Abstract: Visual fatigue is an eye discomfort caused by a variety of factors and affects a wide range of the population. Studies have shown that reasonable dietary supplements can effectively improve eye discomfort caused by visual fatigue and even reduce the occurrence of visual fatigue. At present, the mechanisms of action of carotenoids represented by lutein in relieving visual fatigue has not been studied deeply, and few reviews have been conducted on their application in health foods for relieving visual fatigue. Therefore, this article describes the pathways of digestion, absorption, and metabolism of carotenoids in the human body, and reviews recent progress in carotenoids for relieving visual fatigue. Also, this article provides a statistical analysis of the application of carotenoid-rich ingredients in health foods for relieving visual fatigue in China, with a view to providing a reference and inspiration for researchers to develop health foods for relieving visual fatigue.

Key words: relief of visual fatigue; carotenoids; digestion; absorption and metabolism; functional foods