Visual health: a shared concern Whether for fun, work or for mere socializing purposes, the French are overexposed to screens. Between technological breakthroughs and the growing popularity of remote work, visual impairments are with an increasingly earlier onset. The industry is doing its best to find solutions. Overview of the active ingredients that benefit our eyes. t’s been one year since more than six visual disturbances in Europe, thereby generat- in ten French indicate they have in- ing savings of €6.2 billion per year. But the “lute- creased their daily screen time (Public in/zeaxanthin” offering has not been overlooked Health France, 2020 and OpinionWay, by nutraceuticals, either. Please note that lute- May 2020). The health crisis didn’t give us many in and zeaxanthin are the two pigments in the choices: both our professional and personal ex- macula that give it its yellow colour. The main changes have become digitalized and our access difference is that zeaxanthin is found in high- to natural light has been limited. As a result, the er amounts in the centre, while lutein is rath- French are putting an extra strain on their eyes. For er found in the peripheral areas (retina). Just 83% of them, this is the direct result of an overuse of like a blue light filter, these carotenoids pro- screens, which causes various visual impairments tect the eye from oxidative stress. OmniActive hardly experienced before (26%, OpinonWay for Heath Technology, an American supplier of ac- AsnaV, July 2020, see box). Headaches, dry eyes tive ingredients, offers its solution to support and double vision, these are the signs that incrim- eye health. Lutemax® is a lutein obtained from inate remote work. Indeed, this professional revo- Tagetes erecta via a patented and controlled lution has not helped control our relationship with manufacturing process (from the flower beds to blue light, which was already well present (50 days 83% the finished product). Available in free-flowing spent on our smartphones in 2018, www.blog.res- or esterified form, it can be used in various appli- cuetime.com ). And the blinding reality is that the cations with multiple dosage forms (tablets, soft- population suffering from visual impairments is For 83% of the gels, capsules etc.). Please note that the T. erecta. increasingly younger—besides those who are over French population, claim“contributes to the maintenance of normal screens are the age of 50, those in their 40s are also counted inputting an extra vision” is currently pending approval. (University Medical Centre, Groningen). So how strain on their can we preserve our vision capital when everything eyes. For its part, Kemin continues to develop brings us in front of the screen? FloraGLO® Lutein, which is derived from com- mon marigold and whose preventive action on “LUTEIN/ZEAXANTHIN”, blue light and its safety of use have been demon- THE WINNING COUPLE strated in over 90 clinical studies. In the United In May 2020, IADSA, the international alliance States, this active ingredient has even been pat- of food supplements associations, sounded the ented concerning its filtering effect on this most alarm on the relationship between blue light penetrating part of the light spectrum, which is (smartphones, computers and LED lights) and the blue light (Blue Light Patent). vision, an exposure that is taking its toll on our As for Lycored, it offers a range of active ingredi- eye health. As part of the answer and in an at- ents containing various amounts of lutein (5% to tempt to reverse this phenomenon, antioxydants 20%) which also are extracted from the common represent key ingredients with lutein and zeax- marigold flower. Going even further, Amway’s anthin. These needs are hardly covered by food Nutrilite™ has been formulated with lutein and alone, hence the need for supplementation. And zeaxanthin, black currant extracts, crysanthe- the game is worth the efforts as, according to a mum and goji berries to be tested* in adults suf- 2017 Frost & Sullivan research, it is precisely this fering from eye fatigue. This latter was reduced, supplementation (10 mg of lutein and 2 mg of ze- just as dry eye and the macular function im- axanthin) that could have avoided over 175,000 proved following this supplementation. #75 - 18 -GAM s’fitcA