Abstract
Purpose :
To compare the uptake of macular carotenoids in the serum and retina using two commercially available products.
Methods :
Fourteen subjects were given a 24-week supply of lipid-based micronized liquid medical food, Lumega Z (LM) which provides a daily dose of 15 mg lutein (L), 3 mg zeaxanthin (Z) and 10 mg meso-Z (MZ). Another 14 subjects were given PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula (gel caps) (PV), which provides a daily dose of 10 mg L and 2 mg Z. Both products also provide vitamins and minerals consistent with or in excess of the AREDS 2 recommended ingredients. Serum levels of L, Z and MZ were obtained by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography at baseline and week 12. Macular pigment optical densities (MPOD) were obtained using the Mapcat SF heterochromatic flicker photometer at baseline and week 24.
Results :
The average blood serum concentration of total carotenoids in the two groups at baseline was similar: 0.397 µmol/L in the LM group and 0.412 µmol/L in the PV group. At week 12, it was 0.965 mmol/L in the LM group and 0.556 mmol/L in the PV group. The average change in serum concentration from baseline to week 12 was 0.574 mmol/L in the LM group and 0.144 mmol/L in the PV group, indicating that LM treatment achieved a 4 times larger change in serum concentration of carotenoids (p < 0.0001) than PV. Individually, the increases in L, Z, and MZ were 0.434, 0.063 and 0.086 mmol/L vs 0.100, 0.043 and 0.001 mmol/L respectively in the LM vs PV group.
From baseline to week 24, average MPOD in the LM group increased by 0.064 from 0.418 to 0.482, whereas in the PV group, it was essentially unchanged (0.461 to 0.459). The difference in change between groups was statistically significant (p < 0.021).
Conclusions :
LM provides significantly higher absorption of carotenoids, even when considering the larger carotenoid content of the former, 28 mg vs 12 mg for LM and PV respectively. In particular, a daily dose of LM provides 50% more L, yet the change in L was approximately 4 times more. The much larger increase in MZ in the LM group was anticipated since the MZ content in PV is likely very small. Overall, the results suggest the higher level of blood serum carotenoids provided by Lumega Z explain the superior performance of Lumega-Z, compared to PreserVision, for 1) significantly increasing MPOD in this study and 2) for visual performance, as measured by contrast sensitivity, in a previous study.
This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.