is available from either daily diet or supplements. Many people know that lutein is closely linked with age related eye diseases such as macular degeneration. And they do want to get enough amount of this nutrient. But the problem is how much lutein is needed every day.

What is the right dosage of daily lutein intake?

Until now, there is no standard recommendation of daily lutein dosage. Different ophthalmologists may suggest different amounts. Moreover, there is also no study showing that low amount of lutein consumption may lead to poor eyesight. No study has focused on this problem. But some researches have long been figuring out the average or approximate everyday amount of lutein intake. In general, 10mg per day is necessary to slow down the progression of age-related macular degeneration. Furthermore, scientific studies have suggested that the amount of daily lutein consumption should range from 10mg to 50mg.

Vegetables are the right source of lutein

What kind of foods are good sources of lutein? Among the various vegetables, organic vegetables are the richest in nutrients. Lutein can be found in these vegetables. The following is a list of different vegetables in different amounts, each of which can provide approximately 20mg lutein on a daily basis. Gaining 20mg every day, it is possible to make up for variations.

The exact amounts of vegetables consumption

When taking healthy vegetables has become a common sense of lutein intake, researchers have also worked out the exact amounts of some popular vegetables. In general, 91 grams of kale or 123 grams of collard green can offer about 20mg of lutein. The same amount of this nutrient is also available from about 181 grams of Swiss chard, 158 grams of cooked spinach or 202 grams of mustard greens. People can choose any of these sources based on personal convenience and taste.

Zeaxanthin and vitamins are also beneficial

Lutein is not the only beneficial nutrient. Zeaxanthin as a primary component of the macula is also indispensible. Both of these two nutrients can be got from supplements. What’s more, there are various fortified foods on the market. Flour, milk and some other usual foods may contain vitamins now. These fortified foods can protect human body from deficiency diseases.