Xanthophylls: Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Food Sources & Human Research

Fruit & Health › Fruit Compound Library › Carotenoids › Xanthophylls

FruitFast Compound Guide

Xanthophylls are a subgroup of carotenoids—the yellow, orange, red, and sometimes visually hidden pigments produced by plants, algae, and certain microorganisms.

What distinguishes xanthophylls chemically is that they contain oxygen. This separates them from hydrocarbon carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lycopene.

Important dietary xanthophylls include lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, violaxanthin, neoxanthin, and several related compounds.

Lutein and zeaxanthin receive particular scientific attention because they are selectively concentrated in the human retina. Beta-cryptoxanthin is notable for a different reason: unlike lutein and zeaxanthin, it can also contribute to vitamin A production.

However, “xanthophylls” is a chemical family—not one nutrient with one universal health effect. Food source, compound identity, dose, processing, absorption, and the outcome being studied all matter.

The Short Answer

Xanthophylls are oxygen-containing carotenoids found in fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, corn, eggs, and many other foods.

Examples include lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, violaxanthin, and neoxanthin.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are especially important in vision research because they, together with meso-zeaxanthin, form the yellow macular pigment in the center of the retina.

Beta-cryptoxanthin differs because it has provitamin A activity, meaning the human body can convert it into vitamin A.

Xanthophyll concentrations vary greatly among foods and processed products. A yellow or orange color does not tell you exactly which carotenoid is present or how much.

What Are Xanthophylls?

Xanthophylls are carotenoid pigments containing one or more oxygen-containing functional groups.

The larger carotenoid family includes hundreds of naturally occurring compounds produced by plants, algae, fungi, bacteria, and other organisms.

Dietary carotenoids are generally divided into two broad structural categories:

Xanthophylls play several roles in plants, including light harvesting, regulation of excess light energy, pigmentation, and photoprotection.

The functions of a xanthophyll inside a plant should not automatically be interpreted as the effect it will have after a person eats that plant.

Why Are They Called Xanthophylls?

The name comes from Greek roots referring to yellow and leaf.

Xanthophyll pigments contribute yellow and orange coloration in many plant tissues.

But a plant food does not need to look yellow to contain xanthophylls.

Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale can contain substantial lutein and related carotenoids. Their yellow-orange carotenoid colors are simply masked by chlorophyll.

What Are the Major Dietary Xanthophylls?

Xanthophylls vs. Carotenoids: What Is the Difference?

All xanthophylls are carotenoids, but not all carotenoids are xanthophylls.

Carotenoids are the larger family.

Xanthophylls are the oxygen-containing branch of that family.

For example:

• Lutein — xanthophyll carotenoid
• Zeaxanthin — xanthophyll carotenoid
• Beta-cryptoxanthin — xanthophyll carotenoid
• Beta-carotene — carotenoid, but not a xanthophyll
• Lycopene — carotenoid, but not a xanthophyll

See our Carotenoids guide for the larger family.

Xanthophylls vs. Beta-Carotene

Beta-carotene and xanthophylls belong to the same carotenoid family, but their structures and biological handling differ.

Beta-carotene is a hydrocarbon carotene with strong provitamin A activity.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are oxygenated xanthophylls and are not converted into vitamin A.

Beta-cryptoxanthin is unusual because it is a xanthophyll that does have provitamin A activity.

This is why statements such as “xanthophylls are vitamin A” are incorrect.

Xanthophylls vs. Lycopene

Lycopene is the red carotenoid particularly associated with tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and several other red foods.

It is a hydrocarbon carotenoid, not a xanthophyll.

Unlike lutein and zeaxanthin, lycopene is not one of the carotenoids selectively concentrated as human macular pigment.

Are Xanthophylls Flavonoids?

No.

Xanthophylls are carotenoids.

Flavonoids are a structurally different group of plant polyphenols that includes compounds such as:

• anthocyanins;
• quercetin;
• kaempferol;
• flavan-3-ols; and
• many other compounds.

A fruit can contain carotenoids and flavonoids at the same time.

What Foods Contain Xanthophylls?

Xanthophylls occur throughout the food supply, but different foods contain different compounds.

