Zeaxanthin linked to better mental performance in the elderly

As if you needed yet another reason to take nutritional supplements containing zeaxanthin, a new study from France provided the first proof that increased intake of the carotenoids lycopene and zeaxanthin may improve the mental performance of elderly people. 

The study was published in the highly regarded Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences by researchers from the University of Montpellier, University of Paris, and CHU Grenoble. The authors report that low levels of the carotenoids were linked to the lowest levels of cognitive function amongst 589 healthy older people. 

"To our knowledge, this study is the first that investigated, in a healthy elderly population, the relationship between cognitive performance measured by five neuropsychological tests and the different plasma carotenoids: xanthophylls (lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin) and carotenes (lycopene, alpha-carotene, trans-beta-carotene, and cis-beta-carotene)," wrote lead author Tasnime Akbaraly.  

"In this present study, low levels of specific plasma carotenoids - lycopene and zeaxanthin - were associated to poor cognitive functioning in a highly educated, community-dwelling elderly population," added Akbaraly. 

Although cognitive performance declines naturally with age, the new research reports that this decline may be slowed by increased intake of certain carotenoids, and especially zeaxanthin. 

Blood samples for the participants (average age 73.5, 361 women) were taken and carotenoid levels calculated. Cognitive function was measured using a battery of cognitive tests, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Trail Making Test Part B (TMTB), Digit Symbol Substitution (DSS), Finger Tapping Test (FTT), and Word Fluency Test (WFT). 

Participants with the lowest cognitive performance scores were more likely to have low levels of some carotenoids. Significant associations were reported between zeaxanthin and all cognitive tests except the MMSE, while low levels of lycopene were associated with poor performance on the TMTB and the DSS. 

This is one of the first significant studies to show a definitive link between zeaxanthin levels and cognitive function. 

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