Lutein may be protective against diseases such as
age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). At present, data regarding bioavailability of
lutein from various sources are insufficient. Healthy men (n = 10) participated in an intervention study with a crossover design. After a 2-wk washout period during which they consumed a low-
carotenoid diet, the men were administered 1 of 4
lutein doses (
lutein supplement,
lutein ester supplement, spinach, and
lutein-enriched egg) for 9 d. All
lutein doses provided 6 mg
lutein except for the
lutein ester dose, which provided 5.5 mg
lutein equivalents. Serum samples were collected from fasting subjects on d -14, 1 (baseline), 2, 3, and 10 and analyzed for changes in
lutein concentration.
Triacylglycerol-rich
lipoproteins (TRL) were separated from postprandial blood samples (0-24 h) after the first
lutein dose and analyzed for
lutein concentration. Subjects completed all 4 treatments of the study in random order. Results from repeated-measures 1-way ANOVA showed that the baseline and dose-adjusted
lutein response in serum was significantly higher after egg consumption than after
lutein,
lutein ester, and spinach consumption on d 10. There was no significant difference in TRL response. In conclusion, the
lutein bioavailability from egg is higher than that from other sources such as
lutein,
lutein ester supplements, and spinach. The
lutein bioavailability from
lutein,
lutein ester supplements, and spinach did not differ. This finding may have implications for dietary recommendations that may decrease the risk of certain diseases, e.g., ARMD.