A List of Foods High in Lutein

Foods high in lutein include spinach and kale. Supplementation is often recommended, because foods with lutein contain only small amounts of the carotenoid.

For example, one cup of cooked spinach contains only 6mg of the antioxidant. For preventing or reversing macular degeneration, that is probably not enough. Most health experts recommend 10-20mg per day, with 50mg being preferable, due to the nutrient's antioxidant activity.

It is important to eat a varied diet. The basic foundation of your food pyramid should be vegetables and fruits. On top of that should be whole grains, such as oatmeal and wild rice. The old food pyramid that you used to see hanging on the walls of elementary schools was created by specific food associations, such as the American Dairy Association. New research indicates that 1-2 servings of low-fat dairy per week are sufficient, as long as you get enough vitamin D from moderate sun exposure or a dietary supplement.

If you focused on foods high in lutein, in order to get even 20mg, you would miss out on other important micronutrients, such as anthocyanins, rutin, lycopene and luteolin. Some of the more potent antioxidants are found in plants that most people don't eat. Bilberry and blue-green algae are examples.

Others are found only in spices, which are not consumed in large enough quantities to actually provide the nutritional value. Piperine in black pepper and curcumin in turmeric are examples of potent antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatories, but a good health supplement is the only way to take advantage of them.

You could eat foods with lutein all day long, but you would probably get tired of them. Spinach and kale get old after a while. Other foods with lutein include broccoli, zucchini and yellow corn. Yellow corn is also a good source of zeaxanthin, another nutrient important to the eye. However, yellow corn tends to be an "inflammatory" food. People with irritable or inflammatory bowel, as well as ulcerative colitis should avoid it.

Other foods high in lutein include romaine lettuce, garden peas (not sweet peas) and Brussels sprouts. If you find none of the foods with lutein appealing, don't worry.

There are dozens of supplements on the market that contain it. You just have to compare them carefully, in order to get the best value and the most benefits.

Egg yolks are one of the foods high in lutein, but consuming more than one or two eggs per week could cause other problems. While eggs are highly nutritious, they are also high in fat. Too much fat in the diet is one of the risk factors for macular degeneration, as well as many other diseases.

So, increase your intake of the vegetable foods with lutein, but just to be sure, take a supplement, too.

The best choice for supplementation is one that contains zeaxanthin (Zee-a-ZAN-thin), bilberry extract and a variety of other nutrients, including essential vitamins and minerals.

Try to eat some foods high in lutein every day, but not to the exclusion of other important nutrients.