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 Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids which are related to beta-carotene that gives vegetables such as carrots their orange colour. Lutein and zeaxanthin also add yellow pigment to plants and can be found in the flesh of colourful fruits and vegetables as well as in the leaves.
However, lutein and zeaxanthin do much more than simply give plants a nice colour as these two compounds are found in large amounts in the lens and retina of our eyes. Here they function as antioxidants to potentially help protect our eyes from damage caused by unstable free radicals, which interact with and break down healthy tissue.
Lutein and zeaxanthin may also help to protect our eyes by filtering away high-energy UV and blue light. This allows the pigment to protect underlying cell layers from potential light damage.
These helpful antioxidants may protect our eyes only if we get enough of them from our diet, and studies indicate that a diet with sufficient amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin from fruit and vegetables could help protect our eyes from common eye diseases such as ARMD and cataracts. Studies also indicate that failure to get enough lutein and zeaxanthin in our diets may place us at a much greater risk of developing these diseases.
Dietary supplements exist to enable us to take lutein and zeaxanthin in tablet form to supplement our normal diet, but it's important to use a high quality product as recommended by an eye care professional. 
It's interesting to note that whilst many people have some difficulty in eating sufficient healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables, it is actually possible to eat too many carotenoids. This may result in a rare but usually harmless condition called carotenemia where pigment from over-consumption can turn the skin yellowish!
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