Home Ingredients OmniXan® (Paprika-Derived Zeaxanthin, OmniActive)
Eye Health

OmniXan® (Paprika-Derived Zeaxanthin, OmniActive)

Capsicum annum
Evidence Level
Limited
2 Clinical Trials
5 Documented Benefits
2/5 Evidence Score

OmniXan® is a zeaxanthin ingredient sold by OmniActive Health Technologies. It is extracted from paprika (Capsicum annuum) under an exclusive licence from Kalsec, a US paprika extractor, and supplies 3R,3'R zeaxanthin, the same form found in corn, orange peppers and egg yolk, with no added lutein. Zeaxanthin collects in the centre of the retina as part of the macular pigment. No human trial of OmniXan under its own name has been published. The human studies cited here used other branded zeaxanthin products, most of them combined with lutein, and mainly measured macular pigment density and vision tests. In people who already had age-related macular degeneration, a large Cochrane review found lutein plus zeaxanthin made little or no difference to progression. FDA had no questions about OmniActive's conclusion that paprika zeaxanthin is safe as a food ingredient at 0.3 to 3 mg per serving (GRAS Notice 588, 2016).

Studied Dose No published OmniXan trial; zeaxanthin alone was tested at 8 mg/day and 20 mg/day, and combined with lutein at 14 mg + 7 mg/day.
Active Compound RR-zeaxanthin (3R,3'R) from paprika (Capsicum annuum); the material tested for safety was a 65% zeaxanthin concentrate

Benefits

What It Is: Zeaxanthin Without Lutein

OmniXan supplies 3R,3'R zeaxanthin extracted from paprika, without lutein. This is a product fact, not a health benefit. In the ZVF trial (a different supplier), macular pigment rose in the zeaxanthin-only, lutein-only and combined groups with no significant difference between them, so there is no evidence that taking zeaxanthin without lutein works better.

Supported by Trial 2

Macular Carotenoid

Zeaxanthin is one of three carotenoids in the macular pigment (with lutein and meso-zeaxanthin) and is most concentrated at the fovea, the centre of vision. Taking zeaxanthin raises macular pigment optical density (MPOD) in trials. MPOD is a measurement of pigment, not proof of sharper vision or lower eye-disease risk.

Supported by Trial 2

Absorbs Blue Light (Physical Property)

Zeaxanthin absorbs blue light (roughly 400 to 500 nm), so macular pigment acts as a filter in front of the light-sensing cells. Protection from light damage has been shown in rats and quail, not measured as an outcome in people taking zeaxanthin.

Supported by Trial 2

Singlet Oxygen Quenching (Lab Chemistry Only)

In artificial lipid membranes (liposomes), zeaxanthin lowered singlet oxygen levels. This is laboratory chemistry; none of the studies cited here measured an antioxidant effect in people taking zeaxanthin or OmniXan.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 1

Isomer Note: RR-Zeaxanthin vs Meso-Zeaxanthin

Paprika zeaxanthin is the 3R,3'R form, the main zeaxanthin in ordinary food. Meso-zeaxanthin (3R,3'S) is a different molecule, made from marigold lutein and sold separately by OmniActive as OmniXan-RS. This is product information, not a health benefit.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

Mechanism of action

1

Macular Pigment Deposition

Dietary 3R,3'R zeaxanthin deposits in central macular pigment, particularly the fovea, the area responsible for central vision.

2

Blue Light Absorption

Zeaxanthin's molecular structure absorbs blue light (400-500 nm); in animal studies this reduced light damage to photoreceptors.

3

Antioxidant Activity

Quenches singlet oxygen in laboratory membrane models; the cited studies did not measure an antioxidant outcome in people taking zeaxanthin.

4

Source Distinction

OmniXan's 3R,3'R zeaxanthin is the same molecule as the zeaxanthin in corn, orange peppers and egg yolk. No human absorption study of OmniXan has been published in PubMed-indexed journals.

Clinical trials

1
OmniXan Rat Toxicity Study (Animal Safety Data, Not a Human Trial)
PubMed

Ravi KB et al., Food Chem Toxicol 2014: acute and 90-day toxicity in Wistar rats plus a bacterial mutagenicity (Ames) test of OmniXan, a 65% RR-zeaxanthin concentrate from paprika. Co-authored by OmniActive staff.

Wistar rats (10 per sex per group) and Salmonella bacteria; no people.

Oral LD50 above 2000 mg/kg body weight; no adverse effects at up to 400 mg/kg/day for 90 days, the highest dose tested; not mutagenic. This is animal safety data. It is not a human safety study and says nothing about whether OmniXan benefits the eyes.

2
Zeaxanthin-Only Group in Older Men With Early AMD (ZVF Trial, Not OmniXan)
PubMed

Richer SP et al., Optometry 2011 (ZVF): 1-year randomized double-blind trial of 8 mg/day zeaxanthin vs 8 mg zeaxanthin + 9 mg lutein vs 9 mg lutein as the comparator; there was no true placebo. Sponsored by zeaxanthin companies (Chrysantis, with instruments from ZeaVision), not OmniActive.

