Marigold Extract Powder

Marigold flower, also known as Tagetes erecta L., has a long history usage as a medicinal herb; it is commonly found in Europe, North America, and Asia. Moreover, lutein is used as a yellow/orange food color in the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand for foods such as pasta, vegetable oil, margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressing, baked goods, confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, yogurt, citrus juice and mustard.

The flowers and leaves of Marigold flower are the main parts that have the beneficial properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenicity, antiviral and immunomodulatory effects owing to increased polyphenol contents, especially carotenoids, flavonoids, tannins, triterpene, alcohols, saponins, and polysaccharides. Recently, its rich content of lutein has been paid a lot of attention to, and it has been used as a source of lutein supplement in the food industry. Many studies and experiments have shown that lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation can maintain eye health, and lower the incidence of various eyes chronic diseases, especially age-related macular degeneration.

• Lutein and similarly structured carotenoids can protect underlying retinal cells from oxidative stress by aggregating in the eye where they can buffer light. 
• Dietary and supplemental lutein and zeaxanthin are known to increase total macular pigment levels which can result in protective effects in aged eye cells.

Marigold can relieve digestive tract problems including poor appetite, swollen gas, stomach pain, colic, intestinal worms, and dysentery. It is also used for coughs, colds, mumps, fluid retention and sore eyes. Ingested by women, it is capable of inducing menstruation, treating sore breasts (mastitis), and protecting against miscarriage. Its florets are rich in the orange-yellow carotenoid lutein, which can help protect the eyes against oxidative stress and decrease the risk of eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. 

Studies have shown that eating lutein- and zeaxanthin-rich foods or taking supplements of these carotenoids can restore macular pigment density, which declines with age. In fact, one such study of advanced macular degeneration patients who were taking high-dose lutein supplements (4 mg or more per day)experienced "normal" levels after a few months.