Important sources include:

• spinach and kale — particularly notable for lutein;
• corn — an important source of lutein and zeaxanthin;
• orange and yellow peppers — can provide zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin;
• egg yolks — contain lutein and zeaxanthin in a highly bioavailable food matrix;
• citrus fruits — especially important for beta-cryptoxanthin in certain varieties;
• papaya and persimmon — notable fruit sources of beta-cryptoxanthin and related carotenoids;
• peaches and nectarines — can contain beta-cryptoxanthin and other carotenoids;
• mangoes — contain several xanthophyll and carotene pigments;
• apricots — contain a mixture of carotenoids that can include xanthophylls;
• pumpkin and squash — contain lutein and several other carotenoids; and
• many additional fruits and vegetables.

There is no universal ranking of “foods highest in xanthophylls” because xanthophylls include multiple compounds and food-composition databases may measure different subsets.

Which Foods Are Highest in Lutein?

Dark green leafy vegetables are among the most concentrated commonly eaten sources of lutein.

Examples include:

• kale;
• spinach;
• collard greens;
• other dark leafy greens; and
• certain herbs and green vegetables.

Lutein also occurs in corn, eggs, squash, avocado, and numerous fruits and vegetables.

The concentration in a food and the amount absorbed from that food are not necessarily the same thing.

Which Foods Are High in Zeaxanthin?

Zeaxanthin occurs in foods such as:

• yellow corn;
• orange and yellow peppers;
• egg yolks;
• certain citrus fruits;
• goji berries;
• some leafy vegetables; and
• other yellow, orange, and green plant foods.

Food values vary with cultivar and analytical method.

What Foods Contain Beta-Cryptoxanthin?

Beta-cryptoxanthin is especially associated with orange and red fruits and vegetables.

Examples include:

• mandarins and tangerines;
• oranges and orange juice;
• papaya;
• persimmon;
• peaches;
• red peppers;
• pumpkin;
• watermelon; and
• several other yellow-orange fruits and vegetables.

Unlike lutein and zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin can be enzymatically converted to vitamin A.

Xanthophylls in Fruit

Fruit carotenoid profiles are highly variable.

Even within the same species, carotenoid composition can change with:

• cultivar;
• ripeness;
• growing conditions;
• season;
• fruit tissue;
• post-harvest storage;
• processing; and
• analytical method.

Why Are Lutein & Zeaxanthin Studied in the Eye?

The human retina demonstrates an unusual selectivity for certain dietary carotenoids.

The central macula contains three closely related xanthophylls:

• lutein;
• zeaxanthin; and
• meso-zeaxanthin.

Together they form the yellow macular pigment.

Lutein and zeaxanthin must ultimately come from dietary carotenoid exposure.

Meso-zeaxanthin is much less common in ordinary foods and appears to be formed in the retina in part through metabolic conversion of lutein.

These pigments absorb short-wavelength visible light and also participate in local redox chemistry within retinal tissue.

That specialized retinal accumulation is much stronger evidence of a physiological role than simply showing that lutein quenches radicals in a laboratory assay.

Do Lutein & Zeaxanthin “Filter Blue Light”?

Macular pigment absorbs light most strongly in the short-wavelength blue region of the visible spectrum.

So describing lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin as components of a biological blue-light filter in the macula is reasonable.

However, this should not be turned into a claim that eating a particular fruit provides immediate protection from digital screens or prevents an eye disease.

Dietary intake, absorption, transport, retinal uptake, baseline macular pigment, genetics, and duration all affect the relationship between diet and retinal pigment levels.

What Is Macular Pigment Optical Density?

Macular pigment optical density, often abbreviated MPOD, is a measure used by researchers to estimate the amount and optical behavior of macular pigment in the retina.

It is frequently used as an intermediate outcome in lutein and zeaxanthin studies.

A higher MPOD after supplementation demonstrates a change in retinal pigment.

It does not automatically prove prevention of blindness, prevention of macular degeneration, or improvement in every aspect of vision.

How Are Xanthophylls Absorbed?

Xanthophylls are fat-soluble carotenoids.

Before intestinal absorption, they must be released from the food matrix and incorporated into mixed micelles during digestion.

The process is affected by:

• food structure;
• cooking;
• chopping and mechanical disruption;
• dietary fat;
• fiber;
• other carotenoids;
• carotenoid chemical form;
• individual digestive physiology; and
• intestinal transport processes.

