Lutein's Research History, From Marigold Petals to Eye Trials
Marigold flowers are the main source of the lutein sold in supplements. This page traces that supply to the 2013 AREDS2 trial and a 2024 bioavailability study, reports what each measured, and says where the early history is missing.
The history of lutein in supplements runs through marigold petals, and the sources we could verify start there. A 2024 randomized crossover study in *Nutrients* describes marigold flowers as the main source of lutein in the dietary supplement market, mostly as lutein esters. ([Olmedilla-Alonso et al., 2024](https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16101415)) Cultivar matters too. A 2023 study in *Foods* measured ten marigold cultivars and found total carotenoid content ranging from 25.62 to 2,723.11 micrograms per gram of fresh weight. The authors named Durango Red as the cultivar that could produce the highest lutein yield, an estimated 94.45 kilograms per hectare. ([Saini et al., 2023](https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12193549)) Marigold is not the only route in current research. A 2026 review in *Foods* describes green vegetables and marigold flowers as conventional sources, with limits that include low bioavailability, seasonal variability, land-intensive cultivation, and sustainability concerns. It then covers microalgae, agro-industrial byproducts, and bioengineered fermentation as emerging alternatives. Lutein is a xanthophyll carotenoid ([Kurniawan et al., 2026](https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15101717)), and the 2024 study notes that lutein and zeaxanthin are both found in the blood and deposited in the retina as macular pigment ([Olmedilla-Alonso et al., 2024](https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16101415)). ## What the 2013 eye trial tested, and what it found The best-known trial is AREDS2, the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2. It used a 2 × 2 factorial design, ran from 2006 to 2012, and enrolled 4,203 people aged 50 to 85 who were at risk of progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Participants received lutein 10 mg with zeaxanthin 2 mg, DHA 350 mg with EPA 650 mg, both, or placebo, while also taking the original AREDS formula or one of its variations. That formula contained vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc. ([AREDS2, JAMA 2013](https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.4997)) The trial started from observational data suggesting that dietary lutein with zeaxanthin, omega-3 fats, or both might further reduce risk. On the primary analysis, lutein and zeaxanthin did not significantly reduce progression to advanced AMD. Over a median follow-up of five years, progression was 29 percent in the lutein and zeaxanthin group and 31 percent on placebo, counted by study eye. In total, 1,940 study eyes from 1,608 participants progressed. The hazard ratio for lutein and zeaxanthin was 0.90 (98.7 percent confidence interval, 0.76 to 1.07). DHA and EPA alone gave 0.97, and the combination gave 0.89, with no significant reduction in any group. ([AREDS2, JAMA 2013](https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.4997)) The trial also tested whether removing beta carotene or lowering zinc changed progression, and it found no apparent effect. It did find more lung cancers in the beta carotene group than in the group without it, 23 cases against 11, mostly among former smokers. The authors suggested that lutein and zeaxanthin could be an appropriate carotenoid substitute in the AREDS formula for that reason. ([AREDS2, JAMA 2013](https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.4997)) ## What the 2024 study measured, and what it did not The 2024 study is small. Twenty-four healthy adults, 12 women and 12 men aged 20 to 35 and 50 to 65, took 6 mg of lutein a day from marigold extract for two months, in separate periods on the free form and the ester form. Its stated aim was to measure lutein bioavailability in those two forms, and the 2026 review lists low bioavailability as a limitation of conventional sources too. Baseline lutein plus zeaxanthin intake was 1.9 mg a day. Serum lutein rose 2.4-fold by day 15, serum zeaxanthin rose 1.7-fold, and the two forms produced the same serum response. Visual contrast threshold, which the study also measured, did not differ between the forms. ([Olmedilla-Alonso et al., 2024](https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16101415)) The authors also say the serum levels they reached are associated with a lower risk of age-related eye disease. The study did not measure that outcome, so this page does not repeat the link. A practical note for readers: the doses in these two studies are the numbers to compare against any label. The AREDS2 lutein arm used 10 mg of lutein with 2 mg of zeaxanthin, and the 2024 study used 6 mg of lutein a day. A label with those amounts can be compared with the trial doses, but this page does not rank products. ## Where the sources stop This page does not name who first isolated lutein. A PubMed search on early lutein isolation returned no records, and we did not find a primary or institutional source for the early chemistry in this run, so that history is left out. The marigold points above describe today's supply, not a documented first step. Two target questions are only partly answered. The abstracts we read do not compare food lutein with supplement lutein head to head, and they do not give serving amounts for green vegetables. Every trial figure on this page comes from a PubMed abstract, not the full text. ## Bottom line Three verified points carry the page. Marigold flowers are the main source of lutein in supplements. The largest eye trial found no statistically significant reduction in progression to advanced AMD with lutein and zeaxanthin. A small 2024 study found the free and ester forms raised serum lutein to the same degree. Which early chemist first isolated lutein, and from what? The sources we could open do not say. ## Next reads - [The omega-3 history](/blog/history/history-of-omega-3-from-cod-liver-oil-to-epa-and-dha) for the DHA and EPA that AREDS2 tested alongside lutein. - [The vitamin C history](/blog/history/history-of-vitamin-c-from-scurvy-to-ascorbic-acid) for one of the original AREDS formula vitamins. - [The mitochondrial health guide](/health/mitochondrial-health-complete-guide) for the wider cellular background, a broader subject than this page. ### Related reading - [the beta carotene origin story from carrot to provitamin A](/blog/history/history-of-beta-carotene-from-carrot-to-provitamin-a) - [the vitamin A origin story from night blindness to retinol](/blog/history/history-of-vitamin-a-from-night-blindness-to-retinol)