Department of Nutrition, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Department of Internal Medicine, UC Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
Nutrients. 2021 Dec 9;13(12):4409. doi: 10.3390/nu13124409.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the third leading cause of blindness worldwide. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD), a biomarker for AMD, is a non-invasive measure to assess risk. The macula xanthophyll pigments lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) protect against blue light and provide oxidant defense, which can be indexed by MPOD. This study examined the effects of Z-rich goji berry intake on MPOD and skin carotenoids in healthy individuals. A randomized, unmasked, parallel-arm study was conducted with 27 participants, aged 45-65, who consumed either 28 g of goji berries or a supplement containing 6 mg L and 4 mg Z (LZ), five times weekly for 90 days. After 90 days, MPOD was significantly increased in the goji berry group at 0.25 and 1.75 retinal eccentricities ( = 0.029 and = 0.044, respectively), while no changes were noted in the LZ group. Skin carotenoids were significantly increased in the goji berry group at day 45 ( = 0.025) and day 90 ( = 0.006), but not in the LZ group. Regular intake of goji berries in a healthy middle-aged population increases MPOD may help prevent or delay the development of AMD.
年龄相关性黄斑变性（AMD）是全球导致失明的第三大原因。黄斑色素光学密度（MPOD）是 AMD 的生物标志物，是评估风险的一种非侵入性测量方法。黄斑叶黄素（L）和玉米黄质（Z）等类胡萝卜素可以抵御蓝光并提供抗氧化防御，其水平可以通过 MPOD 来衡量。本研究旨在探讨富含 Z 的枸杞摄入对健康个体 MPOD 和皮肤类胡萝卜素的影响。一项随机、非盲、平行臂研究纳入了 27 名年龄在 45-65 岁之间的健康参与者，他们分别食用 28 克枸杞或含有 6 毫克 L 和 4 毫克 Z（LZ）的补充剂，每周 5 次，持续 90 天。90 天后，枸杞组在 0.25 和 1.75 视网膜偏心距时 MPOD 显著增加（ = 0.029 和 = 0.044，分别），而 LZ 组则没有变化。枸杞组在第 45 天（ = 0.025）和第 90 天（ = 0.006）时皮肤类胡萝卜素显著增加，但 LZ 组没有变化。在健康中年人群中定期摄入枸杞可增加 MPOD，可能有助于预防或延缓 AMD 的发展。
