Foods highest in Lutein and zeaxanthin per 100 g (USDA)
USDA food records ranked by lutein and zeaxanthin per 100 g, reported together in micrograms.
- Unit:
- µg per 100 g
- Daily Value:
- none defined
- Datasets:
- Foundation Foods, SR Legacy and FNDDS
Lutein and zeaxanthin are yellow carotenoids that plants make and that concentrate in the macula of the human retina. USDA reports them as one combined value because the analytical method (HPLC) does not separate them reliably in all foods. There is no Daily Value.
Dark leafy greens lead the ranking: kale, spinach, turnip greens, chard and dried parsley, followed by green peas, squash, corn and egg yolk. Cooking concentrates greens by removing water, so a cooked spinach record can outrank the raw one per 100 g.
Top 100 foods by Lutein and zeaxanthin per 100 g
10,754 of 13,621 Normal catalog records report this nutrient (Foundation Foods: 29/397 · SR Legacy: 5,294/7,793 · FNDDS: 5,431/5,431). Records without a value are not ranked.
How to read this ranking
Values are in micrograms per 100 g and vary widely with variety, ripeness and storage. No percentage is shown because no Daily Value exists.
Values are USDA amounts per 100 g of edible portion, ordered as reported; this is information, not dietary advice. Methodology