Xanthophylls can sometimes be released from plant matrices and incorporated into micelles more readily than hydrocarbon carotenes, although absorption still depends strongly on the food and meal.

Does Eating Xanthophylls with Fat Matter?

Dietary fat can facilitate carotenoid micelle formation and absorption.

This does not mean very high-fat meals are required.

Rather, carotenoid bioavailability is influenced by the overall meal matrix, including the presence and type of dietary lipids.

Cooking and processing can sometimes increase bioaccessibility by disrupting plant cell structures, even when the total carotenoid content changes at the same time.

Can Processing Increase Carotenoid Bioavailability?

Yes, in some circumstances.

A particularly useful human example comes from beta-cryptoxanthin.

In a randomized crossover study, 12 adults consumed meals providing 744 micrograms of beta-cryptoxanthin from either fresh navel oranges or pasteurized orange juice.

Measured beta-cryptoxanthin bioavailability was approximately 1.8 times higher from the pasteurized orange juice than from the fresh oranges.

The researchers also found much greater beta-cryptoxanthin bioaccessibility during laboratory digestion of the juice.

What Happens to Xanthophylls After Absorption?

After intestinal uptake, carotenoids are incorporated into lipoprotein-containing particles and transported through the circulation.

Different carotenoids then show different patterns of tissue distribution and metabolism.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are particularly notable because retinal tissues selectively accumulate them.

Beta-cryptoxanthin can follow an additional pathway because enzymes can cleave it to contribute to retinoid, or vitamin A, metabolism.

Is Beta-Cryptoxanthin a Form of Vitamin A?

Not exactly.

Beta-cryptoxanthin is a provitamin A carotenoid.

That means the human body can convert it into vitamin A-related compounds.

By contrast:

• beta-carotene has provitamin A activity;
• alpha-carotene has provitamin A activity;
• beta-cryptoxanthin has provitamin A activity;
• lutein does not;
• zeaxanthin does not; and
• lycopene does not.

This is an important example of why all carotenoids should not be assigned the same nutritional role.

Are Xanthophylls Antioxidants?

Xanthophylls can demonstrate antioxidant and singlet-oxygen-quenching activity in laboratory and biological systems.

But broad language such as “xanthophylls neutralize free radicals throughout the body” oversimplifies their physiology.

Carotenoid effects depend on:

• specific compound;
• concentration;
• cellular location;
• oxygen tension;
• redox environment;
• metabolism; and
• other compounds present.

The specialized accumulation of lutein and zeaxanthin in the retina is different from demonstrating generic “antioxidant protection” after eating a yellow fruit.

Learn more in our Antioxidants, Free Radicals & Oxidative Stress guide.

Xanthophyll Benefits: What Has Human Research Actually Studied?

Human xanthophyll research is dominated by lutein and zeaxanthin, particularly their relationship with retinal macular pigment and age-related eye research.

Other xanthophylls, including beta-cryptoxanthin and astaxanthin, have separate research literatures and should not be treated as interchangeable with lutein and zeaxanthin.

Lutein, Zeaxanthin & Macular Pigment

A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated 46 studies involving 3,189 adults with healthy eyes.

Researchers examined dietary or supplemental lutein and zeaxanthin intake in relation to macular pigment optical density.

The pooled analysis found:

• no statistically significant MPOD change among studies using less than 5 mg/day total lutein and zeaxanthin;
• a pooled increase of 0.04 MPOD units among studies using 5 to less than 20 mg/day; and
• a pooled increase of 0.11 units among studies using 20 mg/day or more.

Most lower-dose interventions were dietary, while many higher-dose interventions used supplements.

The authors emphasized that more research is needed to determine the minimum intake and duration associated with a clinically important change in macular pigment or visual function.

The AREDS2 Trial

One of the most important xanthophyll studies is the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2, or AREDS2.

The original trial enrolled 4,203 adults aged 50–85 years who were already at elevated risk of progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration.

The lutein/zeaxanthin intervention provided:

• 10 mg lutein per day; and
• 2 mg zeaxanthin per day.

In the primary analysis, adding lutein and zeaxanthin to the original AREDS formulation did not produce a statistically significant reduction in progression to advanced AMD compared with the primary control comparison.

