Lutein I care™
Antioxidant
... Antioxidant Macular Support* with Beta Carotene, Zinc & Copper
Highlights
-
Helps
protect the retina, macula & lens from oxidative and free-radical
damage*
-
Helps
safeguard against blue and ultraviolet (UV) light damage to the macula
and retina*
-
Especially
important for people with light-colored irises (pupils), and people
who smoke*
-
Promotes
production of super oxide dismutase (SOD), which protects the eye from
free-radical damage*
Eye Health & Free Radicals
Proper
nutritional support for the retina and lens is critical to maintaining
healthy eyes. Several factors such as smoking, diabetes, injury,
supplemental steroids, excess exposure to pollution, sunlight or radiation
can all damage parts of the eye. Most of these factors create free
radicals that can damage the delicate structures of the eye and result in
poor eyesight. Phytonutrients and antioxidants from food and supplements
can protect our eyes from these damaging free radicals by neutralizing, or
“scavenging” them.*1
Lutein I care Benefits
Carotenes:
There is much interest in carotenoids as protective factors for
maintaining good eye health. Lutein
and zeaxanthin are specific carotenoids that are concentrated in the
yellow pigment in the macula and appear to specifically protect the
macula.*2
Like beta carotene, the more well-known carotenoid, lutein
and zeaxanthin are also potent antioxidants.
A
large multicenter human study looked at the relationship between lutein
and zeaxanthin, among other nutrients, and protection of the macula. The
researchers found that people eating 5.8 mg per day of lutein and
zeaxanthin from dietary sources are much more likely to have healthy,
undamaged macula.*2
That’s almost 3 cups (1
ounce) of fresh, chopped spinach every
day. In the Nurses’ Health Study, involving over 100,000 nurses,
significant protection for the lens of the eye was also evident from
eating spinach. The researchers suggested that lutein may be the
protective carotenoid in spinach.*3
Another
study determined that people supplementing with the equivalent of 30 mg
per day of lutein raised lutein levels, or density, of the macular
pigment.*4
Nature’s Life
Lutein i care™ Antioxidant supplement also contains natural beta
carotene, alpha carotene and cryptoxanthin in addition to lutein and
zeaxanthin. Foods high in carotenoids have also been linked to
maintenance of unclouded, transparent lenses.*5
Researchers report that people who eat a diet high in these
carotenoids have healthier retinas and maculas.*2,6
Minerals: Zinc activates two critical enzymes, retinol dehydrogenase
and catalase.7 Retinol dehydrogenase converts vitamin A to the more active
form used in visual purple. Seeing well in dim light requires adequate
amounts of visual purple. The inability of people with liver damage to see
well at night has been linked to abnormal zinc metabolism.7
The enzyme catalase is an antioxidant enzyme that also protects the
eye from oxidative damage.*7
Both
of the essential minerals zinc and copper are crucial for general eye
function and to produce the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase
(SOD).*8
Zinc’s ability to activate this key antioxidant enzyme may play a
critical role in protecting the macula and the lens from oxidative damage
resulting from sunlight.*
Ingredient Highlights
Nature’s
Life uses only FloraGLO brand lutein from Kemin® Foods in Lutein i care™ Antioxidant. FloraGLO
Lutein is a bright yellow-orange pigment naturally extracted, purified and
crystallized from marigold petals (Tagetes erecta) providing standardized amounts of lutein and
zeaxanthin. Vitamin E, rosemary and citric acid add natural protection for
the delicate carotenoids to ensure maximum potency. In foods lutein and
zeaxanthin are found abundantly in spinach, kale, broccoli and other green
leafy vegetables, as well as papaya and mango.
Nature's
Life uses only natural marine source carotenes derived from the unique
microalgae, Dunaliella salina.
Unlike synthetic all trans-beta-carotene, natural beta-carotene is a mixture of cis
and trans forms. Standardized D.
salina from Henkel® contains cis-
and trans-beta-carotene in a
concentrated 50%/50% mixture.
Zinc
gluconate and copper gluconate are readily absorbed and used by the body.
Studies of elderly populations have found that few people get enough zinc
in their diets (7-10 mg daily is typical). Elderly low-income people are
at real risk of consuming less than 50% of the RDI for zinc.9 While severe zinc deficiency is rare in the U.S., marginal
deficiencies are increasingly common. Fiber in food hampers zinc
absorption.9
Taking copper promotes the synthesis of super oxide
dismutase (SOD).10
Oral SOD supplements are very poorly absorbed, and SOD supplements
are not recommended.11
References
-
Florence TM. The role of free
radicals in disease. Aust N Z J
Ophthalmol 1995;23:3-7.
