Lutein 25mg & Zeaxanthin 5mg | 60 Softgels | NOW Foods

Lutein & Zeaxanthin from NOW Foods

This softgel combines 25mg of lutein with 5mg of zeaxanthin, two yellow plant pigments that you can also find in spinach, kale, and egg yolk. Now uses Lutemax 2020 for this, an extract from the flowers of the marigold.

What lutein and zeaxanthin are

Lutein and zeaxanthin belong to the carotenoids, the family of pigments that makes carrots orange and corn yellow. They are so-called xanthophylls: carotenoids with oxygen in their molecule. Unlike beta-carotene, your body does not convert them into vitamin A. So they remain as they are. Your body cannot make these substances itself; you get them from your diet. What many people do not know: egg yolk also owes part of its yellow color to lutein and zeaxanthin from the chicken feed. Poultry farmers even sometimes add marigold extract to the feed for a deeper color.

Lutemax 2020, what does that actually mean

Lutemax 2020 is a patented extract from Tagetes erecta, better known in the Netherlands as the marigold. The petals of that plant are one of the richest natural sources of lutein. To make the extract, the manufacturer dries the orange petals, after which they extract and purify the pigments. The difference with many other extracts lies in the zeaxanthin. In addition to lutein, Lutemax 2020 provides two forms of zeaxanthin: RR-zeaxanthin and RS-zeaxanthin, better known as meso-zeaxanthin. Now doses slightly higher per softgel than the usual 20mg: you get 25mg of lutein and 5mg of zeaxanthin, in a ratio of 5 to 1. For comparison: through an average Western diet, you get an estimated 1 to 2mg of lutein per day.

Why you take this softgel with a fatty meal

Lutein and zeaxanthin dissolve in fat, not in water. Your intestines therefore only absorb them well when there is fat around. That is also the reason why Now dissolves them in sunflower oil, and why the label advises taking the softgel with a fatty meal. Think of a lunch with avocado, cheese, or a splash of olive oil, or a dinner with fish. The time of day does not matter much, just choose the meal with the most fat. For comparison: 25mg of lutein is in about 200 grams of raw spinach.

What else is in the softgel

The composition is straightforward. In addition to the flower extract, the softgel contains sunflower oil as a carrier and mixed tocopherols: substances from the vitamin E family that protect the sensitive pigments here from oxidation. Those tocopherols come from soybean oil. The shell consists of beef gelatin, glycerol, and water, so these softgels are not vegetarian. Because it is a natural extract, the color of the softgels may vary slightly per batch. That is normal and says nothing about the quality.

In short: the same two pigments that you find in leafy greens, in a measured amount and already dissolved in oil. A straightforward softgel for those who are consciously dealing with carotenoids.