Lutein + Zeaxanthin
Today
7-day average. Days to weeks of reserve, so single days mean little.
11.4 mg
Shown as an absolute amount. There is no percentage here because there is no target — see the intake context below.
What it is
These two pigments come from leafy greens, egg yolks, and corn, and your body sends them straight to the centre of the retina, where they form a yellow filter that absorbs blue light. Eating more of them measurably thickens that filter. There's no official daily requirement — nobody gets a deficiency disease from lacking them — but higher intakes are linked to slower age-related macular degeneration.
Intake context
Not a target.
- Typical intake
- 1.7 mg/dayNHANES, US adults — combined lutein and zeaxanthin
- Studied range
- 6–20 mg/day
No official requirement exists for lutein or zeaxanthin, and no deficiency disease has ever been described. These figures show what people typically eat and what amounts have been studied — they are context, not a target to hit.
What the evidence says
Wording reflects how strong the evidence actually is.
May slows progression of age-related macular degeneration in people who already have it
Increases macular pigment optical density
May improves contrast sensitivity and glare recovery, though the evidence is thin
Has been associated with: supports cognitive function in older adults
Deficiency
Not applicable — there is no deficiency state. US median intake is roughly 1–2 mg/day, well below the 10 mg used in intervention trials.
Higher risk
- people with very low vegetable intake (low macular pigment density is a risk marker, not a deficiency)
- smokers (lower circulating carotenoid levels overall)
Excess
No toxicity reported from food. Extremely high intakes of yellow-orange vegetables can produce carotenodermia — harmless yellowing of the skin that resolves on reduction.
From supplements
- carotenodermia at very high sustained doses
- no established toxicity at doses used in trials (up to 20 mg/day)
Absorption
Highly variable, roughly 5–60% depending on the food matrix
Helps absorption
- dietary fat consumed in the same meal — these are fat-soluble and absorption is poor without it
- cooking and chopping (disrupts plant cell walls)
- egg yolk matrix, which is unusually bioavailable despite modest absolute content
Hinders absorption
- very low-fat meals
- intact raw plant cell walls
- high doses of beta-carotene, which competes for the same absorption pathway
- plant sterol supplements and fat-blocking medications
Top sources
Per 100 g, in mg. FoodData Central IDs are resolved by the importer, not written by hand.
- 11.3 mg
Spinach, boiled
180 g (1 cup)
- 8.2 mg
Kale, boiled
130 g (1 cup)
- 1.4 mg
Pistachios
28 g
- 1.1 mg
Egg yolk
17 g (1 yolk)
- 0.9 mg
Corn, sweet, cooked
164 g (1 cup)
- 1.9 mg
Peas, green, cooked
160 g (1 cup)
Ranking these by what you already eat needs the real log — see docs/STATUS.md.
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-08-11