Which Fruit Contains The Most Lutein-zeaxanthin?
What Is Lutein-zeaxanthin?
Lutein-zeaxanthin is a combination of nutrients that are associated with supporting eye health and immune system function. They are antioxidants, which are known for fighting against free radicals and other disease processes within the body, including cancer. Supporting good health by eating foods that are rich in antioxidants becomes especially important as people age. They are part of the carotenoid family.
Supporting Eye Health With Lutein-zeaxanthin
Cataracts and macular degeneration are two issues that can create vision problems, but healthy levels of lutein-zeaxanthin support eye health in order to help prevent those conditions from occurring.
These nutrients are also imperative for maintaining a healthy immune system. Foods that are rich in lutein-zeaxanthin include kale, broccoli and spinach. Other foods such as romaine lettuce, peas and zucchini have high levels of the supplement as well. Generally it is better to obtain these foods when they are fresh and eat them raw or minimally cooked in order to get the best benefits, as cooking the vegetables can reduce the amount of healthy nutrients in them.
Absorption by the body is also a key factor and egg yolks have been shown to promote good absorption of lutein. A certain amount of fat within a diet is known to help the body to process other vitamins and minerals as well. Not having enough carotenoids in the body such as lutein-zeaxanthin can lead to a risk of developing a number of different degenerative conditions or diseases that can have adverse effects on vision.
This might be due to the nutrients ability to support the eyes by fighting against the effects of ultraviolet rays, which are known to contribute to vision problems.
Top Fruits For Lutein-zeaxanthin Content
The amounts of Lutein-zeaxanthin are given for 100g of each fruit.
1 Pumpkin 1.500,00 mcg
2 Carrot 256,00 mcg
3 Kiwi 171,00 mcg
4 Jackfruit 157,00 mcg
5 Tangerine 138,00 mcg
6 Mulberry 136,00 mcg
7 Raspberry 136,00 mcg
8 Orange 129,00 mcg
9 Tomato 123,00 mcg
10 Blackberry 118,00 mcg
11 Peach 91,00 mcg
12 Cranberry 91,00 mcg
13 Apricot 89,00 mcg
14 Cherry (sweet) 85,00 mcg
15 Blueberry 80,00 mcg
16 Papaya 75,00 mcg
17 Plum 73,00 mcg
18 Grape 72,00 mcg
19 Pear 45,00 mcg
20 Apple 29,00 mcg
21 Strawberry 26,00 mcg
22 Melon (Cantaloupe) 26,00 mcg
23 Cucumber 23,90 mcg
24 Banana 22,00 mcg
25 Lemon 11,00 mcg
26 Lime 9,00 mcg
27 Fig 9,00 mcg
28 Watermelon 8,00 mcg