Quoted message said:Orange capsicums (bell peppers) are the ultimate source. [of
zeaxanthin].
Eggs! Don't forget eggs! Egg yolks are yellow largely from all the
lutein and zeaxanthin. The egg industry sez that the lutein and
zeaxanthin are more bioavailable in eggs than in veggies. In veggies,
the nutrients are encapsulated in chromophores, whereas in the egg
yolk they're just floating around in the fat. They cite a study
showing plasma zeaxanthin levels climbing 50% when 1.3 yolks/d were
added to the diet. See http://www.enc-online.org/ncu1603.htm#lutein
For a very good listing of fruit/veg sources of three carotenes and
luiein/zeaxanthin, see
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Other/jfca12_169-196.pdf,
"Carotenoid content of selected foods: an update to the database."
Most comprehensive list I've found yet. But it's still kind of spotty;
they only use reports from US sources, so they don't have a
lutein/zeaxanthin number for peppers. For a quick reference, sort of
a 'greatest hits' see
http://www.transceiver.com/eye/pdf/Eye_on_Nutr_LuteinZeaxan.pdf
The Lutein Information Bureau http://www.luteininfo.com/home has a nice
overview and a discussion of the different tissues that need lutein and
zeaxanthin.
Clear Eye Clinic http://www.cleareyeclinic.com/eyediet.html is one of
the sites that says that the human body can convert lutein into
zeaxanthin. What do you people think? Is this on the level?
Adam Becker