Vision of beauty Just for the sake of argument, let's say you've got 20/20 vision, and not a single person in your family has ever had macular degeneration. Think you can't benefit from lutein and zeaxanthin? These nutrients may be best known for their vision-protecting properties, but that's not all they can do. They're great for your skin, too. Researchers recently discovered that these nutrients not only protect you from the harmful effects of too much ultraviolet light exposure, but they also help keep your skin hydrated and elastic. Meaning they'll help prevent wrinkles and keep you looking younger longer. This study looked at 120 women showing signs of premature aging. The participants were divided into five groups: one got oral lutein and zeaxanthin supplements, the second group got both oral and topical supplements of the two nutrients, the third got oral placebo and topical nutrients, the fourth received oral nutrients and topical placebo, and the last group got oral and topical placebos. After 12 weeks, the researchers found that the subjects in the oral and topical lutein and zeaxanthin group had a 63 percent increase in the surface lipids in their skin (see the "What is..." section below for the definition of surface lipids). The subjects who were taking oral supplements only had a 46 percent increase. The topical nutrient group still had some success, though not as much as the other groups (they had a 23 percent increase). Aside from the good news for your skin, this article ended on another positive note, saying that "Public awareness of lutein has never been higher." In Europe, that is. Here in the United States, I think we're woefully behind. But before we start hearing about how "French women don't get wrinkles," let's put what we do know about lutein and zeaxanthin to use and start supplementing with these nutrients today. They're available in any natural food or vitamin store, and the dosages used in the study were 10 milligrams of lutein and 0.6 milligrams of zeaxanthin per day.
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