Higher dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin is associated with a reduced risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration.

Study: Lutein + zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids for age-related macular degeneration: the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) randomized clinical trial.

For people who don’t eat much lutein and zeaxanthin, taking supplements helped lower their risk of serious eye disease. For others, it didn’t make much difference, but it didn’t hurt either.

Study: Oral Antioxidant and Lutein/Zeaxanthin Supplements Slow Geographic Atrophy Progression to the Fovea in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

People who took lutein and zeaxanthin supplements had slower worsening of the central part of their vision loss from advanced eye disease, suggesting these nutrients help protect the eye. This means eating more foods with these nutrients (like spinach or eggs) might also help slow vision loss.

Study: Intakes of Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Other Carotenoids and Age-Related Macular Degeneration During 2 Decades of Prospective Follow-up

People who ate more foods like spinach and kale—rich in lutein and zeaxanthin—were 41% less likely to develop serious vision loss from aging eyes. The study followed tens of thousands of people for decades and found a clear link.

Study: Dietary antioxidants and the long-term incidence of age-related macular degeneration: the Blue Mountains Eye Study.

People who ate more lutein and zeaxanthin—found in leafy greens like spinach and kale—were much less likely to develop a serious form of age-related eye disease, according to this long-term study of older adults.