Zeaxanthin and Longevity

Zeaxanthin Impacts Aging Via

• Inflammaging
• Altered cellular communication

The role of Zeaxanthin in aging and longevity

Zeaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment, known as xanthophylls, that produces the yellow or orange color in various foods, including, cantaloupe, corn, carrots, and salmon. It is best known for its beneficial impact on eye health alongside lutein, another well-known carotenoid contained in NOVOS Vital. Zeaxanthin is shown to have antioxidant properties and can support eye health and delay brain aging by improving cognitive function of adults.

Impact of Zeaxanthin on health

Chronic low-grade inflammation (inflammaging) is a hallmark of aging. A high-zeaxanthin plant-based diet is shown to protect the body from the damaging effects of inflammation. In the clinical trial, adults went through four weeks of a high-zeaxanthin plant-based diet to determine the effect of increasing zeaxanthin on biomarkers of low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress. (Thomas et al., 2022)

Results from the trial showed that a diet with zeaxanthin helps to delay aging due to low-grade inflammation by enhancing the cell’s antioxidant activities and decreasing markers of oxidative stress, such as malondialdehyde.

Findings from a review revealed that zeaxanthin supports healthy aging by targeting mechanisms that suppress the production of inflammatory markers, such as interleukin- (IL-) 8, IL-6, IL-1a, and endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1. (Bungau et al., 2019)

Zeaxanthin and eye health

Eye health and vision naturally decline as a person ages. Some age-related eye diseases include age-related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, amblyopia, and presbyopia.

Zeaxanthin is shown to have a positive effect on eye health by accumulating in the center of the retina, known as the macula. Researchers found that daily intake of zeaxanthin supplement, coupled with lutein, over 3 to 12 months significantly increased macular pigment optical density (MPOD) in adults. (Wilson et al., 2021) MPOD is an important tool used to determine a person’s risk for age-related macular degeneration. The increased intake of zeaxanthin through diet can help to protect your eyes from the effects of aging and maintain eye health. (Li et al., 2023)

Using a cell model, scientists have found that zeaxanthin safeguards eye health by targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the eye. VEGF is responsible for the formation of new blood vessels through a process called neovascularization. When the researchers supplemented the cells with zeaxanthin they observed a decrease in oxidative stress caused by VEGF and an increase in the activity of anti-inflammatory markers. (Keegan et al., 2020)

Zeaxanthin and brain health

During aging, cognitive functions experience a gradual decline that, coupled with oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation, can increase the risk of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease.

Carotenoids like zeaxanthin are known for their protective effects on brain health through engaging defenses against oxidative stress and the ability to scavenge free radicals. (Mrowicka et al., 2022)

Researchers studied the effect of supplementation with carotenoids that included zeaxanthin over 24 months in older adults and found improvements in cognitive functions such as learning, memory and concentration when compared to a placebo group. (Power et al., 2022) This provides evidence that zeaxanthin helps to promote brain health and delay brain aging in adults.

Retrospective studies from information provided by medical surveys found an association between zeaxanthin in the blood and a reduced risk of dementia in older adults aged 65 years and older. (Beydoun et al., 2022) This data provides some insight that zeaxanthin supports healthy brain aging.

Zeaxanthin and Lutein

Lutein is another carotenoid that is found in the human macula and could have a protective effect on the retina and visual function. Studies have evaluated supplementation of both lutein and zeaxanthin and found that when taken together they help to maintain eye health in adults. (Wilson et al., 2021)

Results from clinical trials have shown that there are positive effects to health when zeaxanthin is taken in combination with lutein. Consolidated analysis of eight clinical trials found that supplementing zeaxanthin and lutein over 4 to 12 months boosted cognitive performance in adults. These studies also demonstrated that higher amounts of these macular pigments in the blood can help to delay brain aging. (Wang et al., 2022)

This finding is consistent with a clinical trial that examined the effect of lutein and zeaxanthin dietary intake on the cognitive decline in older adults. Based on retrospective data, the researchers found that increasing the intake of lutein and zeaxanthin in the diet helped to enhance cognitive performance among older adults. (Christensen et al., 2020)

NOVOS VITAL & Zeaxanthin

References

Bungau, S., Abdel-Daim, M. M., Tit, D. M., Ghanem, E., Sato, S., Maruyama-Inoue, M., Yamane, S., & Kadonosono, K. (2019). Health Benefits of Polyphenols and Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Diseases. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2019, 9783429. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/9783429

Christensen, K., Gleason, C. E., & Mares, J. A. (2020). Dietary carotenoids and cognitive function among US adults, NHANES 2011-2014. Nutritional neuroscience, 23(7), 554–562. https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2018.1533199

Keegan, G., Pardhan, S., & Chichger, H. (2020). Lutein and zeaxanthin attenuates VEGF-induced neovascularisation in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells through a Nox4-dependent pathway. Experimental eye research, 197, 108104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exer.2020.108104

Li, X., Holt, R. R., Keen, C. L., Morse, L. S., Zivkovic, A. M., Yiu, G., & Hackman, R. M. (2023). Potential roles of dietary zeaxanthin and lutein in macular health and function. Nutrition reviews, 81(6), 670–683. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuac076

Mrowicka, M., Mrowicki, J., Kucharska, E., & Majsterek, I. (2022). Lutein and Zeaxanthin and Their Roles in Age-Related Macular Degeneration-Neurodegenerative Disease. Nutrients, 14(4), 827. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14040827

Power, R., Nolan, J. M., Prado-Cabrero, A., Roche, W., Coen, R., Power, T., & Mulcahy, R. (2022). Omega-3 fatty acid, carotenoid and vitamin E supplementation improves working memory in older adults: A randomised clinical trial. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 41(2), 405–414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2021.12.004

Thomas, M. S., Huang, L., Garcia, C., Sakaki, J. R., Blesso, C. N., Chun, O. K., & Fernandez, M. L. (2022). The Effects of Eggs in a Plant-Based Diet on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Metabolic Syndrome. Nutrients, 14(12), 2548. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14122548

Wang, H., Wang, G., Billings, R., Li, D., Haase, S. R., Wheeler, P. F., Vance, D. E., & Li, W. (2022). Can Diet Supplements of Macular Pigment of Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Meso-zeaxanthin Affect Cognition?. Journal of Alzheimer’s disease : JAD, 87(3), 1079–1087. https://doi-org.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/10.3233/JAD-215736

Wilson, L. M., Tharmarajah, S., Jia, Y., Semba, R. D., Schaumberg, D. A., & Robinson, K. A. (2021). The Effect of Lutein/Zeaxanthin Intake on Human Macular Pigment Optical Density: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 12(6), 2244–2254. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab071