What the AREDS2 Study Really Tested (and What It Didn't)
Retina ClearAlmost every eye supplement mentions AREDS. It helps to know what those studies actually did.
Retina ClearThe first study: AREDS (2001)
The National Eye Institute followed thousands of older adults. Those who already had intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or advanced AMD in one eye and took a high-dose combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, zinc and copper had a lower chance of progressing to advanced AMD.
Retina ClearThe follow-up: AREDS2 (2013)
Researchers tested swapping beta-carotene for lutein (10 mg) and zeaxanthin (2 mg), and adding omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s did not help. Lutein and zeaxanthin did not beat the original overall, but they were a safer substitute for smokers, in whom beta-carotene raised lung-cancer risk.
What this does and does not mean
- The participants already had AMD. The results do not show that the same formula prevents AMD in healthy people.
- The doses were specific and high. A capsule with a 351 mg blend of 14 ingredients cannot hold all of them at those levels.
- A product that does not disclose amounts cannot claim to match AREDS2.
If you have been told you have AMD, ask your eye doctor whether an AREDS2-type formula is right for you, and use one that prints its doses.