-
Seddon JM, Ajani UA, Sperduto RD,et
al. Dietary carotenoids,
vitamin A, C, and E, and advanced age-related macular degeneration. JAMA
1994;272:1413-20.
-
Hankinson SE, Stampfer MJ, Seddon JM,
et al. Nutrient intake
and cataract in women: A prospective study. BMJ
1992;305(6849):335-9.
-
Landrum JT, Bone RA, Joa H, et al.
A one year study of the macular pigment: The effect of 140 days
of a lutein supplement. Exp Eye
Res 1997;65:57-62.
-
Knekt P, Heliovaara M, Rissanen A, et
al. Serum antioxidant
vitamins and risk of cataract. BMJ
1992;305:1392-4.
-
Goldberg J, Flowerdew G, Smith E, et
al. Factors associated
with age-related macular degeneration. Am J Epidemiol 1988;128:700-10.
-
Anonymous. Zinc chelators and the
eye. Nutr
Rev 1982;40:218-20 [review].
-
Fridovich I.
Oxygen : Aspects of its toxicity and elements of defense. Curr
Eye Res 1984;3:1-2.
-
Greger JL. Mineral bioavailability/new
concepts. Nutr Today
1987;22(4):4-9.
-
Harris ED. Copper as a cofactor and
regulator of copper, zinc superoxide dismutase. J
Nutr 1992;122:636-40.
-
Regnault C, Soursac M, Roch-Arveiller
M, et al. Pharmacokinetics of superoxide dismutase in rats after oral
administration. Biopharm Drug
Dispos 1996;17:165-74.
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How
do we see?
Sight begins
as light passes through the cornea to the lens, focusing light onto the
retina at the back of the eye (especially the macula and the fovea,
which is at the very center of the retina).
The retina’s nerve receptors are stimulated by light and send
impulses to the brain where they are converted into mental images.
Nutrition plays a critical role in all aspects of vision —
including the ability to focus and to see at night, and the defense of
delicate tissues of the lens and retina against oxidative damage.*
Poor
Vision Explained
Poor vision
is a serious problem which many people face as they age. Annual medical
costs for eye care in America exceed 3 billion dollars in Medicare funds
alone. Eighteen percent of Americans over age 65 and forty-six percent
over age 75 have been found to have clouded lenses which obscure their
vision.1,2 Approximately
twenty-five percent of Americans over age 65 experience damage to their
retinas which reduces their ability to see clearly.3
Several lifestyle factors such as smoking, diabetes, injury,
steroids, excess exposure to smoke, air pollution, sunlight or
radiation, and simply growing older can damage cells in the eye.
That’s because most of these factors create dangerous free radicals,
which can result in poor eyesight. Free radicals in the eye are tiny
particles created by light that react with other substances in the eye,
causing damage.
Maintaining
a Healthy Eye
The ability
to see is a tremendous gift, and it all depends on a delicate balance of
exquisitely designed parts. One of the keys to maintaining a healthy eye
lies in proper nutritional support for the retina and the lens. Specific
nutrients are required for each part to work properly.
Nature’s Life offers
two comprehensive formulas to provide these essential vitamins, minerals
and phytonutrients to help protect our eyes from damaging free radicals
by neutralizing, or “scavenging” them.*
Bilberry
i sight™ Antioxidant Formula
to
help protect the lens of the eye.*
Lutein i care™ Antioxidant Formula
to
help protect the retina of the eye.*
People with low blood levels of
antioxidants or who eat limited amounts of antioxidant-rich fruits and
vegetables are more likely to lose the transparency found in healthy
lenses.4,5 Two research
groups found that people with healthy maculae were more likely to have
high blood levels of antioxidants.6,7
The
Role of Beta Carotene
Beta
carotene, often called the “safer” form of vitamin A, is a
powerful antioxidant nutrient. In
the Nurse’s Health Study, published in 1992, foods high in beta
carotene were linked to the maintenance of transparent lenses.*8 People
in this study who supplemented with extra beta carotene for over ten
years were much more likely to have healthy lenses.*6
Low blood levels of beta carotene were clearly associated with a
higher risk for developing clouded lenses.*6
Antioxidant
protection from light-induced damage may be an important part of beta
carotene’s function in protecting the macula.* Researchers report that
people who eat a diet high in beta carotene and other carotenoids have
less damage to their macula.*9 This protective effect has also been
reported for total carotenoids including alpha carotene, cryptoxanthin,
lutein and zeaxanthin.*7
Lutein
& Zeaxanthin
Lutein
and zeaxanthin are carotenoids (like beta carotene) found abundantly
in spinach, kale, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, papayas and
mangos.10 They are not
easily converted to vitamin A (like beta carotene) but they do have
potent antioxidant activity.* These
carotenoids concentrate in the yellow pigment in the retina and appear
to specifically protect the macula and fovea against oxidative damage.*7
Researchers have discovered two important facts about these carotenoids:
1. The
body works hard to concentrate lutein
and zeaxanthin in the
macula and fovea of the retina.11
2. Lutein and zeaxanthin provide potent antioxidant protection against
singlet oxygen free radicals which damage the macula and fovea.*11
A multicenter Eye Disease Case-Control Study looked at the
relationship between lutein,
zeaxanthin and protection of the macula.