60 patients (57 men) at a Veterans Affairs eye clinic, average age 75, with mild-to-moderate atrophic age-related macular degeneration; 25 took zeaxanthin alone, 25 zeaxanthin plus lutein, 10 lutein alone.

Macular pigment rose in all three groups, with no difference between zeaxanthin, lutein, or both (P = 0.47). Within the zeaxanthin group, high-contrast visual acuity improved by about 1.5 lines; the lutein group did better on contrast sensitivity and glare recovery. Small, mostly male, disease population and a different zeaxanthin supplier; OmniXan was not tested.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Generally well-tolerated.
Mild GI distress (rare). In a small trial in people with macular telangiectasia type 2, one patient taking 20 mg/day zeaxanthin developed yellow crystals in the retina that cleared months after stopping; if you have a retinal disease, check with an eye doctor before taking high doses.
Yellow-orange tint to skin at very high doses (carotenodermia, harmless).
Made from paprika: avoid if you are allergic to peppers (Capsicum).

Important Drug interactions

Generally minimal drug interactions.
Bile acid sequestrants — may modestly reduce carotenoid absorption.
Pregnancy: zeaxanthin supplements have not been tested in pregnancy; amounts found in food are not a concern.
Breastfeeding: not studied at supplement doses.
Children: not studied; no trial supports a dose for children.

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Frequently asked questions about OmniXan® (Paprika-Derived Zeaxanthin, OmniActive)

What is OmniXan?

OmniXan® is a zeaxanthin ingredient sold by OmniActive Health Technologies. It is extracted from paprika (Capsicum annuum) under an exclusive licence from Kalsec, a US paprika extractor, and supplies 3R,3'R zeaxanthin, the same form found in corn, orange peppers and egg yolk, with no added lutein.

What is OmniXan used for?

OmniXan is researched primarily for Eye Health. OmniXan supplies 3R,3'R zeaxanthin extracted from paprika, without lutein. This is a product fact, not a health benefit. In the ZVF trial (a different supplier), macular pigment rose in the zeaxanthin-only, lutein-only and combined groups w…

What is the recommended dosage of OmniXan?

The clinically studied dose is No published OmniXan trial; zeaxanthin alone was tested at 8 mg/day and 20 mg/day, and combined with lutein at 14 mg + 7 mg/day. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is OmniXan safe, and does it have side effects?

