Lutein: Nutrient

Would you like have superhuman strength like Popeye? Suppose you were able to decrease the risk of cataracts by 20 percent and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by as much as 40 percent? Would you be interested?

To obtain the muscular strength of Popeye, combined with superior vision, eat foods that contain the phytochemical, lutein. Where is this helpful and healthy compound found? In everyone's favorite leafy green vegetable, and Popeye's favorite snack, spinach.

Lutein is a carotenoid, providing color to plants and acting as an antioxidant to fight free radical damage. A diet rich in lutein protects the eye by filtering out blue light rays and hydrates the skin in addition to preventing skin cell inflammation.

In the human body, lutein can be found in the eyes, blood, skin, cervix, breast and brain. How much per day do we actually require to maintain an adequate level of health? Various studies place the amount at anywhere from 6-10 mg per day. The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) recommends the daily intake to be about one milligram per pound of body weight, meaning that a 150 pound person should consume about 150 mg of lutein each day. Food sources of lutein include dark leafy greens (good sources include kale and spinach), colorful fruits like blackberries and blueberries, and eggs. Other vegetables rich in color, including squash and red pepper, also contain healthy doses of lutein.

Don't worry, oversized forearms are not a side effect of a lutein rich diet!