Scan Magazine – August 2018

50 | Issue 115 | August 2018

A deterioration in eyesight is one of the many things which are commonly accepted
as an unavoidable part of ageing. There are, however, ways to help protect the
eyes. One of them is to make sure your diet has plenty of the antioxidants lutein
and zeaxanthin. Both are included in the Ophtamin food supplements, developed by
Danish company DeepSeaPharma.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: DeepSeaPharma

Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids,
or yellow pigments, which naturally oc-
cur in the human eye, where they form a
protective barrier in front of and between
photoreceptor cells. The density of the
yellow pigment and its protective effect
depend partly on the amount of lutein and
zeaxanthin we consume through our diet.
By combining zinc, vitamins C and E, and
lutein and zeaxanthin, DeepSeaPharma’s
three Ophtamin products therefore in-
crease the likelihood of maintaining
fully functional eyesight for as long as
possible. ”We live in a time where we’re
exposed to a lot of blue light from, for in-
stance, mobile phones, computers and
LED lights. You can compare the effect
of the pigment with sun lotion; if the lay-
er is too thin, it’s like wearing a too low

SPF and some of the eye cells are dam-

aged,” explains Kristian Andersen from

DeepSeaPharma. “The damaged cells

cluster together with fat and protein, cre-

ating white spots on the retina.”

Since the body cannot produce lutein

and zeaxanthin, it is important to get at

least six milligrammes a day in order to

maintain healthy eyesight. Acting as anti-

oxidants in the body, the carotenoids are

predominantly found in green vegetables

such as broccoli and spinach, but stud-

ies have shown that food supplements

such as Ophtamin can also help increase

the pigment density by up to 82 per cent

when taken regularly for a period of two

years (the case study was conducted

with 521 participants and published in

Better sight for longer

MedCrave, 2017). “The study showed that

as the pigmentation increased, so did

the test subject’s contrast sensitivity,”

Andersen says. “And for 62 per cent of

participants, the blinding effect of on-

coming cars was also reduced, resulting

in safer night vision.”

Web: http://www.eyecare.dk and

http://www.ophtamin.dk

Facts:

Ophtamin Lutein + Omega 3

contains: zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E,

omega-3 and 12 milligrammes lutein/

zeaxanthin.

Ophtamin Krill is the latest product

in the Ophtamin range and has the

same ingredients as Ophtamin Lutein

+ Omega, but with the omega-3 fish

oil replaced by krill oil, which is easier

for the body to absorb and brings more

pigments into the retina.

Ophtamin 20: Ophtamin 20 also

contains a high dosage of zinc.

Scan Magazine | Wellness Feature | DeepSeaPharma

White spots

on the retina

Layers of

pigmentation,

section of the

yellow spot

Photoreceptor cells

Tests show that 62 per cent of participants taking food

supplements such as Ophtamin experience a reduced

blinding effect from oncoming cars.

Optic nerve

Normal retina The “yellow spot”