1. A method for
treatment of [
improving, managing, and/or treating ] psychological stress
and [
and/or ] physiological stress in a subject, comprising:
a . [ ) ] identifying a subject in need thereof, wherein the subject in need thereof is affected by psychological stress as measured by macular pigment optical density (MPOD) levels and [ and/or ] physiological stress as measured by blood cortisol levels;
b . [ ) ] administering a daily dose of macular carotenoid composition in an amount effective for increasing the MPOD levels and reducing the blood cortisol levels over a period of at least one month as compared to those of before the administration of the macular carotenoid composition so as to treat stress in the subject, the macular carotenoid composition consists [ consisting ] of at least 85% by weight of xanthophylls, the xanthophylls being lutein and zeaxanthin isomers, of which at least 80% by weight being trans-lutein, at least 6% by weight being (R, R)-zeaxanthin and at least 6% by weight being (R, S)-zeaxanthin, wherein the macular carotenoid composition consists of at least 0.1 mg/kg body weight of the lutein and, at least 0.01 mg/kg body weight of the zeaxanthin isomers; and
c . [ ) ] measuring MPOD and [ and/or ] blood cortisol levels; and
d . [ ) ] evaluating an improvement in overall health status of the subject.