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Foods
|
|
|---|---|
| (mg/100g serving) | |
| Kale (raw) | 39.6 |
| Kale (cooked) | 18.2 |
| Spinach (raw) | 12.2 |
| Spinach (cooked) | 11.3 |
| Turnip greens (cooked) | 8.4 |
| Cos or Romaine (raw) | 2.3 |
| Courgettes with skin (raw) | 2.1 |
| Broccoli (cooked) | 1.5 |
| Peas (tinned) | 1.4 |
| Brussel sprouts (cooked) | 1.3 |
| Sweetcorn (cooked) | 1.0 |
Lutein is a natural pigment, which helps protect our eyes. It's also an antioxidant which is carried to many areas of the body that are prone to free radical damage, like the eyes and skin. Having enough lutein can help maintain healthy eyes.
It's important to know that lutein cannot be made by the body, so we have to make sure we get it through the foods we eat or from our vitamin and mineral supplements. Although there is no recommended daily allowance of lutein set in the UK, some other countries suggest we need to have about 6mg a day. This equates to about one bowl of spinach each day.
Kale tops the list of lutein-rich foods followed by spinach. Other foods which contain the nutrient are broccoli, peas, brussel sprouts, sweetcorn, green beans and egg yolk.
Centrum Advance and Centrum Advance 50+ contain a natural form of lutein to help maintain healthy eyes. They contain FloraGLO lutein, which is extracted from marigold flowers and is an ideal form for human health because it's identical to the lutein found in dark green vegetables. Once absorbed by the body, it deposits itself in the eye to absorb potentially harmful blue light and protects the eye.
Even if you think you have an adequate intake, you might be surprised.
To find out more about lutein visit - www.luteininfo.com
Natalie Green, a 25-year-old PA working for an export company, had always believed her diet to be healthy and adequate.
'I was brought up to know that eating fruits and vegetables is important but I sometimes found it hard to eat as many as I knew I should,' says Natalie.
'I don't really eat much junk food though, maybe the occasional Indian takeaway once a month or I'll go out for a pizza with my mates.
'I'd have porridge oats, which I know are really good for you, for breakfast and then something like a jacket potato with cheese and beans for lunch and maybe some chicken and vegetables with brown rice for dinner.
'I decided to start taking a good quality, daily multivitamin and multimineral supplement like Centrum Advance along with a healthy diet and lifestyle. When I looked at all the nutrients it contained, I realised that my diet probably lacked a number of vitamins and minerals.
'It's a great feeling knowing that I can rest assured I'm covered for my basic nutritional needs and also for extra nutrients like lutein, which I now understand are also just as important for a healthy body.'
