Lutein is a carotenoid for giving vegetables their green or orange colors. Lutein is also a well-known nutrient for maintaining eye health. It plays a key role in keeping eye health and preventing macular degeneration.
Lutein not only can be found in many foods but also in supplements. Keep reading to know what foods that are high in Lutein for your eye health.
What is Lutein? Why do you need Lutein?
Lutein is a carotenoid, which is a plant pigment to give plants and vegetables yellow and green colors. We can find it concentrated in the retinas of the eyes, which helps protect healthy vision. Lutein is essential for eye health.
It is a fat-soluble nutrient. Getting enough lutein-rich foods can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts as you age.
Foods are high in Lutein
(1) Kale
Kale is a dark green leafy vegetable that is a rich source of Lutein, as well as beta-carotene, Calcium, Vitamin C, K, and A. 1 cup of raw kale contains about 11 milligrams of Lutein. Cooking kale will reduce the amount of Lutein by nearly half. It is also a low-calorie food for your healthy diet.
(2) Spinach
Spinach is an all-in-one source of essential Vitamins and minerals, which is enriched with Iron, Vitamin K, and Magnesium. It is also high in antioxidants like Lutein. 1 cup of spinach contains about 8 milligrams of Lutein. Cooking spinach helps enhance the lutein content up to 2 times.
(3) Romance Lettuce
While romance lettuce is a lighter-pigmented leafy green, it has a high amount of Lutein. 2 cups of shredded romance lettuce in a salad are almost 4 milligrams.
(4) Sweetcorn
We can find lots of Vitamin B, Fiber, Potassium in sweetcorn along with having a high level of Lutein. 1 cup of sweetcorn contains around 3.6 milligrams of Lutein. You can get sufficient Lutein by eating corn-based foods like a corn tortilla, corn chips, and popcorn.
(5) Bell Peppers
Brightly colored bell peppers are powerhouses of Vitamin C and Lutein, as well as eye-friendly Vitamin A and E. Each green bell pepper contains the highest Lutein content with up to 1.4 milligrams. Eating bell peppers is good for the blood vessels of the eyes and reduces the risk of getting cataracts.