The two carotenoids concentrated in the macula of the eye.
Every figure here is per 100 g of the food, not per serving. That makes foods comparable to each other, but it is not how anyone eats: 100 g of a dried spice and 100 g of a leafy green are very different portions, so a high position in this list does not tell you what a meal contributes.
Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
No FDA Daily Value is established for lutein + zeaxanthin, so no % DV is shown.
24 entries with a measured lutein + zeaxanthin value, highest first.
Capsicum annuum
Ground dried Capsicum annuum peppers, ranging from sweet to hot and sometimes smoked over oak. The USDA entry is per 100 g of the…
Capsicum annuum
Dried ground fruit of hot Capsicum annuum varieties. The USDA entry is per 100 g of the dried spice; a shake over a dish is well…
Spinacia oleracea
A fast-growing leafy annual in the amaranth family, eaten raw as young leaves or cooked as mature ones. It wilts to a fraction of…
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
A leafy form of the same species as beetroot, grown for its leaves and thick stalks rather than its root. The coloured stems owe…
Brassica oleracea var. sabellica
A loose-leaved cabbage that does not form a head, eaten raw in salads or cooked. Like other Brassica oleracea vegetables it…
Ocimum basilicum
The fresh leaves of Ocimum basilicum, used raw or added at the end of cooking because its aroma compounds are heat-sensitive. It…
Petroselinum crispum
A biennial Apiaceae herb eaten fresh in quantity in dishes such as tabbouleh and used as a garnish elsewhere. It is unusually…
Eruca vesicaria
A peppery salad leaf in the mustard family, eaten raw or briefly wilted. Its sharpness comes from isothiocyanates released when…
Pistacia vera
The green seed of a small desert tree, usually sold roasted in a split shell. The USDA reference entry is for the raw kernel…
Pisum sativum
Immature seeds of the pea plant, eaten fresh or frozen while still sweet and starchy rather than dried. Unlike the dried pulses…
Origanum vulgare
The dried leaf of Origanum vulgare, dominated by the phenols carvacrol and thymol. The USDA entry is per 100 g of dried leaf,…
Salvia officinalis
The grey-green leaf of Salvia officinalis, used fresh or dried and traditionally paired with fatty meats. The USDA entry is per…
Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera
Small axillary buds that grow along a thick stalk, another cultivar of Brassica oleracea. Modern varieties have been bred for…
Brassica oleracea var. italica
The immature flower heads and stalks of a cultivated Brassica oleracea. It is the most-studied source of glucoraphanin, the…
Gallus gallus domesticus
The fat-soluble half of the egg, carrying essentially all of its fat, cholesterol, fat-soluble vitamins, choline and carotenoid…
Coriandrum sativum
The fresh leaf of Coriandrum sativum, the same plant that yields coriander seed. A well-documented genetic variation in olfactory…
Asparagus officinalis
The young shoots of a perennial lily relative, harvested in spring. White asparagus is the same plant grown covered so the spears…
Linum usitatissimum
The seed of the flax plant, sold whole, ground or pressed for oil, and the densest common dietary source of plant lignans. The…
Gallus gallus domesticus
A complete package of protein, fat and micronutrients built to grow a chick, split between a protein-and-water white and a…
Piper nigrum
The dried unripe fruit of the Piper nigrum vine, used whole or ground. The USDA entry is per 100 g of ground pepper, whereas a…
Cuminum cyminum
The dried seed of Cuminum cyminum, used whole or ground across South Asian, Middle Eastern and Latin American cooking. The USDA…
Shredded cabbage salted and left to ferment under its own brine, where lactic acid bacteria already on the leaves acidify it…
Apium graveolens
The fibrous leaf stalks of a cultivated umbellifer, eaten raw or used as an aromatic base in cooking. It is mostly water by…
Persea americana
A large single-seeded berry with dense, oily flesh, unusual among fruits for being mostly fat rather than carbohydrate. It ripens…