Zeaxanthin
Alternate names: 13-Cis-Zeaxanthin, All-E-Zeaxanthin, All-Trans-Zeaxanthin, Meso-Zeaxanthin, RR-Zeaxanthin, SS-Zeaxanthin
Actions: General, Antioxidant, Neurological, Ocular, Skin
Background
Zeaxanthin is a type of organic pigment called a carotenoid. It's related to vitamin A and found in the human eye (macula and retina) along with lutein.
Zeaxanthin is thought to function as a light filter, protecting the eye tissues from sunlight damage. Foods rich in zeaxanthin include eggs, oranges, grapes, corn, goji berries, mango, orange pepper, and some other vegetables and fruits.
People use zeaxanthin for age-related vision loss. It's also used for eye strain, mental decline, heart disease, breast cancer, cataracts, and many other conditions, but there's no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Zeaxanthin is thought to function as a light filter, protecting the eye tissues from sunlight damage. Foods rich in zeaxanthin include eggs, oranges, grapes, corn, goji berries, mango, orange pepper, and some other vegetables and fruits.
People use zeaxanthin for age-related vision loss. It's also used for eye strain, mental decline, heart disease, breast cancer, cataracts, and many other conditions, but there's no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Safety Safety definitions
When taken by mouth: Zeaxanthin is likely safe when used in doses up to 2 mg daily. It is possibly safe when taken in larger doses. Doses up to 10 mg daily seem to be safe when used for up to 1 year.
Children: Zeaxanthin is possibly safe when taken by mouth in appropriate amounts. A specific product (LUTEINofta, SOOFT Italia SpA) containing zeaxanthin 0.0006 mg daily has been safely used in infants for 36 weeks.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Zeaxanthin is commonly consumed in foods. There isn't enough reliable information to know if zeaxanthin is safe to use as medicine while pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and stick to food amounts.Children: Zeaxanthin is possibly safe when taken by mouth in appropriate amounts. A specific product (LUTEINofta, SOOFT Italia SpA) containing zeaxanthin 0.0006 mg daily has been safely used in infants for 36 weeks.
Effectiveness
NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
Possibly effective Effectiveness definitions
- An eye disease that leads to vision loss in older adults (age-related macular degeneration or AMD). Taking zeaxanthin by mouth as part of a combination product that also contains lutein seems to help improve vision in people with AMD. But it's not clear if taking zeaxanthin without lutein helps.
Dosing & administration
Zeaxanthin is found in many foods, with orange pepper being the richest source. Other sources include egg yolks, corn, red grapes, oranges, honeydew melon, and mango.
Zeaxanthin is also taken in supplements, typically along with lutein. It's most often been used by adults in doses of 2 mg by mouth daily, for up to 4.8 years. Zeaxanthin is absorbed best when it's taken with a high-fat meal. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what type of product or dose might be best for a specific condition.
Zeaxanthin is also taken in supplements, typically along with lutein. It's most often been used by adults in doses of 2 mg by mouth daily, for up to 4.8 years. Zeaxanthin is absorbed best when it's taken with a high-fat meal. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what type of product or dose might be best for a specific condition.
Interactions with pharmaceuticals
Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Zeaxanthin might lower blood sugar levels. Taking zeaxanthin along with diabetes medications might cause blood sugar to drop too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely.
Interactions with herbs & supplements
Herbs and supplements that might lower blood sugar: Zeaxanthin might lower blood sugar. Taking it with other supplements with similar effects might lower blood sugar too much. Examples of supplements with this effect include aloe, bitter melon, cassia cinnamon, chromium, and prickly pear cactus.
Interactions with foods
Zeaxanthin is better absorbed by the body when it is taken with a high-fat meal.
Products
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Per tablet:
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Per tablet:
- Zeaxanthin (Carotenoids) 600 μg
- Cholecalciferol 12.5 μg
- Co-methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12) 250 μg
- Zinc amino acid chelate 25 mg equiv. zinc 5 mg
- Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) 75.5 mg
- Levomefolate calcium (Activated folate) 309.6 μg equiv. levomefolic acid 250 μg
- Potassium iodide (Iodine) 183.1 μg equiv. iodine 140 μg equiv. potassium 43 μg
- Phytomenadione (Vitamin K1) 25 μg
- Menaquinone 7 (Vitamin K2) 25 μg
- Riboflavin 5-phosphate sodium (Activated B2) 10 mg equiv. riboflavin 7.3 mg
- Pyridoxal 5-phosphate monohydrate (P5P) 7.84 mg equiv. pyridoxine 5 mg
- Pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6) 6.08 mg equiv. pyridoxine 5 mg
- Choline bitartrate 243.1 mg equiv. choline 100 mg
- Selenomethionine 93.1 μg equiv. selenium 37.5 μg
