The eye is a highly complex organ that must safely harvest, control, focus, and react to light in order to produce vision. Light enters the anterior portion of the eye through the clear cornea and fluid-like aqueous humor, and is then focused by the clear lens before entering the gel-like vitreous. It must pass through a nerve layer of ganglions connected to photoreceptors (both rods and cones) where light signals are converted to electrical signals that are transported to the brain. Behind the photoreceptors are the retinal pigmented epithelium cells that feed and remove toxic waste from the constantly active photoreceptors. The retinal pigmented epithelium cells rest on a thin, connective, tissue-like support structure called Bruch’s membrane, which also serves to create a blood-brain barrier for transport of nutrients, waste products, and critical oxygen. The macular region of the human retina is yellow in color due to the presence of the macular pigment, composed of two dietary xanthophylls, lutein and zeaxanthin, and another xanthophyll, meso-zeaxanthin. The latter is formed from lutein in the retina.

By absorbing blue-light, the macula protects delicate photoreceptor cells in the retina from light damage. The density of your macular pigment (composed of lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin) is essential to proper vision.8-10 These carotenoids act as antioxidants and protect the macula from damage by photo-initiated oxidative stress.10-11 Unfortunately, this density declines naturally over time. Some aging people also lose their ability to convert lutein into meso-zeaxanthin inside their macula.

With time, the aging eye accumulates photosensitizers in the retina, such as lipofuscin, thereby making the retina the most susceptible to light-initiated oxidative damage.4-7 Photoreceptors in the retina are neural cells that do not undergo mitosis (i.e., the division of the parent cell’s genome into two daughter cells). Once lost, these photoreceptors cannot be restored, leading to degeneration of the retina, the continuing deleterious accumulation of metabolic debris, and a resultant loss of vision. However, research has shown that maintaining optimal vision is now possible with nutritional supplementation, diet and other lifestyle changes.1-3

Eating lots of lutein- and zeaxanthin-containing vegetables can help maintain the structural integrity of the macula. However, since meso-zeaxanthin is not part of the typical diet, it cannot be replaced except in supplement form.

This Super Zeaxanthin formula provides therapeutic doses of all three carotenoids to help protect your precious eyesight, plus a special ingredient, astaxanthin, which is scientifically proven to help fight eye fatigue.

If you’re one of more than 72 million people in America who use a computer daily at work,12 you’re familiar with eye fatigue. Staring at a fixed-distance object such as a computer screen for a long period of time can cause the muscles that focus your eyes (the ciliary body) to tire or go into spasm. This can result in physical symptoms such as head discomfort, sensitivity to glare, fatigue, soreness, dryness and blurry vision.

Super Zeaxanthin contains a potent dose of astaxanthin, a carotenoid found in the red algae called Haematococcus pluvialis. Studies show that taking astaxanthin with other carotenoids protects against free radical-induced DNA damage, repairs UVA-irradiated cells, and inhibits inflammatory cell infiltration.8, 13-14 Astaxanthin also helps support vascular health within the eye and improves visual acuity.15 Astaxanthin may play a preventative role in eye fatigue. Human clinical trials by Japanese scientists demonstrated that astaxanthin is effective in reducing bleary-eye feeling, a tendency toward irritation, and preventing eye strain resulting from accommodative dysfunction.15-16

With a special combination of ingredients that targets eye strain and protects visual acuity, Super Zeaxanthin with Lutein Meso-zeaxanthin Plus Astaxanthin is an exciting breakthrough in eye care.

OptiLut® is a registered trademark of NutriScience Innovations, LLC.
Lutein Plus® with MZ® are registered trademarks of Quantum Nutritionals. Licensed under US Patents 5,523,494; 6,218,436; 6,329,432; and 6,504,067.