Kemin – Inspired Molecular Solutions™
DES MOINES, Iowa – June 18, 2010 –
Kemin Health,
L.C. and Paul S. Bernstein, MD., Ph.D., will present expert panel findings on The Value of Macular Pigment Optical Density (MPOD) for Age-Related Eye Diseases and Visual Performance at a press conference on Friday, June 18th at 9 AM EDT in the Palm Beach Room at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center at the American Optometric Association’s (AOA) Optometry’s Meeting® in Orlando, Florida. All attendees of the AOA Meeting are welcome to attend this press conference.
A panel of experts1 with extensive experience in carotenoid physiology, clinical expertise and/or MPOD measurement in healthy eyes and eyes affected with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), reached a consensus on the value of noninvasive MPOD measurement as a screening tool for AMD risk based on a review of the scientific literature and their clinical and research experience.
Key conclusions from the panel to be discussed at this press conference include:
- The current body of evidence supports the hypothesis that AMD is in part a manifestation of an ocular deficiency of lutein and zeaxanthin and that higher macular levels may protect against AMD.
- MPOD measurement has the potential to become a commonly tested biomarker to measure risk for eye disease and visual function.
- Approximately 43% of the U.S. population has low MPOD.2
MPOD is a measurement of the attenuation of blue light by the macular pigment and is linearly related to the amount of lutein and zeaxanthin in the macula. Over 250 published studies support that the macular pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin, are essential nutrients for maintaining healthy vision. Thus, the ability to measure MPOD is very important to understanding the role of lutein and zeaxanthin in eye health and function.
As the eye care industry embraces new technologies to measure MPOD, the quality of an ocular supplement brand and its ingredients (lutein/zeaxanthin) become extremely important. Kemin Health is committed to increasing awareness about the quality of ingredients in ocular supplements. Specifically, Kemin Health educates eye health care professionals why it is important to look for FloraGLO® Lutein, the lutein ingredient brand clinically proven to increase MPOD, when recommending dietary supplements with lutein.
To view the entire consensus report published in Vision Research, click here.
Kemin – Inspired Molecular Solutions™
Founded in 1961, the Kemin group of companies (www.kemin.com) provides health and nutritional solutions to the agrifood, food ingredient, pet food, human health and pharmaceutical industries. Kemin operates in more than 60 countries with manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Brazil, China, India, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and the United States.
Kemin Health
develops, manufactures and markets specialty ingredients with healthful benefits for the dietary supplement and functional food and beverage markets. Specific to the nutraceutical industry, Kemin Health is credited with successfully commercializing lutein and significantly developing the eye supplement category under the FloraGLO® Lutein brand (www.floraglolutein.com), the leading and most researched lutein ingredient brand sold worldwide. Kemin Health is committed to increasing awareness about the quality of ingredients in ocular supplements. Specifically, Kemin Health teaches eye health care professionals why it is important to look for the FloraGLO Lutein brand when recommending dietary supplements.
1Paul S. Bernstein, Francois C. Delori, Stuart Richer, Erik J.M. van Kuijk, Adam J. Wenzel
2U.S. population with central MPOD below 0.2 d.u. Wooten & Hammond, 2002
For media inquiries, please contact:
Courtney Schwartz, +1 515-559-5123, [email protected]
Erin Hockman, +1 515-559-5349, [email protected]