Associations Between Age-Related Nuclear Cataract and Lutein and Zeaxanthin in the Diet and Serum in the Carotenoids in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (CAREDS), an Ancillary Study of the Women's Health Initiative

Abstract

Iowa, Wisconsin, and Oregon with intakes of lutein and zeaxanthin above the 78th (high) and below the 28th (low) percentiles in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (1994-1998) were recruited 4 to 7 years later (2001-2004) into the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study. Results: Women in the group with high dietary levels of lutein and zeaxanthin had a 23% lower prevalence of nuclear cataract (age-adjusted odds ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-0.96) compared with those with low levels. Multivariable adjustment slightly attenuated the Author Affiliations are listed at the end of this article. Group Information: The CAREDS Study Group investigators are listed at the end of this article.

Do “ancient” wheat species differ from modern bread wheat in their contents of bioactive components?

“…However, the highest content of lutein has been reported for einkorn, with a mean of 7.28 mg/g dry weight compared with 1.55 mg/g dry weight for bread wheat. The high content of lutein in einkorn could be significant for health in some populations: although lutein does not act as provitamin A, it may have benefits in improving eye health and visual function (Moeller et al, 2008;Carpentiera et al, 2009;Stringham et al, 2010).…”

The Association of Dietary Lutein plus Zeaxanthin and B Vitamins with Cataracts in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study

“…13,14,16,33,35,36,45 We found that increased dietary intake of riboflavin and B12 were inversely associated in the cross sectional baseline comparison for both nuclear and cortical cataracts. The association with B12 intake was seen when comparing several of the higher quintiles to the lowest quintile of intake levels (Table 8).…”

“…29 Incubation of human lens epithelial cells with lutein and zeaxanthin prior to exposure to hydrogen peroxide or ultraviolet-B light irradiation (UVB) protects lens cells from protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage, and also results in increased levels of glutathione in response to oxidative stress. 27,28 Clinical studies have reported that high dietary intake of lutein/zeaxanthin is protective against the development and progression of nuclear cataract, 34,35 as well as all cataracts, 33 and reduces the risk of cataract extraction. 12,52 High levels of plasma lutein have also been associated with a reduced risk of nuclear cataract.…”

“…We examined relationships of baseline lutein/zeaxanthin and B vitamin intake with cataract prevalence, incidence, and cataract surgery. We chose these nutrients on the basis of antioxidant potential, 10,27–29 presence in the lens, 30–32 and reported protective associations with cataracts in observational 33–35 and interventional studies. 36 …”

Biological Diversity, Dietary Diversity, and Eye Health in Developing Country Populations: Establishing the Evidence-base

“…Clinical studies support the hypothesis that a lutein-rich diet protects against cataract and AMD, as these conditions were found to be inversely associated with serum lutein levels (Jacques, 1999;Moeller et al, 2000Moeller et al, , 2008. An inverse association with prevalence of nuclear cataract (OR = 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1-1.2; P-trend = 0.13) was seen in people 65 years of age in a study involving 400 adults aged 50-86 (Lyle et al, 1999b), whereas the risk of posterior subcapsular cataract was lowest in 372 older patients with higher serum concentrations (OR = 0.5; 95% CI: 0.2-1.0; Ptrend = 0.012) (Gale et al, 2001).…”