That primary result is important and should not be omitted.

What Did Longer AREDS2 Follow-Up Show?

Longer-term follow-up added further context.

A 2022 report followed the AREDS2 cohort for up to approximately 10 years.

Among participants who had originally been assigned lutein/zeaxanthin, the analysis found a modestly lower rate of progression to late AMD compared with those not originally assigned lutein/zeaxanthin.

The study also supported replacing beta-carotene with lutein and zeaxanthin in the AREDS2 formulation, particularly because beta-carotene had been associated with greater lung-cancer risk in former smokers.

These results apply to a specific supplement formulation in people with defined categories of AMD risk.

They are not evidence that ordinary fruit intake or a fruit concentrate treats or prevents AMD.

What About Cataracts?

AREDS2 also evaluated cataract outcomes.

In the overall study population, lutein/zeaxanthin supplementation did not significantly reduce the overall rate of cataract surgery or overall vision loss.

A subgroup with the lowest baseline dietary lutein/zeaxanthin intake showed a signal of possible benefit, but subgroup findings require careful interpretation.

This is another example of why “lutein is proven to prevent cataracts” is too broad.

Beta-Cryptoxanthin Research

Beta-cryptoxanthin has a different human research profile.

Researchers study it in relation to:

• vitamin A activity;
• bioavailability;
• dietary patterns;
• bone-related biomarkers and observational outcomes;
• metabolic research; and
• other health questions.

Much of the disease-related literature is observational or preclinical.

The clearest established nutritional distinction is its provitamin A activity.

That should not be converted into broad claims that beta-cryptoxanthin-rich foods prevent osteoporosis, cancer, or other diseases.

Xanthophyll Research vs. Whole-Food Research

This distinction is especially important when discussing fruit.

A mango, peach, apricot, citrus fruit, or other xanthophyll-containing food can also provide:

• other carotenoids;
• flavonoids;
• phenolic acids;
• vitamin C;
• potassium;
• organic acids;
• natural sugars;
• fiber in whole fruit; and
• numerous other plant constituents.

If a study reports an outcome after people consume orange juice, mango, eggs, leafy vegetables, or another food, that finding belongs to the preparation actually tested.

It should not automatically be attributed to lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, or “xanthophylls” as an entire class.

How Processing & Storage Affect Xanthophylls

Carotenoids are sensitive to food matrix, processing, light, oxygen, temperature, and storage.

Processing can produce several different effects at the same time.

For example, it can:

• disrupt plant cell structures and make carotenoids easier to release during digestion;
• increase extractability measured by a laboratory;
• promote conversion between trans and cis isomers;
• cause oxidative degradation;
• change carotenoid ester structures;
• remove carotenoid-containing solids during clarification or filtration; and
• change bioavailability even when total concentration changes little.

Processing therefore cannot simply be described as “destroying” or “preserving” all xanthophylls.

Does Juice Concentrate Contain Xanthophylls?

A juice concentrate made from a fruit containing xanthophylls can contain carotenoids originating from the starting fruit.

However, the finished profile depends on:

• fruit species;
• cultivar;
• fruit maturity;
• fruit tissues entering the juice;
• pressing and extraction;
• clarification;
• filtration;
• heat exposure;
• oxygen and light;
• concentration process;
• storage time and conditions; and
• analytical method.

Without finished-product analytical testing, FruitFast should not assign a specific lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, total-xanthophyll, or total-carotenoid amount to a finished juice concentrate based solely on published measurements of raw fruit or another manufacturer's product.

Brix does not measure xanthophylls or carotenoids.

Does Yellow or Orange Color Prove a Food Is High in Xanthophylls?

No.

Color can provide clues about pigment chemistry, but the visible appearance of a food reflects many interacting pigments.

Yellow or orange color can come from:

• xanthophylls;
• beta-carotene and other carotenes;
• flavonoid pigments;
• betalains in certain plants;
• browning reactions;
• processing; and
• the combination of several pigment systems.

Dark green vegetables also demonstrate the reverse problem: they may contain substantial yellow xanthophylls whose color is masked by chlorophyll.

How Are Xanthophylls Measured?

Carotenoid analysis generally requires compound-specific separation and detection.

