Scientists at the University of Chicago have made a fascinating discovery about a nutrient many of us eat every day. It has emerged that zeaxanthin, found in orange peppers and spinach, might help our bodies fight cancer more effectively.
The research team found this plant compound does something quite remarkable - it boosts the power of immune cells that attack tumours.
These findings appeared in Cell Reports Medicine and suggest this common nutrient could work alongside modern cancer treatments.
The supplement may boost the body's cancer-fighting cells
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"We were surprised to find that zeaxanthin, already known for its role in eye health, has a completely new function in boosting anti-tumour immunity," said Professor Jing Chen, who led the study.
The researchers discovered that zeaxanthin works by making CD8+ T cells - the body's cancer-fighting soldiers - much stronger. These immune cells use special receptors to spot and destroy tumour cells.
The team found that zeaxanthin helps these receptors form more stable connections when they encounter cancer cells.
This triggers stronger signals inside the T cells, making them produce more cancer-fighting substances and kill tumours more effectively.
Professor Chen's team screened a massive library of blood nutrients to find compounds that boost immunity. Zeaxanthin stood out as particularly promising for enhancing how T cells attack cancer.
When the researchers tested zeaxanthin alongside immunotherapy in mice, the results were impressive. Tumours grew more slowly, and the combination worked better than immunotherapy on its own.
The team also tried zeaxanthin with human T cells that had been engineered to target specific cancers. These enhanced immune cells became better at destroying melanoma, multiple myeloma and glioblastoma cells in lab experiments.
"Our data show that zeaxanthin improves both natural and engineered T-cell responses, which suggests high translational potential for patients undergoing immunotherapies," Professor Chen explained.
It's exciting that a simple dietary nutrient could potentially make advanced cancer treatments work better.
Here's what makes this discovery particularly promising - zeaxanthin is already available in shops as an eye health supplement. You'll find it naturally in orange peppers, spinach and kale too.
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The simple dietary nutrient could potentially make advanced cancer treatments work better
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It's affordable, widely accessible, and people have been taking it safely for years. This established safety record means researchers can move more quickly towards testing it alongside cancer treatments.
The Chicago team's earlier work found that trans-vaccenic acid from dairy and meat also strengthens T cells through a different process.
Together, these discoveries suggest both plant and animal nutrients could support immune health in complementary ways.
Though the results look encouraging, human trials are still needed to confirm whether zeaxanthin supplements genuinely help cancer patients.
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