Pigment absorption Fruits/Veggies vs Proteins https://www.opsweb.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1299072 Sun, 19 Jul 2026 13:43:31 GMT Fri, 16 Sep 2016 04:49:45 GMT Copyright © 2016 Ophthalmic Photographers' Society Pigment absorption Fruits/Veggies vs Proteins https://www.opsweb.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1299072 https://www.opsweb.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1299072  

I stumbled across a kind of chicken I'd never heard of before, entirely black from feather to the bone.  I got to thinking back on a conversation with one of our MD's and recalled him saying studies had showing heavily pigmented fruits & veggies when consumed helped the RPE portion of the Retina. 

Is anyone aware if the same is true of pigmented/ heavily pigmented proteins like this all-black Ayam Cemani Chicken?

https://greenfirefarms.com/ayam_cemani.html

]]> Thu, 15 Sep 2016 18:16:48 GMT https://www.opsweb.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1299254 https://www.opsweb.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1299254
This is a very interesting question and as I am not a biochemist, so I don't have definitive information - but I believe that the pigments that are beneficial to the R
PE and the carotenoid pigments: carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthine. Not all pigments are created equal, so to speak. I would imagine that melanin pigment or something from the same pigment type plays a part in this chicken's make up.

I will be seeing Paul Bernstein, MD, PhD, our immediate past medical advisor to the Journal of Ophthalmic Photography, tomorrow and will ask his opinion. Paul is internationally known for his expertise in macular pigments and nutrition. His research lab at the Moran Eye Center is dedicated in part to the study of the biochemistry of macular pigments.

I'll get back to you,
p
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