In addition to bright eyes, lutein can promote heart health

Lutein is good for eye health,Especially helps to prevent age-related macular degeneration.

The health benefits of protecting the vision of the elderly have long been scientifically proven and well-known to consumers;

Recent studies released abroad also found that high levels of lutein in the eyes and brain are associated with higher IQ values.

Recent researchers in China have found that lutein is also beneficial to heart health.

A recent rat study by Jilin Medical College researchers concluded that lutein may inhibit the progression of myocardial fibrosis.

The study has been published in the Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

In this study of rats, the researchers randomly divided 50 Wistar rats into 5 groups of 10 animals each.

They were normal control group, model control group, low-dose lutein group (20mg /kg/day), middle-dose lutein group (40mg/kg/day) and high-dose group (80mg/kg/day). ).

The researchers first injected isoproterenol (5 mg/kg/day) subcutaneously into the four groups except the normal group for 7 days to establish a rat myocardial fibrosis (MF) model,

On the second day after modeling, the researchers administered different doses of lutein to the experimental group by gavage, and the normal control group and model control group received the same dose of distilled water Once a day for 28 days.

Subsequently, the researchers used a balance to measure the heart index (HMI) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in rats; and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect type I procollagen carboxy-terminal peptide (PICP) and type III procollagen N in rat serum.

The content of terminal peptide (PIIINP) was detected by microplate reader, and the levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine phosphokinase (CK) and nitric oxide (NO) in serum were detected.

The myocardial tissue of rats was detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Calcineurin (CaN) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content.

The results showed that compared with the model control group, the heart index of the three groups of rats was significantly improved, the low dose group improved by 15%, the high dose group improved by nearly 30%, and the left ventricular quality index improved by 12%~20%; type I procollagen carboxy-terminal peptide content decreased by 12% to 18%, type III decreased by 10% to 14%; lactate dehydrogenase level was also significantly reduced, the maximum drop of 25%; creatine phosphokinase levels The decline is even greater, with the highest being close to 40%.

In addition, the level of nitric oxide in the lutein group increased by a factor of 2.5, the activity of calcineurin (CaN) was significantly reduced, and the content of malondialdehyde was significantly decreased, and all the above effects of lutein were dose-dependent.

Based on this, researchers believe that lutein can inhibit the synthesis of collagen by inhibiting the action of calcium channels by increasing NO levels, reducing MDA content and CaN activity, and inhibiting rat heart fibrosis. A certain degree of protection.