Eye Health - Lutein Application and Efficacy
With the change of modern lifestyle and the popularization of electronic products, the number of myopic people around the world is increasing. In China, the number of myopia patients has reached as high as 600 million, and the myopia rate of teenagers ranks the first in the world, and shows a rising trend year by year. To alleviate this problem, people prefer to improve eye health through natural ingredients, and Lutein is getting more and more attention as an auxiliary method to prevent myopia. Relevant data shows the global lutein market was valued at $274.6 million in 2018 and is expected to reach $454.8 million by 2026, at a CAGR of 6.4%.
Lutein is extracted and refined from the flowers of Marigold, a plant of the Asteraceae family. It has crystal state, powder state and emulsion state. Among them, the crystal state is orange-yellow to orange-red crystalline powder with a melting point of 183°, which is soluble in oil, ethanol and acetone; when it is powder, it is orange-yellow to orange-red in color, which is easily soluble in water, and when it is emulsion, it is a brownish-yellow or deep-red liquid, which is easily soluble in water. This kind of product is suitable for the beverage industry without oil floating, staining and sedimentation, and it is characterized by good stability, resistance to light, heat and acid, etc. It can also be used in pasta products, frozen products and food products. In addition, it can also be used in pasta products, frozen drinks, jams, candies, baked foods and jellies.
In the health food arena, lutein also offers many benefits. It filters blue light, relieves eyestrain, prevents age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and has antioxidant properties that inhibit subretinal fibrosis.
1. In the field of filtering blue light and preventing age-related macular degeneration: the damage of light to the retina depends on the wavelength, intensity and exposure time of the light. The wavelength of blue light is 400-500nm, which is the highest energy of all visible light that can reach the retina, and the damage to the retina is especially obvious. And lutein and zeaxanthin can absorb blue light with a wavelength of 445nm. Since the main components of macular pigment are lutein and zeaxanthin, the macula is able to filter out blue light and reduce its effect on photoreceptors, retinal pigment epithelial cells and choroidal vascular layer.
2. Lutein in the field of antioxidant: oxygen free radicals in the human body is an important cause of many age-related pathologies. Lutein has strong antioxidant ability, which can inhibit the activity of oxygen free radicals and prevent the destruction of normal cells by oxygen free radicals. With the gradual deepening of people's knowledge about lutein and the continuous innovation of Zhongda Hengyuan's technical team, it is believed that more application fields of lutein will be explored continuously.