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CLINICAL TRIAL article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Clinical Nutrition
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1522302

The effects of lutein/ zeaxanthin (Lute-gen ® ) on eye health, eye strain, sleep quality, and attention in high electronic screen users: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Provisionally accepted
Adrian Lopresti Adrian Lopresti *Stephen Smith Stephen Smith
  • Clinical Research Australia, Perth, Australia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Lutein and zeaxanthin are fat-soluble antioxidant nutrients that have evidence of beneficial effects on vision and eye health.Purpose: Examine the effects of supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin isomers (Lute-gen ® ) on eye health, eye strain, sleep quality, and attention in high electronic screen users.Study design: Two-arm, 6-month, parallel-group, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Methods: Seventy volunteers aged 18 to 65 who used electronic screens for more than 6 hours daily were supplemented with 10 mg of lutein and 2 mg of zeaxanthin-isomers or a placebo. Outcome measures included several ophthalmic examinations comprising the Schirmer tear test, photo-stress recovery time, contrast sensitivity, tear film break-up time, and self-report measures of visual fatigue, computer vision, sleep quality and attention.Results: Compared to the placebo, lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation was associated with greater improvements in the Schirmer tear test, photo-stress recovery time, and tear film break-up time. However, there were no group differences in the change in self-report measures or contrast sensitivity. Lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation was well-tolerated, with no reports of serious adverse reactions or clinically significant changes in safety blood measures, including liver function, renal function, blood lipids, and full blood examination.The results from this study provide support for the beneficial effects of 6 months of lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation on regular users of electronic screens. Compared to the placebo, there were improvements in several ophthalmic examinations for dry eyes and visual health. However, these findings were not corroborated by group differences in the administered self-report measures. Lutein and zeaxanthin were well tolerated, with no serious adverse effects or significant changes in vital signs or blood safety measures.

    Keywords: Lutein, zeaxanthin, Carotenoids, Dry eyes, Vision, Electronic screen use, Sleep

    Received: 04 Nov 2024; Accepted: 15 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Lopresti and Smith. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Adrian Lopresti, Clinical Research Australia, Perth, Australia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.