If you are wondering will lutein improve vision, you may have seen or heard a commercial for a health supplement.
Here are the facts that were probably not included in that commercial.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are two powerful antioxidants that are highly concentrated in the macula, a small area of the retina responsible for central vision and good visual acuity.
Some studies indicate that increased intake helps reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration or AMD.
Some studies have concluded that high supplementation (10mg zeaxanthin, 50mg lutein) lowers the risk of cataracts and may actually improve visual acuity in AMD by 20% or more.
So, if you have AMD and you are wondering will lutein improve vision, the answer is "maybe".
It is difficult to be more certain than that, because so many other factors come into play.
Every health problem that affects other parts of your body also affects visual acuity.
Many health problems increase the risk of AMD.
If you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, then supplementation may not help.
If you are obese or your diet is high in fat, it may not help.
Promising results from a single supplement when there are so many other factors to consider would be dishonest.
Yet, some manufacturers focus only on the possible benefits and never mention the importance of a healthy diet and regular physical activity.
If you do not have AMD and you are wondering will lutein improve vision, some people have reported improved eyesight after improving their nutritional intake with a totally balanced supplement.
A single nutrient is probably a waste of time.
Here's a question for you.
How's your diet? If you run through the day grabbing fast foods or snacks from the vending machine and then come home at night to eat meat and potatoes, then a good multi-nutritional supplement that includes mixed carotenoids should help you see better.
If you remember being told to eat your carrots, there was a good reason for that.
We didn't know much about different antioxidants, until recently, but we have known for many years that eating carrots supports eye health, because of the carotenoids they contain.
The problem today is that most of the supplements on the market contain synthetic vitamins.
There is now way to be sure that the synthetics are beneficial at all.
If the latest studies are any indication, they probably are not.
The answer to will lutein improve vision might depend upon where the manufacturer got it.
Is the source natural or is it a petrochemical? Many people are surprised to learn that their vitamins contain petrochemicals.
People that would never expose themselves to cigarette smoke are ingesting possible carcinogens, every day.
Not all petrochemicals are carcinogenic, at least as far as we know, but many of them are.
They are all made in the same factory.
It is safe to assume that petrochemicals are bad for our health.
Luckily, there are some reputable manufacturers that use only natural ingredients.
Now, instead of asking will lutein improve vision, why not learn more about how to choose a good multi-nutritional supplement.