Europeans are well aware of the relationship between sight and diet

According to a survey carried out in 5 countries by Synovate in collaboration with Kemin Health, 72% of Italians and 75% of Spanish believe that diet plays an important role in good eye health. The percentage is lower in the United Kingdom, Germany and France, where it was around 55%.

However, when it comes to listing the sight-saving nutrients, the situation is still confused. Only a small part of the population knows that, according to studies, lutein, the antioxidant contained in green vegetables, defends the retina from dangerous solar radiation and can reduce the progression of eye disorders such as cataract and senile macular degeneration.

In fact only 9.6% of Italians, 7.8% of the French and 5.4% of the Spanish have heard about this antioxidant. The situation improves in Britain and Germany, where lutein is known to about 25% of the population.

Lutein is the main component in macular pigment and it is the only carotenoid present in the macula. Studies suggest that this substance can have an antioxidant effect, reducing oxidative damage to the cells. Macular pigments act as a filter, preventing dangerous radiation (the 'blue light') from reaching and damaging the retina's sensitive tissue.

The vegetables that are richest in lutein are spinach (one bowl contains 15 milligrams, cooked, and 6.7 milligrams, uncooked) and cabbage (33.8 milligrams per bowl, cooked, and 22.1 milligrams, uncooked). If a diet does not provide the recommended quantities of lutein, food integrators containing this antioxidant are available from chemists. Apropos of this, 36% of Italian interviewees stated that they would use integrators for eye health, as did 45% of the British and Spanish, 36% of Germans and 24% of the French.