Monthly Archives: July 2024

LifeMeter Benefits in Clinical Practice: Patient EngagementIndividualized discussion about diet and ocular healthHelps make positive nutritional changes and supplement recommendations Consistent Standard of Care between PatientsHelps identify carotenoid-deficient patients who are most likely to benefit from increasing carotenoid levels Connect Importance of Diet with Eye and Overall HealthImprove nutritional conversations with patientsInitiate the discussion from

Carotenoids in Systemic Disease:   Improved cognitive function and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s with increased carotenoid levels23   Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease25   Reduced risk of some cancer development (lung, colon, breast, non-melanoma skin cancer, prostate)24   Reduced risk of T2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome26   Reduced risk of degenerative diseases27   Reduced

Carotenoids in the management of AMD: Interventional Studies8 AREDS2 (lutein/zeaxanthin) offers enhanced protection to AREDS1 (beta-carotene) 31% with AREDS2 formula vs 25% with AREDS1 formula20 Although primary analysis of AREDS2 did not show additional benefit overall, when analysis is restricted to participants at the bottom 20% of dietary intake of lutein/zeaxanthin there was

Carotenoids in the management of AMD:Observational Studies8   The majority of observational studies advocate the benefits of xanthophyll carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, meso-zeaxanthin) in AMD8: A meta-analysis by M et al. found that individuals with the highest levels of carotenoid intake saw a significant reduction in the risk of late AMD and specifically a

Carotenoids in the management of AMD:What does AREDS say?   The primary analysis from the AREDS2 trial suggested that xanthophyll (lutein, zeaxanthin) supplementation provided no further benefit regarding the rate of AMD progression compared with the original AREDS formula (beta-carotene).19 However secondary analysis showed18,20: The progression of dry AMD to advanced AMD was

Carotenoids in the management of AMD: Macular pigment is a recognized modifiable risk factor for AMD.11,12,13,20 Macular pigment is significantly lower in eyes of AMD patients than control eyes.11-14.20 Low levels of macula pigment may accelerate AMD progression and increasing macula pigment levels by micronutrient supplementation may slow progression.11, 14,20

Dietary Sources of Lutein and Zeaxanthin10: Green leafy vegetables Spinach, kale, parsley, lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, etc Orange-yellow fruits Orange, tangerine, papaya, mango, corn, orange pepper, squash, etc Egg yolk Sommerburg et al. showed that fruits and vegetables of various colors can be consumed to increase dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin.10

Carotenoid Facts:  Image from reference 8: Lem, et al. Over 700 carotenoids are found in nature 10% of these are part of the normal human diet Approximately 20 different types of carotenoids have been identified in human plasma or serum5 Only 3 are found in the human retina and is many

What are Carotenoids? Carotenoids are pigments produced by plants. Animals do not possess genes encoding enzymes necessary for carotenoid biosynthesis. So they need to obtain carotenoids from their diet. These act as antioxidants because of having a highly conjugated double bond system. This allows them to donate an electron to reactive oxygen species

MPOD and Skin Carotenoid Comparison:  Image from reference 2: Conrady, CD, et al. With regard to prediction of MPOD from LifeMeter score, a relatively high density (0.60 MPOD) is typically seen at or around a score of 400.1 An additional way to measure skin carotenoid value is Resonance Raman Spectroscopy (RRS). LifeMeter