NCT00718653

Effects of Antioxidants on Human Macular Pigments

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (actual)
• Sponsor: National Eye Institute (NEI) · NIH
• Sex: All
• Age: 50 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Low dietary intake or low blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are the only pigments found in the macular region of the human retina, has been associated with an increased risk for AMD. We have reported that the dietary supplementation of lutein and zeaxanthin can increase the macular pigments (MP) of the eye. MP effectively absorbs blue light as well as quenches reactive oxygen species (ROS). Green tea polyphenols are also effective scavenger of ROS in vitro. Our goal is to elucidate how to effectively increase MP by physiologic levels of antioxidant supplementation. We hypothesize that lutein and tea polyphenols protect the macula of the eye by increasing MP carotenoids effectively through an antioxidant mechanism.

Conditions

• Eye Health

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Lutein	Lutein (12 mg/d)
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Lutein plus green tea extract	lutein (12 mg/d) plus green tea extract (200 mg/d)

Timeline

• Start date: 2004-09-01
• Primary completion: 2007-12-01
• Completion: 2007-12-01
• First posted: 2008-07-21
• Last updated: 2009-03-03

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States