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Chapter-02 Carotenoids

BOOK TITLE: Nutrition and the Eye

Author
1. Pinelli Roberto
2. Elborgy Ebrahim
ISBN
9788184488623
DOI
10.5005/jp/books/11052_2
Edition
1/e
Publishing Year
2010
Pages
6
Author Affiliations
1. Istituto Laser Microchirurgia Oculare, Crystal Palace, Via Cefalonia, 70, 25124 Brescia, Italy, Istituto Laser Microchirurgia Oculare Crystal Palace, Via Cefalonia 70 25124, Brescia, Italy, European School for Advanced Studies in Ophthalmology (ESASO), Universitá della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland, Microchirurgia Oculare, Crystal Palace, Suite, Via Cefalonia, 70 25124 Brescia - Italy, Istituto Laser Microchirurgia Oculare, Crystal Palace, Via Cefalonia, 70, Brescia, Italy, Istituto Laser Microchirurgia Oculare, Crystal Palace, Via Cefalonia, Brescia, Italy, www.ilmo.it, Istituto Laser Microchirurgia Oculare, Crystal Palace, Via Cefalonia, Brescia, Italy, Instituto Laser Microchirurgia Oculare, Crystal Palace, Via Cefalonia, Brescia, Italy, Istituto Laser Microchirurgia Oculare, Crystal Palace, Via Cefalonia, 70, 25124, Brescia, Italy, Istituto Laser Microchirurgia, Oculare Crystal Palace, Via Cefalonia, 70, 25124, Brescia, Italy, Crystal Palace Via Cefalonia, 70 25124 Brescia, Italy, Istituto Laser
2. Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Giza, Egypt
Chapter keywords

Abstract

Carotenoids are a class of more than 600 naturally occurring pigments synthesized by plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria. These richly colored molecules are the sources of the yellow, orange and red colors of many plants. Fruits and vegetables provide most of the carotenoids in the human diet. The most prevalent carotenoids in North American diets are alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Beta-carotene is provitamin A carotenoids, meaning it can be converted in the body to vitamin A. Although lutein and zeaxanthin are different compounds, they are both from the class of carotenoids know as xanthophylls. They are not provitamin A carotenoids. Carotenoid pigments are widely distributed in nature, where they play an important role in protecting cell and organisms. These carotenoids are concentrated in the macula and protect it from light damage. Dietary or supplemental intake of lutein and zeaxanthin can directly increase macular pigment density in humans and animals. Diets high in lutein plus zeaxanthin have also been inversely associated with nuclear cataract or cataract extraction in one recent study 16 and several previous studies.

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