OmniActive Health Technologies (Morristown NJ) reported public findings that examined lutein’s role on visual function and carbohydrate metabolism in Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

“Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness for diabetes mellitus sufferers and its worldwide prevalence is rapidly increasing as a consequence of a rise in obesity, changing patterns of diet and physical activity, and an aging population,” said. Dr. Jayant Deshpande, chief technical officer, OmniActive. “The results of this study revealed that lutein and zeaxanthin isomers have great potential for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, which can occur in both individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.”

Oxidative damage and growth factors are implicated in the pathogenesis of retinopathy in diabetes. Lutein significantly inhibits diabetes-induced retinal oxidative damage and elevation in VEGF and PDGF, and inhibits abnormalities associated with diabetic retinopathy, reported OmniActive, adding these findings further support the important antioxidant functions and roles that lutein and zeaxanthin isomers play in maintaining healthy vision.

For more information, visit www.omniactives.com.