A yellow pigmented XANTHOPHYLL derived from BETA-CAROTENE. This CAROTENOID has powerful ANTIOXIDANT properties and is plentiful in corn and dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and collard greens. It is typically found in combination with lutein, a closely related carotenoid. Neither zeaxanthin nor lutein can be converted to vitamin A. Recent studies have linked consumption of zeaxanthin and LUTEIN, from foods, with reduced risk of eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts. It is believed that these carotenoids protect delicate eye tissue from damage by FREE RADICALS and that they may act as light filters, preventing harmful blue light from the sun from reaching inner eye structures.
