So I decided to try a couple of supplements for their supposed protective, antioxidant benefits - lutein (with zeaxanthin), and a mixed carotenoid supplement consisting of several "carotenoid" nutrients (alpha and beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, and astaxanthin). To my surprise and dismay, both of these supplements seem to cause negative mental/psychological symptoms - I seem to feel and look more "out of it" than usual. It's hard to put into words exactly what these symptoms entail or how they make me feel - I just have a general "brain fog" that I can even physically feel (it can feel like my brain is being poisoned, or like I have a "stuffy head"). Such mental symptoms are not unfamiliar for me - it seems that the body part that most often feels some adverse effect of a supplement, drug, or even food is my brain. My brain seems to be "the weakest link".

Does anyone have any idea why I would have such a negative response to these supplements? Has anyone else had this experience with these nutrients? It's baffling and frustrating to me; based on the most commonly available information about these antioxidants, it doesn't seem to make much sense.

I swear - nutritional supplementation has often proven to be far from easy or straightforward. The more I experiment with these supplements, the more I wish I were a genius with a PhD in chemistry who could determine what, exactly is going on in my body!



P.S. - the reason why I decided to place this post in the "Eye" forums is because lutein is a widely recommended supplement to for guarding certain eye structures against oxidative damage. I thought it was possible that participants in these forums would have some experience with taking lutein and other carotenoids.