Changes in Plasma Lutein with Egg Intake are Associated with BMI in Postmenopausal Women

Associated with BMI in Postmenopausal Women It has been well-documented that higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin (L&Z) pigments in the serum and macular region of the retina are associated with a decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Studies have also shown that the concentrations of these carotenoids generally increase with increased dietary intake of foods rich in these antioxidant pigments. However, individual plasma responses to dietary carotenoid intake vary. For some, increasing dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin results in a large increase in serum concentrations. For others, the changes in serum concentrations are minimal. This phenomenon also holds true for dietary cholesterol. While for some, serum LDL and HDL cholesterol concentrations rise modestly when dietary cholesterol intake increases, others experience little or no change. A recent study in healthy young men and women showed that when whole eggs were added to participants’ diets, the change in serum lutein levels was positively associated with the serum lipid response to added dietary cholesterol (Clark et al. 2006). In other words, those whose cholesterol levels increased in response to egg intake (responders) experienced a greater increase in serum lutein than those whose serum cholesterol levels did not increase (nonresponders). To further clarify the relationship between serum lutein response and cholesterol metabolism, investigators from the University of Connecticut at Storrs tested the effects of egg intake on serum lutein and on serum HDL and LDL cholesterol concentrations in healthy postmenopausal women.