For most healthy adults, OmniXan is well tolerated at studied doses. Reported effects can include: Generally well-tolerated. Mild GI distress (rare). In a small trial in people with macular telangiectasia type 2, one patient taking 20 mg/day zeaxanthin developed yellow crystals in the retina that cleared months after stopping; if you have a retinal disease, check with an eye d… It may also interact with some medications. OmniXan is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does OmniXan interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Generally minimal drug interactions. Bile acid sequestrants — may modestly reduce carotenoid absorption. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for OmniXan?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for OmniXan as Limited (2 out of 5). It is backed by 2 clinical trials and 8 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(8 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Richer S, Novil S, Gullett T, Dervishi A, Nassiri S, Duong C, Davis R, Davey PG Night Vision and Carotenoids (NVC): A Randomized Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial on Effects of Carotenoid Supplementation on Night Vision in Older Adults Nutrients. 2021;13(9):3191. doi: 10.3390/nu13093191.PubMedUsed to support: Six-month randomized trial of EyePromise ScreenShieldPro (ZeaVision), a multi-ingredient supplement with 14 mg zeaxanthin and 7 mg lutein plus vitamins, zinc, fish oil, CoQ10 and bilberry, in 33 older adults (26 men, 7 women) with night-vision difficulty at a Veterans Affairs clinic; 24 took the supplement and only 9 took placebo. Macular pigment rose significantly in the right eye only. Contrast sensitivity with glare, glare recovery and a driving-related attention test improved within the supplement group. Each group was compared only with its own baseline, not with the other group, and a published critique noted the placebo group started with much higher macular pigment (about 0.58 vs 0.35 density units in the right eye). Funded by ZeaVision. The paper does not name the zeaxanthin supplier, and the capsule contained lutein and many other actives, so no result can be credited to zeaxanthin alone.
  2. Bharadwaj VG, Thirumalesh MB, Ashwath HV, Anzar CA, Sundaram R, Prasad CP, Joseph MV, Eranimose B, Reddy PA Beneficial Effects of a Lutein-Zeaxanthin Complex on Macular Pigment Optical Density Levels of Healthy Individuals With Prolonged Screen Time Cureus. 2025;17(2):e79481. doi: 10.7759/cureus.79481.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial at an eye hospital in Bangalore: 60 healthy adults aged 18 to 55 with at least 8 hours of daily screen time completed the study. Seven of the nine authors were employees of Olive Lifesciences, whose marigold lutein-zeaxanthin 5:1 complex was tested (10 mg lutein + 2 mg zeaxanthin, twice daily). Over 4 months, macular pigment density, contrast sensitivity and sleep-quality scores improved compared with placebo. The zeaxanthin came from marigold, not paprika, and lutein made up most of the dose, so the result cannot be credited to zeaxanthin alone.
  3. Evans JR, Lawrenson JG Antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements for slowing the progression of age-related macular degeneration Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2023;9(9):CD000254. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000254.pub5.PubMedUsed to support: Cochrane review of antioxidant supplements in people who already have age-related macular degeneration (26 trials). Moderate-certainty evidence shows the original AREDS formula (vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc) probably slows progression to late AMD. For lutein/zeaxanthin compared with control (one large trial, AREDS2, 4,176 people followed for up to about 5 years, almost all of whom also took the AREDS formula), there was little or no effect on progression to late AMD (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.01), neovascular AMD or geographic atrophy (low-certainty evidence). Exploratory subgroup analyses suggest lutein/zeaxanthin may be a suitable replacement for beta-carotene in the AREDS formula. The evidence is in a disease population and concerns lutein plus zeaxanthin, not zeaxanthin alone.
  4. Widomska J, Welc R, Gruszecki WI The effect of carotenoids on the concentration of singlet oxygen in lipid membranes Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes. 2019;1861(4):845-851. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.01.012.PubMedUsed to support: Laboratory study in artificial lipid membranes (liposomes): zeaxanthin and beta-carotene lowered singlet oxygen in membranes made of unsaturated lipids but not in membranes made of a saturated lipid. Chemistry only; no cells, animals or people were studied.
  5. Ravi KB, Raghunatha Reddy KR, Shankaranarayanan J, Deshpande JV, Juturu V, Soni MG Safety evaluation of zeaxanthin concentrate (OmniXan™): acute, subchronic toxicity and mutagenicity studies Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2014;72:30-39. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2014.06.015.PubMedUsed to support: Rat and bacterial safety study of OmniXan (65% RR-zeaxanthin from paprika), co-authored by OmniActive staff. Oral LD50 was above 2000 mg/kg; no adverse effects occurred at up to 400 mg/kg/day for 90 days, the highest dose tested; the Ames test showed no mutagenicity. Animal data only; no human safety or efficacy outcome was measured.
  6. Richer SP, Stiles W, Graham-Hoffman K, Levin M, Ruskin D, Wrobel J, Park DW, Thomas C Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of zeaxanthin and visual function in patients with atrophic age-related macular degeneration: the Zeaxanthin and Visual Function Study (ZVF) FDA IND #78, 973 Optometry. 2011;82(11):667-680.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.optm.2011.08.008.PubMedUsed to support: One-year randomized double-blind trial in 60 patients (57 men, average age 75) at a Veterans Affairs clinic with mild-to-moderate atrophic AMD, comparing 8 mg/day zeaxanthin (25 people), 8 mg zeaxanthin + 9 mg lutein (25), and 9 mg lutein as a 'faux placebo' comparator (10); there was no true placebo. Macular pigment rose in all groups with no significant difference between them (P = 0.47). The zeaxanthin group improved about 1.5 lines in high-contrast acuity within-group, while the lutein group did better on low-contrast acuity, contrast sensitivity and glare recovery. Capsules were made by Chrysantis, the primary sponsor. Small, mostly male disease population; not OmniXan.
  7. Iannaccone A, Carboni G, Forma G, Mutolo MG, Jennings BJ Macular Pigment Optical Density and Measures of Macular Function: Test-Retest Variability, Cross-Sectional Correlations, and Findings from the Zeaxanthin Pilot Study of Response to Supplementation (ZEASTRESS-Pilot) Foods. 2016;5(2):32. doi: 10.3390/foods5020032.PubMedUsed to support: Open-label pilot with no control group: 24 adults aged 50 to 81 took 20 mg/day zeaxanthin (EyePromise-Ten capsules donated by ZeaVision) for 4 months, then stopped for 4 months. Macular pigment density rose significantly. Retinal electrical responses (PERG) rose at 4 months and partly fell back after stopping; a small contrast-sensitivity gain appeared only in women, after the washout; dark-adapted retinal sensitivity did not change. Uncontrolled, and 20 mg/day is well above typical supplement doses.
  8. Choi RY, Gorusupudi A, Wegner K, Sharifzadeh M, Gellermann W, Bernstein PS Macular Pigment Distribution Responses to High-Dose Zeaxanthin Supplementation in Patients With Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 Retina. 2017;37(12):2238-2247. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000001450.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized open-label trial in 8 patients with macular telangiectasia type 2 given 10 or 20 mg/day zeaxanthin for up to 2 years. There was no objective visual benefit and no restoration of normal foveal pigment. One patient on 20 mg/day developed yellow crystals in the retina that disappeared several months after stopping. A small disease population, but a documented retinal side effect at high dose.