People eating a total of 5.8 mg per day of lutein
and zeaxanthin from dietary sources are much more likely to have
healthy, undamaged macula.*7 That’s
the equivalent of about 3 cups of
chopped fresh spinach every day!
Vitamins
In two
studies, people with healthy, clear, transparent lenses were more likely
to be taking vitamin C and vitamin
E supplements than were people with clouded lenses.*8,12,13
Researchers found that people who supplemented with at least 300
mg of vitamin C enjoyed a 50-70% decrease in the risk for clouding of
the lens.*12 Both studies found these associations with supplements,
not just from vitamin-C rich foods.
A Canadian study tested 152 people with clear
lenses and 152 people with clouded lenses and found that those
taking vitamin E supplements had 56% less risk of clouded
lenses.*12 This study showed that the more vitamin E taken the greater
the level of lens protection.* This
“dose/response relationship” is considered to be powerful scientific
evidence. Vitamin E also helps maintain levels of the important
antioxidant glutathione.*14 While
the association between high intake of vitamin E supplements and lens
clarity has recently been confirmed,15 supplements of only 50 IU per day
of vitamin E have not been found to be effective.*16
Vitamin
B2 (Riboflavin) is generally not thought of as an antioxidant, but
the antioxidant glutathione needs enough vitamin B2 so it can be
reactivated as glutathione
reductase (an important antioxidant enzyme).* When levels of glutathione reductase fall, the lens loses its
transparency.*17
In China,
people with healthy lenses were given daily doses of 3 mg of B2 and 40
mg of B3 (Niacin) or a placebo and followed for years. At the end of the
study, those taking the B vitamins were much more likely to have
maintained normal lens clarity and transparency.*18
Visionary
Minerals
In
terms of eye health, the main function of zinc is to activate two critical enzymes, retinol dehydrogenase and catalase,19
which are used to mobilize stored vitamin A from the liver and convert
it, thus allowing “seeing” to occur.* Insufficient zinc reduces
blood levels of vitamin A, which can impair vision.* The inability of
people with liver damage to see well at night has been linked to zinc
deficiency.* Copper is needed
to activate superoxide dismutase
(SOD), a major antioxidant enzyme found in the lens.*20
Herbal
Antioxidants
The fruit of
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)
contains unique blue/violet bioflavonoids called
anthocyanosides. These phytonutrients offer potent antioxidant
protection against free-radical damage.*
Bioflavonoids also reduce the activity of aldose reductase,*21 as
aldose reductase allows the lens (and retina) to accumulate unhealthy
levels of naturally occurring sugars which can cause damage to the
retina.*22
In a study
of 116 people, both night vision and the ability to see after exposure
to glare were maintained after taking 300 mg/day of standardized
bilberry extract.*23 These
effects were reported in healthy people, suggesting that constituents of
bilberry play a functional role in promoting good vision,* though the
mechanism is not yet understood. Standardized
bilberry extracts have also been reported to protect the lens from
losing its transparency.*24 This protection probably comes from the
antioxidant activity of anthocyanosides guarding against free-radical
damage to the lens.*
Protecting
the eye: the big picture
Old age may
be inevitable but vision loss may not be.
Eat lots of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, avoid
smoking, overexposure to pollution, sunlight and radiation, and take Nature’s
Life Lutein i care™ and
Bilberry i sight™ to maintain healthy, clear eyes.*
Nature’s
Life® BILBERRY i sight™ Provides antioxidant vitamins and
phytonutrients to protect the lens of the eye against the damaging
effects of light-induced free radicals:*
Nature’s
Life® LUTEIN i care™ Provides antioxidant
vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to protect the retina of the eye,
especially the macula, against the damaging effects of light-induced
singlet oxygen free radicals.*
References
-
Leske MC, Sperduto RD. The epidemiology of senile
cataracts: A review. Am J
Epidemiol 1983;118:152-65.