Methods can include:

• high-performance liquid chromatography, or HPLC;
• ultra-performance liquid chromatography, or UPLC;
• UV-visible or photodiode-array detection;
• liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry;
• tandem mass spectrometry; and
• specialized methods for separating carotenoid stereoisomers and esters.

Sample preparation matters greatly.

Some methods use saponification to remove fatty-acid groups from carotenoid esters, while others measure the carotenoids in their native esterified forms.

Two numbers labeled “lutein” or “total xanthophylls” are therefore not necessarily comparable unless the analytical methods and units are compatible.

Do Total Carotenoids Tell You How Much Lutein Is Present?

No.

A total-carotenoid measurement combines multiple compounds and cannot identify how much of the total is:

• lutein;
• zeaxanthin;
• beta-cryptoxanthin;
• beta-carotene;
• lycopene;
• violaxanthin;
• neoxanthin; or
• another carotenoid.

Likewise, Brix, fruit color, or a general antioxidant assay cannot quantify individual xanthophylls.

Are Xanthophylls Essential Nutrients?

Lutein and zeaxanthin do not currently have an established Recommended Dietary Allowance comparable with nutrients such as vitamin C or vitamin A.

They are dietary bioactive compounds rather than vitamins in the conventional nutrient-classification sense.

Beta-cryptoxanthin is different because its provitamin A activity can contribute to vitamin A nutrition.

How Much Lutein or Zeaxanthin Should I Consume?

There is no universal Recommended Dietary Allowance for lutein or zeaxanthin.

Clinical research frequently uses supplemental doses that should not automatically be treated as general intake recommendations.

For example, AREDS2 used 10 mg lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin daily in a specific high-risk eye-disease population as part of a multi-nutrient supplement formulation.

That research protocol is not equivalent to a recommendation that every healthy adult needs the same supplement dose.

People with diagnosed eye disease should discuss AREDS2 or other supplement formulations with an eye-care professional familiar with their individual diagnosis and risk profile.

Frequently Asked Questions About Xanthophylls

How to Evaluate Xanthophyll Research

When reading a study involving xanthophylls, first determine exactly which compound and preparation researchers tested.

A study may involve:

• lutein;
• zeaxanthin;
• meso-zeaxanthin;
• beta-cryptoxanthin;
• astaxanthin;
• a multi-carotenoid supplement;
• an AREDS or AREDS2 formulation;
• a whole fruit or vegetable;
• juice;
• an egg-based food; or
• a laboratory model.

These interventions are not interchangeable.

It is also useful to ask:

• Compound identity — Which xanthophyll was actually measured?
• Dose — Normal food exposure or concentrated supplementation?
• Food matrix — Leafy vegetable, fruit, juice, egg, extract, or capsule?
• Bioavailability — How readily was the carotenoid released and absorbed?
• Population — Healthy adults or people with a defined eye condition?
• Study duration — Acute meal study or months/years of supplementation?
• Outcome — Blood concentration, macular pigment, visual function, cataract surgery, or disease progression?
• Other nutrients — Was the xanthophyll tested alone or as part of a multi-nutrient formulation?
• Analytical method — Were individual carotenoids actually quantified?

A higher blood lutein concentration, a change in macular pigment optical density, improved contrast sensitivity, and reduced progression to a clinical endpoint represent different levels of evidence.

FruitFast Fruits Connected to This Chemistry

FruitFast offers several concentrates made from fruits that occur in the broader carotenoid and xanthophyll literature, including mango, apricot, peach, and citrus-related fruits.

These links are provided because the source fruits are chemically relevant—not as claims that a finished FruitFast product contains a particular amount of lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, or total xanthophylls.

Explore Fruit Juice Concentrates →
Finished-product carotenoid concentrations should be established with product-specific analytical testing rather than inferred from raw-fruit composition or color.

Continue Exploring Carotenoids & Fruit Compounds

Carotenoids →
Explore the parent pigment family containing xanthophylls, beta-carotene, lycopene, and related compounds.

Antioxidants, Free Radicals & Oxidative Stress →
Understand why laboratory antioxidant activity should not automatically be interpreted as a demonstrated human health effect.

Phytonutrients & Phytochemicals →
Learn how carotenoids fit within the much larger world of naturally occurring plant compounds.

