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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2017 Nov 14;9(11):1246.
doi: 10.3390/nu9111246.

Effects of a Lutein and Zeaxanthin Intervention on Cognitive Function: A Randomized, Double-Masked, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Younger Healthy Adults

Lisa M Renzi-Hammond  1   2 , Emily R Bovier  3   4 , Laura M Fletcher  5 , L Stephen Miller  6 , Catherine M Mewborn  7 , Cutter A Lindbergh  8 , Jeffrey H Baxter  9 , Billy R Hammond  10
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of a Lutein and Zeaxanthin Intervention on Cognitive Function: A Randomized, Double-Masked, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Younger Healthy Adults

Lisa M Renzi-Hammond et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: Past studies have suggested that higher lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) levels in serum and in the central nervous system (as quantified by measuring macular pigment optical density, MPOD) are related to improved cognitive function in older adults. Very few studies have addressed the issue of xanthophylls and cognitive function in younger adults, and no controlled trials have been conducted to date to determine whether or not supplementation with L + Z can change cognitive function in this population. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not supplementation with L + Z could improve cognitive function in young (age 18-30), healthy adults. Design: A randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial design was used. Fifty-one young, healthy subjects were recruited as part of a larger study on xanthophylls and cognitive function. Subjects were randomized into active supplement (n = 37) and placebo groups (n = 14). MPOD was measured psychophysically using customized heterochromatic flicker photometry. Cognitive function was measured using the CNS Vital Signs testing platform. MPOD and cognitive function were measured every four months for a full year of supplementation. Results: Supplementation increased MPOD significantly over the course of the year, vs. placebo (p < 0.001). Daily supplementation with L + Z and increases in MPOD resulted in significant improvements in spatial memory (p < 0.04), reasoning ability (p < 0.05) and complex attention (p < 0.04), above and beyond improvements due to practice effects. Conclusions: Supplementation with L + Z improves CNS xanthophyll levels and cognitive function in young, healthy adults. Magnitudes of effects are similar to previous work reporting correlations between MPOD and cognition in other populations.

Keywords: attention; cognition; reasoning; visual memory; xanthophylls.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors L.M.R.-H. and B.R.H. have received honoraria from Abbott Nutrition for presentation of research findings and L.R.H. was employed by Abbott Nutrition for a portion of the data collection period. Author J.H.B. was an employee of Abbott Nutrition. No other authors have conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Serum changes from baseline to 12-month time points in: (a) lutein (L); (b) zeaxanthin (Z); and (c) and lutein + zeaxanthin (L + Z). Error bars represent the standard deviation of the mean at each time point.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Average (with standard error of the mean, SEM) improvement in spatial memory following one-year supplementation. L, lutein; Z, zeaxanthin.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Average (and standard error of the mean (SEM)) change in complex attention segregated according to changes in macular pigment (MP) density.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Average change (and SEM) of subjects whose MP changed and did not change.
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