Lutein is a carotenoid vitamin related to beta-carotene and vitamin A. Many foods are rich in lutein and these include broccoli, spinach, kale, corn, orange, pepper, kiwi fruit, grapes, orange juice, zucchini, and squash. Lutein is often thought of as “the eye vitamin,” as it is most often utilized in the prevention of eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, and retinitis pigmentosa. In this study an association between plasma levels of lutein and zeaxanthin and “domain-specific cognitive performance” was observed in community-dwelling adults aged 50 years or older derived from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (n=4,076). Specifically, higher plasma levels of lutein and zeaxanthin were observed to be independently associated with global cognition, memory, and executive function. Also there was evidence that “higher plasma zeaxanthin, but not lutein, was associated with better processing speed,” which was consistent across the differing domains, consisting of demographic, socioeconomic factors, health conditions and health behaviors.
Feeney J, O’Leary N, Moran R, O’Halloran AM, Nolan JM, Beatty S, Young IS, Kenny RA. Plasma Lutein and Zeaxanthin Are Associated With Better Cognitive Function Across Multiple Domains in a Large Population-Based Sample of Older Adults: Findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci glw330. 20 January 2017. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glw330.