Zeaxanthin is a yellow-orange carotenoid pigment found in fruits and vegetables such as peppers, corn, and oranges. Scientific evidence indicates a strong correlation between high blood serum levels of zeaxanthin and a reduced risk of cataract formation and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). AMD is the cause of vision loss in more than 25 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of blindness in people over 55 years of age. What causes vision loss? It is thought to be the result of a lifetime of oxidative stress which causes photoreceptor death within the macula.

Zeaxanthin acts as a filter by absorbing blue light that initiates generation of oxyradicals that place photo-oxidative stress on the retina. Zeaxanthin acts as an antioxidant by quenching singlet oxygen and reactive radicals that damage photoreceptor cells.Zeaxanthin may be more important that lutein in the prevention of cataract formation and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The importance of the role which Zeaxanthin plays in eye health is supported by three important facts:

1. The human macula preferentially accumulates zeaxanthin over lutein.
   
   
2. In the absence of a sufficient dietary intake of zeaxanthin, the body will convert lutein to meso-zeaxanthin.
   
   
3. Zeaxanthin is selectively deposited at the center of the macula where protection from oxidation is most critical.