Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week

Issue: August 3, 2002
Page: 8


Antioxidant Protection
Research indicated that Lutein protects skin against sun damage

Article Excerpt:

2002 AUG 3 - (NewsRx.com) -- Harvard Medical School research presented in May indicates that consumption of the antioxidant lutein - found in such dark green, leafy vegetables as spinach and kale - protects the skin against some of the damaging effects of the sun. [The best source of lutein is still green, leafy vegetables, fruits, and herbal teas rather than supplements.]

Acta Pharm Hung 2001 Oct;71(3):314-7

[Carotenoid contents of herbal teas ]

[Article in Hungarian]

Kukui C, Deli J, Toth G.

Pecsi Tudomanyegyetem Egeszsegugyi Foiskolai Kar, Dietetikus Szak, Pecs.

Carotenoid composition of 14 herbal tea consumed by Herbaria was investigated by HPLC method. The main components were lutein (36-49%) cis-luteins (2-20%) and beta-carotene (3-25%). alpha- and beta-cryptoxanthin, alpha-carotene and some 5,6-epoxy-carotenoids (neoxanthin, violaxanthin, antheraxanthin) were detected. The chlorophyll content was also measured.



Photochem Photobiol 2002 May;75(5):503-6

Divergent optimum levels of lycopene, beta-carotene and lutein protecting against UVB irradiation in human fibroblasts.

Eichler O, Sies H, Stahl W.

Institut fur Physiologische Chemie I and Biologisch-Medizinisches Forschunggzentrum, Heinrich-Heine-Universitat Dusseldorf, Germany.

Exposure of living organisms to UV light leads to photooxidative reactions. Peroxyl radicals are involved in the propagation of lipid peroxidation. Carotenoids are dietary antioxidants and show photoprotective effects in human skin, efficiently scavenging peroxyl radicals and inhibiting lipid peroxidation. Cultured human skin fibroblasts were used to examine the protective effects of the carotenoids, lycopene, beta-carotene and lutein on UVB-induced lipid peroxidation. The carotenoids were delivered to the cells using liposomes as the vehicle. The cells were exposed to UVB light for 20 min. Lycopene, beta-carotene and lutein were capable of decreasing UV-induced formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances at 1 h to levels 40-50% of controls free of carotenoids. The amounts of carotenoid needed for optimal protection were divergent at 0.05, 0.40 and 0.30 nmol/mg protein for lycopene, beta-carotene and lutein, respectively. Beyond the optimum levels, further increases of carotenoid levels in cells led to prooxidant effects.

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2001 Aug;11(4 Suppl):78-81

Increased fruit and vegetable consumption: potential health benefits.
Southon S.

Nutrition and Consumer Science Division, Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich, NR4 7UA, UK. sue.southon~bbsrc.ac.uk

In this European Union project, a Core human study was conducted in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Spain, France and The Netherlands. Oxidative and antioxidant status, vegetable and fruit consumption, and carotenoid intake of volunteers from different countries were compared. Response to increased carotenoid intake was determined. Attention was paid to whether the antioxidant capability of beta-carotene, lutein and lycopene demonstrated in vitro was apparent in relation to increased oxidation resistance of low-density-lipoprotein (LDL). Other (complementary) studies were undertaken and included determination of: protective effects of carotenoid-rich foods against LDL and DNA oxidative damage; carotenoid absorbability; barriers to increased vegetable consumption; and carotenoid content of fruits and vegetables frequently consumed in Europe. Our results demonstrated that carotenoid supplementation did not increase LDL oxidation resistance. However, increased consumption of carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables did increase LDL oxidation resistance, and higher plasma concentration of total and specific carotenoids (pre-supplementation) was associated with lower DNA damage.