How much lutein is enough?
Lutein is one of over 650 carotenoids. Beta-carotene is probably the most famous of the carotenoids. The bioavailability of carotenoids is determined by the food source and interactions with other items in it. Studies with beta-carotene and lycopene have shown that association with a lipid matrix increases the bioavailability of these carotenoids. Carotenoids in the plant will decrease their bioavailability. That is why there is a difference in the table above in cooked vegetables having more lutein. However, when you break down the plant cell by decreasing food particle size as you do in juicing, you maximize the bioavailablity of the carotenoids and all other nutrients-far more so than cooking. Unfortunately, most all of the nutrient databases don’t acknowledge this, and there are no references that one can cite to demonstrate this. It is important to note that lutein is an oil-soluble nutrient, and if you merely consume the above vegetables without some oil or butter you can’t absor