- Thiamine hydrochloride (Vitamin B1) 12.5 mg equiv. thiamine 11.15 mg
- Iron (II) glycinate 43.83 mg equiv. iron 12 mg
- Biotin 150 μg
- Inositol 25 mg
- Nicotinamide (Vitamin B3) 10 mg
- Calcium pantothenate (Vitamin B5) 7.5 mg equiv. pantothenic acid 6.9 mg equiv. calcium 0.63 mg
- Chromium nicotinate 208.3 μg equiv. chromium 25 μg
- Manganese amino acid chelate 12.5 mg equiv. manganese 1.25 mg
- Molybdenum trioxide 37.47 μg equiv. molybdenum 25 μg
- Lutein 3 mg
Practitioner product
Per capsule:
- Zeaxanthin (Carotenoids) 400 µg
- Retinol palmitate 0.55 mg equiv. vitamin A 301 µg RE
- Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) 100 mg
- Hydroxocobalamin (Vitamin B12) 150 µg
- Co-methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12) 50 µg
- Cholecalciferol 25 µg equiv. vitamin D3 1000 IU
- Tocopherols concentrate - mixed (low-alpha type) 83.34 mg equiv. vitamin E 25 mg
- Zinc citrate dihydrate 46.73 mg equiv. zinc 15 mg
- Beta-carotene 2.01 mg equiv. blakeslea trispora 10.05 mg
- Thiamine hydrochloride (Vitamin B1) 2.54 mg equiv. thiamine 2 mg
- Riboflavin 5-phosphate sodium (Activated B2) 1.32 mg equiv. riboflavin 1 mg
- Nicotinamide (Vitamin B3) 50 mg
- Calcium pantothenate (Vitamin B5) 16.38 mg equiv. pantothenic acid 15 mg
- Pyridoxal 5-phosphate monohydrate (P5P) 12.54 mg equiv. pyridoxine 8 mg
- Levomefolate calcium (Activated folate) 108 µg equiv. levomefolic acid 100 µg
- Calcium folinate (Activated folate) 325.52 µg equiv. folinic acid 300 µg
- Phytomenadione (Vitamin K1) 70 µg
- Menaquinone 7 (Vitamin K2) 90 µg
- Manganese gluconate 8.1 mg equiv. manganese 1 mg
- Molybdenum trioxide 187 µg equiv. molybdenum 125 µg
- Potassium iodide 261 µg equiv. iodine 200 µg
- Selenomethionine 186 µg equiv. selenium 75 µg
- Lutein 7 mg
- Choline bitartrate 60.17 mg equiv. choline 25 mg
- Borax 13.23 mg equiv. boron 1.5 mg
- Biotin 50 µg
- Citrus bioflavonoids extract 25 mg
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Per capsule:
- Beta-carotene (Carotenoids) 1 mg
- Tagetes erecta (African marigold) ext. 20 mg equiv. lutein 1 mg equiv. zeaxanthin 0.05 mg
- Levomefolate glucosamine (Activated folate) 451 µg equiv. levomefolic acid 250 µg
- Hydroxocobalamin (Vitamin B12) 250 µg
- Potassium iodide 177 µg equiv. iodine 135 µg
- Iron bisglycinate 44.40 mg equiv. iron 12 mg
- Thiamine hydrochloride (Vitamin B1) 19.06 mg equiv. thiamine 15 mg
- Riboflavin 5-phosphate sodium (Activated B2) 6.58 mg equiv. riboflavin 5 mg
- Nicotinamide (Vitamin B3) 10 mg
- Calcium pantothenate (Vitamin B5) 27.29 mg equiv. pantothenic acid 25 mg
- Pyridoxal 5-phosphate monohydrate (P5P) 7.84 mg equiv. pyridoxine 5 mg
- Choline bitartrate 291.76 mg equiv. choline 120 mg
- Inositol 25 mg
- Biotin 200 µg
- Magnesium ascorbate monohydrate (Vitamin C) 47.36 mg equiv. ascorbic acid 42.50 mg equiv. magnesium 2.93 mg
- Cholecalciferol 12.50 µg equiv. vitamin D3 500 IU
- Chromium picolinate 201.10 µg equiv. chromium 25 µg
- Magnesium amino acid chelate 125 mg equiv. magnesium 25 mg
- Manganese amino acid chelate 10 mg equiv. manganese 1 mg
- Molybdenum trioxide 37.50 µg equiv. molybdenum 25 µg
- Selenomethionine 80.7 µg equiv. selenium 32.5 µg
- Zinc citrate dihydrate 37.38 mg equiv. zinc 12 mg
- Ubidecarenone (Coenzyme Q10) 50 mg
- Silica - colloidal anhydrous 7 mg
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Per 4 g:
- Terminalia ferdinandiana
- Davidson plum powder
- Marine collagen peptides
- Hippophae rhamnoides powder
- Green banana
- Berry flavour
- Lycopersicon esculentum powder
- Sesamum indicum
- Daucus carota powder
- Bambusa arundinacea
- Sesbania sp.
- Tocotrienols (Vitamin E)
- Santalum acuminatum
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Per 3 g:
- Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) 750 mg
- Chlorella pyrenoidosa powder 750 mg
- Wheatgrass powder 450 mg
- Hordeum vulgare powder 750 mg
- Calcified lithothamnion (Red algae) 300 mg
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Per capsule:
- Terminalia ferdinandiana
- Davidson plum powder
- Marine collagen peptides
- Santalum acuminatum
- Green banana
- Berry flavour
- Lycopersicon esculentum
- Sesamum indicum
- Hippophae rhamnoides powder
- Daucus carota powder
- Bambusa arundinacea
- Sesbania sp.
- Tocotrienols (Vitamin E)
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Per capsule:
- Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) 550 mg
- Chlorella pyrenoidosa powder 550 mg
- Wheatgrass powder 330 mg
- Hordeum vulgare powder 550 mg
- Calcified lithothamnion (Red algae) 220 mg
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Natural Medicines rates safety based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Likely Safe, Possibly Safe, Possibly Unsafe, Likely Unsafe, Unsafe, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate. For more information about Natural Medicines’ Safety Rating System, click here.
The Natural Medicines Effectiveness Ratings are assigned for specific indications. A product might be rated "Possibly Effective" for one condition, but be rated "Likely Ineffective" for another condition, depending on the evidence. For more info click here.
