Lutein and zeaxanthin are yellow-orange plant pigments called carotenoids. They appear naturally in leafy greens, corn, eggs and orange peppers. On labels you may see them listed by name, sometimes with a plant source in parentheses, such as marigold, and usually with an amount in milligrams or micrograms.
Flip over enough bottles in the vitamin aisle and two names keep showing up: lutein and zeaxanthin. They sound technical, but both come straight from the kitchen. They are pigments that plants make, and you eat them every time you put spinach, corn or a yellow pepper on your plate.
This post is a vocabulary lesson. We will meet the two names, see where they turn up in food, and learn how labels write them, so you can read any panel with confidence. It is general information about the words, not a description of any particular product.
Meet the carotenoids
Carotenoids are a large family of pigments found in plants, algae and some bacteria. They give carrots their orange, tomatoes their red and corn its golden yellow. Researchers have catalogued hundreds of them, though only a small number are common in a typical diet.
Lutein and zeaxanthin belong to a subgroup known as xanthophylls. Their names come from Latin and Greek roots: lutein from the word for yellow, and zeaxanthin from Zea, the genus of corn, with xanthos meaning yellow.
It helps to remember that none of these pigments is a single magic ingredient. They are part of a big palette of plant compounds, and variety is how most people meet them.
Where they appear on the plate
Dark leafy greens carry a lot of lutein, even though their green chlorophyll hides the yellow. Egg yolks, sweet corn, orange and yellow peppers, peas, broccoli and pistachios are other familiar sources. Food composition databases such as USDA FoodData Central list the amounts in specific foods, which is handy if you like numbers.
A simple way to meet them is to cook greens with a little olive oil, since carotenoids dissolve in fat and are absorbed along with it.
A weekly shopping list can include several of these foods without any special effort. Frozen spinach, canned corn and bagged peppers are all convenient, and they keep well in the freezer or pantry.
- Spinach, kale and collard greens
- Egg yolks
- Sweet corn and peas
- Orange and yellow peppers
- Pistachios and broccoli
How labels write the names
On a Supplement Facts panel you may see lutein listed on its own row, or as lutein followed by a parenthetical such as marigold flower extract. Zeaxanthin may appear on its own row or alongside lutein. The parenthetical tells you the plant source the ingredient was drawn from.
You may also see a word such as esters. That describes the chemical form the pigment takes in the raw material. The label might show amounts in milligrams or micrograms, so look carefully at the unit, since a microgram is a thousand times smaller than a milligram.
Some food labels also mention carotenoids in the ingredient list, for example when marigold extract is used as a natural coloring. Seeing the name there is simply a clue about where the color comes from.
A few reading tips
Start with the unit. Then look at the serving size to see what the amount applies to. If you are comparing two bottles, make sure both use the same serving definition.
Look for the source in parentheses, and read the Other Ingredients line to see the capsule shell and fillers. Finally, check whether a row has a symbol that points to a line stating no Daily Value is established, which is common for plant pigments.
Finally, keep an eye on the lot and expiration lines. A fresh bottle with a clear date is part of reading any label well.
Food first, labels second
A plate with deep green leaves, a golden egg and a handful of corn tells you more about lutein and zeaxanthin than any label. Foods also bring fiber, water and other nutrients along, and that variety is the heart of colorful eating.
If you enjoy learning the vocabulary, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements and MedlinePlus publish general explainers on nutrients and plant compounds. These make good companions for label reading.
Looking ahead
Now that the names are familiar, the next label you pick up will read less like a code. Try spotting a carotenoid on a cereal box, a frozen vegetable bag or a bottle on the shelf, and see which foods share the same golden family. Tonight's dinner might already include a few.
Key takeaways
- Lutein and zeaxanthin are yellow-orange plant pigments
- Leafy greens, corn, eggs and peppers are common food sources
- Check the unit on a label, since microgram and milligram differ
- A parenthetical name usually tells you the plant source
Frequently asked questions
Sources and further reading
Explore Visivra™
Learn more with our guides: What is Visivra™?, Visivra™ ingredients, how it works and kits and pricing, or return to the blog.