Can lutein reduce risk of AMD?
I often suggest that people add the carotenoid lutein and the antioxidant selenium, though there is no proof that they decrease risk. There was a good study out of Harvard in 1994 indicating that people who ate five servings or more of green, leafy vegetables that were rich in carotenoids had 42 percent less macular degeneration. So there is reason to believe that lutein might be a good contributor to this antioxidant formula. The amount of lutein recommended runs from 6 mg to 20 mg. Six milligrams is the amount that would be in, for instance, a serving of dark green, leafy vegetables. [The NEI is currently studying lutein and zeaxanthin, and a randomized, controlled study published in April 2004 in Optometry showed that lutein alone, or in combination with other antioxidants, improved visual function in people with AMD.] What other dietary components can reduce risk? The other thing I recommend is eating extra omega-3 fatty acids, or taking omega-3 supplements. The richest source of o
