AREDS 2 Study

Learn about AMD, macular degeneration AREDS 2 study. What it researched and why. And more important, the results and which vitamins can support healthy eyes.

At EyeDefense Vitamins we are not only dedicated to providing you with products sourced from the finest quality ingredients. We also provide you with the latest updates and scientific breakthroughs concerning eyes. 

AREDS 2 Study

In the 1990s the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Eye Institute (NEI) started the AREDS 1 Study (Age-Related Eye Disease Study) to ascertain whether a certain formula of vitamins would be useful in slowing the progression of dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (dry AMD). The final AREDS 1 formula included: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Beta-Carotene, Zinc and Copper.

The AREDS 2 study started in 2006. The researchers at the NIH and NEI were hoping to find an even safer and more effective formula to slow the progression of dry AMD. The following are the alternative strategies they investigated:

1.  Omega-3 fatty acids - Omega-3 fatty acids are commonly thought of in the relationship to heart disease and the researchers were anxious to see if adding them to the formula would enhance the delaying effect.

2.  Lutein and Zeaxanthin - Lutein and Zeaxanthin are so-called carotenoids, very similar to the Beta-Carotene that was found in AREDS 1.  They sought to replace the Beta-Carotene from the AREDS 1 formulation because it was causing problems in a certain subset of patients.

3. Zinc – one of the subgroups in the AREDS 2 study consumed only 25 milligrams (mg) of Zinc per day instead of the 80 mg that was found in the original AREDS 1 formula.

Results

AREDS 2 was a large study with over 4000 patients from 82 clinical sites in the United States. Did the new formulation of supplements decrease the progression of intermediate or advanced dry AMD?

Here are the answers:

1.  Adding the Omega-3 fatty acids did NOT slow the progression of dry AMD – so Omega-3 fatty acids are not included in the final formulation of AREDS 2.

2.  Adding Lutein and Zeaxanthin did slow the progression of dry AMD and did not cause the same issues as Beta-Carotene - so in the final AREDS 2 formulation you will find Lutein and Zeaxanthin instead of Beta-Carotene.

3. 80 mg of Zinc was NOT necessary to slow the progression of dry AMD; 25 mg of Zinc was shown to be equally effective - but the final AREDS 2 formula still included 80 mg of Zinc!

That's where MacularControl Essential comes in!

We think this is the most important aspect of MacularControl Essential: it contains the base of the AREDS 2 formula: the same levels of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Copper, but it has a lower amount of Zinc - the Zinc content is down to 25 mg per day.

Zinc is a very important component of the retina, and researchers knew that Zinc had a major effect on the positive results of the AREDS 1 study. But they also knew that high levels of Zinc can have bad side effects. So, they had to include Zinc in AREDS 2, but the question was: would lowering the Zinc content matter? 80 mg of Zinc is a really high, supra normal dose. The upper limit of Zinc recommended by health authorities is 40 mg! So, the amount of Zinc in the typical AREDS 2 formula is double the recommended daily upper limit dose. That doesn’t even include the amount of Zinc that is consumed in food.  How can consuming 80 mg of Zinc per day be healthy, especially for an older adult?

We choose to include 25 mg instead of 80 mg because it was tested in the AREDS 2 study and found to be equally effective! We know there's less risk and better safety when there's less Zinc, because older people who take too much Zinc can have several bad side effects.

MacularControl Essential AREDS 2 Formula

BUT With Less Zinc for Safety

AND The Same Results

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