Zeaxanthin is a pigment in the carotenoid family.

Carotenoids are long molecules, very hydrophobic and colourful: from yellow to red.

Within the carotenoids, there are two chemical "subclasses": the carotenes and the xanthophylls.

Carotenes are composed of carbon and hydrogen only, whereas xanthophylls contain additional oxygen atoms.

Zeaxanthin belongs to the latter class, the xanthophylls.

Zeaxanthin is an isomer of lutein, another xanthophyll pigment, which is also responsible for the yellow-orange colour of some plants.

For example, it is zeaxanthin that gives corn its yellow colour.

Like lutein, zeaxanthin is not synthesised by the body and must be obtained from food.

The origins

Zeaxanthin is found in certain plants, such as Marigold, which is used in dietary supplements, as well as other food sources such as corn, cabbage, spinach and even pumpkin.

Properties

Zeaxanthin, along with lutein in particular, has the particular property of colouring a part of the eye: the macula of the retina.

The role of these two pigments is essential for the eye, as they filter some of the blue and ultraviolet light, helping to protect the retina from free radicals.

Zeaxanthin and lutein are found in the photoreceptor cells of the eye, at the level of the rod outer segments, which are responsible for detecting light radiation.

Because their outer membrane is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, rods are particularly vulnerable to free radical attack.

Lutein and zeaxanthin protect them from oxidation.

Numerous studies have shown that increased intake of lutein and zeaxanthin correlates with a reduced risk of age-related retinal oxidation.

Contraindications

No known contraindications.