What foods are rich in lutein

Lutein is a pigment belonging to the group of carotenoids. In the body lutein is not produced by doing with food. Therefore, you must enter in your diet foods rich in this substance.

What foods contain the most lutein

Lutein plays a very important role, supporting the visual acuity of the person and protecting the retina from ultraviolet rays. The absolute champion of the content of such nutrients is a vegetable Kale (in other words, "grunkohl cabbage" or "Kale Kale"). 100 grams of this product is almost 39 milligrams of lutein. Of the more common products most lutein in spinach – about 11.5 milligrams per 100 grams. Close to the spinach pumpkin, containing about 8.2 milligrams of lutein per 100 grams.

Strictly speaking, the second highest content of lutein belongs to turnip – fodder turnips. However, this plant is fed to livestock, and only in very rare cases is used in human food.

In other products, the content of lutein is much more modest. For example, in 100 grams of green peas is about 1.3 milligrams of this pigment, 100 grams of beans or peas is about 0.6 milligrams. Approximately the same number (of the order of 0.35 milligrams per 100 grams) contain persimmon, corn and carrots. At the root of the celery lutein even less than about 0.23 milligrams per 100 grams. And in citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines) the content of the pigment ranges from 0.11 to 0.13 milligrams/100 grams.

In food of animal origin of lutein many times less. Most lutein contains egg yolk, but 100 grams of this product is only 0.03 milligram of the pigment.

Be aware that lutein is best absorbed in the presence of vegetable fats. So, for example, preparing a salad of foods rich in this substance, it is desirable to fill sunflower or olive oil.

How much lutein should consume in a day man

It is believed that a healthy adult needs daily to food about 5 milligrams of lutein.

However, some eye diseases that may cause blurred vision, it is necessary, on the recommendation of an ophthalmologist to increase this rate about 2-3 times.

In cases when there is no possibility to obtain the necessary amount of lutein from food, you should take special drugs such as "Lutein-complex", "Blueberry Forte" and similar. But in any case before using any drugs it is advisable to consult a specialist.