Fruit Compound Library →
Browse FruitFast educational guides to carotenoids, flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, pigments, nutrients, and other compounds.

Health Information & Fruit Nutrition Research →
Explore the broader FruitFast research and nutrition library.

Scientific References & Sources

The publications below are provided so readers can examine xanthophyll classification, food sources, absorption, retinal biology, beta-cryptoxanthin, processing, and human clinical research. Findings involving one carotenoid, supplement, food, biomarker, or patient population should not automatically be generalized to another or to a FruitFast product.

1. Saini RK, Nile SH, Park SW. Carotenoids from fruits and vegetables: Chemistry, analysis, occurrence, bioavailability and biological activities. Food Research International. 2015;76(Pt 3):735-750. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2015.07.047. PMID: 28455059.

2. Bernstein PS, Li B, Vachali PP, Gorusupudi A, Shyam R, Henriksen BS, Nolan JM. Lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin: The basic and clinical science underlying carotenoid-based nutritional interventions against ocular disease. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research. 2016;50:34-66. doi:10.1016/j.preteyeres.2015.10.003. PMID: 26541886.

3. Yonekura L, Nagao A. Intestinal absorption of dietary carotenoids. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. 2007;51(1):107-115. doi:10.1002/mnfr.200600145. PMID: 17195263.

4. Burri BJ, La Frano MR, Zhu C. Absorption, metabolism, and functions of β-cryptoxanthin. Nutrition Reviews. 2016;74(2):69-82. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuv064. PMID: 26747887.

5. Aschoff JK, Rolke CL, Breusing N, Bosy-Westphal A, Högel J, Carle R, Schweiggert RM. Bioavailability of β-cryptoxanthin is greater from pasteurized orange juice than from fresh oranges—a randomized cross-over study. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. 2015;59(10):1896-1904. doi:10.1002/mnfr.201500327. PMID: 26114420.

6. Wilson LM, Tharmarajah S, Jia Y, Semba RD, Schaumberg DA, Robinson KA. The Effect of Lutein/Zeaxanthin Intake on Human Macular Pigment Optical Density: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Advances in Nutrition. 2021;12(6):2244-2254. doi:10.1093/advances/nmab071. PMID: 34157098.

7. Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Research Group. Lutein + zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids for age-related macular degeneration: the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2013;309(19):2005-2015. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4997. PMID: 23644932.

8. Chew EY, Clemons TE, Agrón E, et al.; AREDS2 Research Group. Long-term Outcomes of Adding Lutein/Zeaxanthin and ω-3 Fatty Acids to the AREDS Supplements on Age-Related Macular Degeneration Progression: AREDS2 Report 28. JAMA Ophthalmology. 2022;140(7):692-698. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.1640. PMID: 35653117.

9. Chew EY, SanGiovanni JP, Ferris FL 3rd, et al.; Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Research Group. Lutein/zeaxanthin for the treatment of age-related cataract: AREDS2 randomized trial report no. 4. JAMA Ophthalmology. 2013;doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2013.4412.131(7):843-850. PMID: 23645227.

10. Mares J. Lutein and Zeaxanthin Isomers in Eye Health and Disease. Annual Review of Nutrition. 2016;36:571-602. doi:10.1146/annurev-nutr-071715-051110. PMID: 27431371.

About This Guide

This page is provided for general educational purposes. Research involving xanthophylls, lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, meso-zeaxanthin, supplements, whole foods, juices, biomarkers, laboratory models, or specific patient populations should not be assumed to establish the same effect for another food, product, or individual.

References to xanthophylls found in mango, peach, apricot, citrus, or other fruits describe compounds reported in the fruit or preparation actually studied and should not be interpreted as quantitative claims about a FruitFast finished product unless that product has been specifically analyzed.

Clinical research involving lutein/zeaxanthin supplements or AREDS2 formulations should not be interpreted as evidence that a fruit food or FruitFast concentrate provides the same dose, formulation, exposure, or clinical outcome.

Descriptions of antioxidant activity, macular pigment, blue-light absorption, vitamin A activity, or other biological properties should not be interpreted as claims that a FruitFast product prevents or treats an eye disease or other medical condition.

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease and should not be interpreted as medical advice.