Health claims for the benefits of food and food supplements containing macular carotenoids were put to the test in the BBC programme ‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor’.
In the show, presenter Dr Michael Mosley took a daily supplement containing lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin for 12-weeks.
Eye examinations taken before and after the supplement trial found the macular pigment levels in Dr Mosley’s eye were ‘significantly increased’.
Contrast sensitivity levels, acuity in detail and colour perception of yellow and blues were also enhanced in his vision.
The show also included a trial where a group of volunteers consumed a daily smoothie made from food types rich in lutein for five weeks. No noticeable difference in vision was reported by the participants of the smoothie trial but lutein levels in the blood were higher in the volunteers group by the end of the five weeks.