NutriStack
Lutein and Zeaxanthin, a synergy.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are the two carotenoids that make up macular pigment and are routinely combined for eye and macular health.
One pair, every claim cited. The two substances, the type, the mechanism, the recommendation, and the primary literature.
Same shape as the other 1,729 pairs in the public database.
From the interaction database
What the row says.
Every entry follows the same shape: what is happening, the mechanism, the recommendation, and the primary literature.
At a glance
- Substances
- Lutein and Zeaxanthin
- Pair type
- Synergy
- Evidence (highest tier)
- Strong
- Source citations
- 2 sources
- Stack Score effect
- +2 to your Stack Score (per scored synergy row).
- Scope
- Supplement × Supplement
- Last verified
- May 30, 2026
Synergy · Strong evidence
Synergy
What is happening. Lutein and zeaxanthin are the two carotenoids that make up macular pigment and are routinely combined for eye and macular health.
Mechanism. Lutein concentrates more in the peripheral macula and zeaxanthin in the central fovea, where together they form the macular pigment that filters high-energy blue light and quenches reactive oxygen species, giving spatially complementary photoprotection.
Recommendation. Take together with a fat-containing meal for macular support, in line with the ratios used in eye health research (roughly 10 mg lutein to 2 mg zeaxanthin).
Sources (2)
- Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) Research Group. Lutein plus zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids for age-related macular degeneration. JAMA, 2013
- Bone RA, Landrum JT et al. Macular pigment in donor eyes with and without AMD: a case-control study. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 2001
Stack Score
How this pair moves the number.
Effect on the composite score
If both Lutein and Zeaxanthin are in the same stack, this pair applies +2 to your Stack Score (per scored synergy row).
The full algorithm, the clamping rules, and four worked stacks are documented at /methodology/stack-score.
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