Eye vitamins explained
What AREDS2 Means, and Why It Matters When You Shop for Eye Vitamins
AREDS2 is a set dose of six nutrients that helped people who already have intermediate or late macular degeneration. It cut the risk of advanced AMD by about 25% over five years in that group only. It did not help people without AMD. VisiFlora publishes only its zinc amount, so it cannot be compared with AREDS2.
Written by the VisiFlora editorial teamUpdated · 8 min read
The basics
What is AREDS2?
AREDS2 is the second Age-Related Eye Disease Study run by the National Eye Institute, and the name of the supplement formula it tested. When an eye doctor says "take an AREDS2 vitamin", they mean a product with those doses (NEI: AREDS and AREDS2 formula doses).
It studied age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which damages the macula, the center of the retina. AMD is more common from age 55 (NEI: AMD basics).
AREDS2 changed the first AREDS recipe. It swapped beta-carotene for lutein and zeaxanthin, two pigments found in the macula (NEI: AREDS and AREDS2 formula doses) (Linus Pauling Institute: carotenoids). So AREDS2 is not a brand. It is a recipe with numbers attached.
The doses
What is in the AREDS2 formula?
Six nutrients at set daily doses, and no beta-carotene. The table shows each dose next to what the VisiFlora sales page publishes.
| Nutrient | AREDS2 daily dose | VisiFlora per capsule |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 500 mg | Not published |
| Vitamin E | 400 IU | Not published |
| Zinc | 80 mg | 11 mg |
| Copper | 2 mg | Not published |
| Lutein | 10 mg | Not published |
| Zeaxanthin | 2 mg | Not published |
| Beta-carotene | None (removed) | Listed, amount not published |
Sources: AREDS2 doses (NEI: AREDS and AREDS2 formula doses); VisiFlora's list (Sales page, tryvisiflora.com). The brand's own advertorial confirms that zinc is the only published amount (Brand advertorial, ACCESS Newswire).
The copper is there for balance: 50 mg or more of zinc a day, long term, can cause low copper (NIH ODS: zinc).
Who benefits
Who does AREDS2 actually help?
AREDS2 helps people whose eye doctor has found intermediate AMD, or late AMD in one eye. In that group, the AREDS formulas lowered the risk of advanced AMD by about 25% over five years (NEI: who AREDS supplements help).
That benefit has limits that labels rarely mention:
- No benefit was seen in people with early AMD (NEI: who AREDS supplements help).
- No benefit was seen in people without AMD, and NEI says supplements cannot prevent AMD (NEI: who AREDS supplements help).
- A review of 26 trials found AREDS-type supplements probably slow progression, mostly in intermediate AMD (Cochrane: antioxidants for slowing AMD).
- Lutein and zeaxanthin taken alone showed little or no effect on progression (Cochrane: antioxidants for slowing AMD).
AREDS2 is a tool for a diagnosis, not a general eye vitamin. A dilated eye exam tells you which group you are in.
Smokers
Why was beta-carotene taken out of AREDS2?
Beta-carotene was removed because the original AREDS formula with 15 mg of beta-carotene is not recommended for current or former smokers (NEI: AREDS and AREDS2 formula doses).
VisiFlora lists vitamin A as beta-carotene, and the amount is not published (Sales page, tryvisiflora.com). Ask your eye doctor before you take it, and bring the bottle so the doctor can read the panel. Not smoking is also one of NEI's core steps for healthy eyes (NEI: everyday ways to keep eyes healthy).
The honest comparison
Is VisiFlora an AREDS2 formula?
No. VisiFlora publishes only its zinc amount, and 11 mg is far below the 80 mg in AREDS2. Without lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin E and copper amounts, no one can match it to the recipe.
In its favor, 11 mg of zinc equals the adult male daily need and sits well under the 40 mg upper limit (NIH ODS: zinc). But a modest everyday product is not a study formula. See what the VisiFlora label lists for the full typed list.
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Do store eye vitamins match the AREDS2 doses?
Many do not. When the American Academy of Ophthalmology compared 11 products from top eye-vitamin brands, only some matched the AREDS doses.
Others had lower doses or extra ingredients. None of the labels said the formulas are proven only for certain stages of AMD (AAO: what's in your eye vitamins). Check any bottle in four steps:
Find the panel
Look for a Supplement Facts panel with an amount for every vitamin and mineral. Rules require those amounts on a real panel (FDA: Supplement Facts and proprietary blends).
