When discussing the macular carotenoids found in MacuHealth LMZ3, their protective role against AMD is often highlighted. Although this is an important point to discuss with patients who have or are at risk for AMD, I have a much more general conversation on the role of macular pigment with all of my patients. After all, 100 years ago, the average lifespan was much shorter, with many not living to an age at which AMD would manifest. So, it seems that the real reason for the exquisite design of the macular pigment may not be soley for protection but also to enhance vision.
Recent Research
A recent study1 showed a strong correlation between raising macular pigment optical density (MPOD) through supplementation and increased contrast sensitivity. However, the authors of the study explain that this correlation is not inherent. While many of macular pigment’s benefits to visual performance involve filtration of blue light, in the case of contrast sensitivity, macular pigment would equally filter the light versus dark bars on a contrast target, thus negating the effect of increased MPOD on enhanced contrast sensitivity.
Consequently, the basis for this effect appears to lie in another neurophysiological phenomenon known as lateral inhibition. In the retina, groups of photoreceptors are connected together in circuits to form receptive fields. Antioxidants increase the sensitivity of these retinal circuits, which serve to detect edges in the visual field. Because the three macular carotenoids — lutein (L), zeaxanthin (Z), and meso-zeaxanthin (MZ) — are
Optimum Vision and Eyecare