-
Kahn HA, Liebowitz HM, Ganley JP.
The Framingham eye study; outline and major prevalence. Am
J Epidemiol 1977;106:17-32.
-
Seddon JM, Hennekens CH.
Vitamins, minerals, and macular degeneration. Arch
Ophthalmol 1994;112:176-9.
-
Jacques PF, Chylack, Jr
LT. Epidemiologic
evidence of a role for the antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids in
cataract prevention. Am J Clin
Nutr 1991;53:352S-5S.
-
Knekt P, Heliovaara M, Rissanen A, et al.
Serum antioxidant vitamins and risk of cataract. BMJ
1992;305:1392-4.
-
West S, Vitale S, Hallfrisch J.
Are antioxidants or supplements protective for age-related
macular degeneration? Arch
Ophthalmol 1994;112:222-7.
-
Seddon JM, Ajani UA, Sperduto RD, et al.
Dietary carotenoids, vitamin A, C, and E, and advanced
age-related macular degeneration. JAMA
1994;272:1413-20.
-
Hankinson SE, Stampfer MJ, Seddon JM, et al.
Nutrient intake and cataract in women: A prospective study. BMJ
1992;305:335-9.
-
Goldberg J, Flowerdew G, Smith E, et al.
Factors associated with age-related macular degeneration. Am
J Epidemiol 1988;128:700-10.
-
Micozzi MS, Beecher GR, Taylor PR, et al.
Carotenoid analyses of selected raw and cooked foods
associated with a lower risk for cancer.
J Natl Cancer Inst
1990;821:282-5.
-
Handelman GJ, Dratz EA, Reay CC, van Kuijk FJ.
Carotenoids in the human macula and whole retina. Invest
Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1988;29:850- 5.
-
Robertson JM, Donner AP, Trevithick JR.
A possible role for vitamins C and E in cataract prevention. Am
J Clin Nutr 1991;53:346S-51S.
-
Jacques PF, Taylor A, Hankinson SE, et al. Long-term
vitamin C supplement use and prevalence of early age-related lens
opacities. Am J Clin
Nutr 1997;66:911-16.
-
Costagliola C, Iuliano G, Menzione M, et al.
Effect of vitamin E on glutathione content in red blood
cells, aqueous humor and lens of humans and other species. Exp
Eye Res 1986;43:905-14.
-
Leske MC, Chylack LT Jr, He Q, et al. Antioxidant
vitamins and nuclear opacities. The Longitudinal Study of Cataract.
Ophthalmology 1998;105:831-36.
-
Teikari JM, Rautalahti M, Haukka J, et al. Incidence of
cataract operations in Finnish male smokers unaffected by alpha
tocopherol or beta carotene supplements. J
Epidemiol Community Health 1998;52:468-72.
-
Horwitz J, Dovrat A, Straatsma BR, et al.
Glutathione reductase in human lens epithelium: FAD-induced in vitro activation. Curr Eye
Res 1987;6:1249-56.
-
Sperduto RD, Hu TS, Milton RC, et al. The Linxian
cataract studies. Two nutrition intervention trials. Arch
Ophthalmol 1993;111:1246-53.
-
Anonymous. Zinc chelators and the eye.
Nutr Rev 1982;40:218-20 [review].
-
Harris ED. Copper as a cofactor and regulator of copper,
zinc superoxide dismutase. J
Nutr 1992;122:636-40.
-
Linuma
M, Tanaka T, Mizuno M, et al. Structure-activity correlation of
flavonoids for inhibition of bovine lens aldose reductase. Chem
Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 1989;37:1813-5.
-
Trevithick JR, Creighton MO, Ross WM, et al.
Modelling cortical cataractogenisis:2. In
vitro effects on the lens of agents preventing glucose- and
sorbitol-induced cataracts. Can
J Ophthalmol 1981;16:32-8.
-
Terrasse J, Moinade S.
Premiers resultats obtenus avec un nouveau facteur
vitaminique P “les anthocyanosides” extraits du Vaccinium
myrtillus. Presse Med
1964;72:397-400.
-
Bravetti G. Preventive medical
treatment of senile cataract with vitamin E and anthocyanosides:
clinical evaluation. Ann
Ottamol Clin Ocul 1989;115:109.
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