In adults aged 50–85 with high-risk age-related macular degeneration and the lowest dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin (bottom quintile), daily supplementation with lutein (10 mg) and zeaxanthin (2 mg) was associated with a 26% lower risk of progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (hazard ratio 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.59–0.94; P = .01).

When lutein and zeaxanthin are consumed, they enter the bloodstream and travel to the back of the eye, where they build up in a protective layer called the macular pigment. This layer blocks harmful blue light and neutralizes damaging molecules produced by light exposure, which prevents the slow breakdown of light-sensitive cells in the retina. In people who eat very little of these nutrients, adding them back stops this breakdown from getting worse.