Eye-friendly pigments in oranges: From Spain, a study of the fate of carotenoid substances in fresh, pasteurized, and electrically treated orange juices. Despite its color, orange juice doesn't contain much of the beta-carotene or chemical relatives that our bodies can turn into vitamin A. But my eye was caught by the numbers for lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that accumulate in the retina and apparently protect the eye from damage that can lead to macular degeneration. By my calculation, a cup of orange juice contains about a third to a half the protective carotenoids found in an egg yolk, one of our richest sources. And of course, freshly squeezed juice contains the most; processing and time both take a toll