Eyes are the most important sensory organ of human beings. When you stay up late to work, turn off the lights to play with your phone... and do other "eye-damaging" actions, there is a substance in your eyes that will have a protective mechanism, that is - lutein. Lutein is a carotenoid and the main pigment in the retina of the human eye. It is mainly concentrated in the place where our vision is most acute, that is, the macula area of the retina.

What does lutein do?

1. Filter blue light.

Lutein can absorb blue light close to ultraviolet rays, which can help reduce the damage caused to the eyes by harmful blue light in the environment.

2. Have antioxidant effects.

The strong antioxidant effect of lutein can help remove free radicals and protect retinal nerve cells and the macula area.

3. Relieve visual fatigue.

The functions of lutein generally include protecting the retina, relieving eye fatigue, anti-aging, preventing retinal pigment degeneration, and preventing eye diseases.

4. Reduce the risk of macular degeneration.

Studies have shown that people who consume more lutein in their diet can reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and taking lutein supplements for up to 12 months can improve some symptoms of AMD.

5. Reduce the risk of cataracts.

Studies have shown that eating more lutein may reduce the risk of cataracts. In addition, early studies have shown that taking lutein three times a week for up to two years can improve the vision of elderly people with cataracts.

How long does it take for lutein to take effect?

All nutrients taken into the body must have a process of digestion, absorption and effect. Lutein is no exception. From taking to absorption, and then to effect, it must take a process, which generally takes about 2-4 months.

Because lutein supplementation needs to be absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract first, enter the liver through the lacteals, and after detoxification in the liver, it combines with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the blood and is transported to the macula, retina and lens of the eye with the blood. Therefore, the lutein absorbed into the blood must circulate through almost all tissues of the body before it can reach the eyes, which is a very slow process. After taking it, it usually takes two weeks to detect an increase in the concentration of lutein in the blood, and it takes two months to detect an increase in the concentration of lutein in the eyes.

Why do some people think that taking lutein is useless?

People who think that lutein is useless are nothing more than the following three types of people:

Those who are in good health, have a balanced diet, and are not lacking in lutein; those who have too high expectations, but have only taken it for a few days and cannot feel the immediate effect; those who think that lutein can cure a certain eye disease.

Needless to say, the first point is that people with adequate and balanced nutrition do not need to supplement lutein, because the body absorbs a certain amount, and more cannot be absorbed.

The second point: "Expect too much, but only take it for a few days and cannot feel the immediate effect." From the above introduction to the onset time of lutein, we can know that it is a slow process from taking lutein to taking effect. Of course, people will not see the effect after only taking it for a few days, but some people will see the effect quickly. This type of people usually have a very low level of lutein in their bodies, so after taking lutein for a few days, they can clearly feel the relief of eye discomfort.

The third point: "It is believed that lutein can cure a certain eye disease." Regarding lutein, one thing that everyone must understand is that lutein only has the effect of preventing, alleviating and assisting the treatment of most eye diseases. In other words, lutein alone cannot cure or treat eye diseases. There are two examples. For myopia, myopia itself is an irreversible eye disease. At present, there is no drug that can cure myopia or reduce the degree of myopia. For cataract patients, curing cataracts with drugs is what every patient hopes for, and lutein plays a role in improving vision, which usually only delays the development of the disease. Although lutein exists in our bodies naturally, our bodies cannot synthesize lutein by themselves and can only obtain it through diet. The "Scientific Research Report on China's Dietary Guidelines" (2021) points out: For dark vegetables rich in lutein, the amount people eat every day only accounts for about 30% of the total recommended daily amount of vegetables, far below the recommended level of more than 50%, so it is recommended to supplement it from dietary foods and protect the eyes scientifically.