Check six numbers
Compare C, E, zinc, copper, lutein and zeaxanthin with the table above.
Look for beta-carotene
If you smoke or used to, avoid formulas with beta-carotene unless your doctor says otherwise.
Ask first
Show the bottle to your ophthalmologist before you start, as the Academy advises (AAO: what's in your eye vitamins).
Our guide to choosing an eye supplement walks through more label checks.
Other eye conditions
Does AREDS2 help with cataracts?
No. The AREDS supplements had no effect on cataract (NEI: AREDS and AREDS2 formula doses), and lutein and zeaxanthin added in AREDS2 showed no effect on cataract either (Linus Pauling Institute: carotenoids).
A cataract is a cloudy area in the eye's lens. Surgery is the only way to get rid of one, and about 9 in 10 people see better afterward (NEI: cataracts).
What to do next
What should you ask your eye doctor about AREDS2?
Ask whether you have AMD, and if so, which stage. That one answer decides whether an AREDS2 formula is worth taking at all (NEI: who AREDS supplements help).
- Should I take AREDS2? I smoke, or used to: is beta-carotene a concern?
- How often should I come back? The Academy's schedule tightens after 55 (AAO: how often adults need eye exams). See our exam schedule by age.
Eye symptoms need an exam, not a supplement. A sudden shower of floaters, flashes of light or a shadow over your vision can mean retinal detachment, a medical emergency (NEI: urgent warning signs). Go to an eye doctor or emergency room right away. For the pigments themselves, read our lutein and zeaxanthin profile.
FAQ
AREDS2 questions, answered
What does AREDS2 stand for?
AREDS2 stands for the second Age-Related Eye Disease Study, run by the National Eye Institute. The name also refers to the formula it tested: vitamin C 500 mg, vitamin E 400 IU, zinc 80 mg, copper 2 mg, lutein 10 mg and zeaxanthin 2 mg, with no beta-carotene (NEI: AREDS and AREDS2 formula doses).
Should I take AREDS2 if I do not have macular degeneration?
No, not for AMD prevention. AREDS formulas showed no benefit in people without AMD or with early AMD, and NEI says supplements cannot prevent AMD (NEI: who AREDS supplements help). Ask your eye doctor whether you have AMD and which stage before you buy any eye vitamin.
Can I take VisiFlora with my AREDS2 vitamin?
Ask your eye doctor first. Zinc adds up: AREDS2 has 80 mg and VisiFlora 11 mg, which together pass the 40 mg adult upper limit (NIH ODS: zinc). VisiFlora also lists beta-carotene and ginkgo, so your doctor should read both labels before you combine them.
Why is there no beta-carotene in AREDS2?
Because the original AREDS formula with 15 mg of beta-carotene is not recommended for current or former smokers (NEI: AREDS and AREDS2 formula doses). If you smoke or used to, check any eye vitamin for beta-carotene before you start it.
Is lutein alone as good as AREDS2?
No. A Cochrane review found that lutein and zeaxanthin taken alone showed little or no effect on AMD progression (Cochrane: antioxidants for slowing AMD). The benefit in trials came from the full AREDS-type formula, and only in people with intermediate or late AMD (NEI: who AREDS supplements help).
How do I know if an eye vitamin matches AREDS2?
Compare its Supplement Facts panel with the six AREDS2 doses. A study of top brands found only some products matched, and none said the formula is proven only for certain AMD stages (AAO: what's in your eye vitamins). If amounts are missing, as with VisiFlora, the product cannot be matched.
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Plain-language pages built from what the seller publishes and from linked eye-health sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a USA authorized VisiFlora retailer, not by the manufacturer. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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More about VisiFlora
What the label lists
No Supplement Facts panel is published. Here is what the seller lists, what is missing, and how to check your bottle.
Read moreLutein & zeaxanthin
Lutein and zeaxanthin in VisiFlora: macular pigments with no published amount, set beside the AREDS2 doses.
Read moreEye supplement red flags
The FDA and FTC warning signs for eye supplements, how to read a label and reviews, and how VisiFlora measures up.
Read moreUSA authorized VisiFlora retailer
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