A New Formula for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
If you have age-related macular degeneration—or if you’re at risk for it—this one is for you.
Since this eye condition is the leading cause of blindness in the US—and since it’s also irreversible—your greatest hope for maintaining your vision (and your independence) is to slow the progression of the disease.
And the good news is, researchers have identified a unique six-nutrient formula that can dramatically reduce your risk of progressing to the later stages of macular degeneration.
The original AREDS (Age-Related Eye Disease Study) showed that a specific combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, copper, zinc, and beta carotene could help slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration.
There was just one problem… other studies indicated that smokers who took beta carotene had an increased risk of lung cancer.
Enter AREDS2.
This second round of the study was designed to see if replacing beta carotene with other nutrients—lutein and zeaxanthin—would maintain the eye health benefits while reducing the cancer risk potentially associated with beta carotene supplements.
And the results blew the researchers away.
After five years, not only did the lutein+zeaxanthin group NOT experience an increase in lung cancer, but they also saw a 26 percent reduced risk of AMD.
At this point, all participants were switched to the lutein+zeaxanthin formula and followed for another five years.
The results showed that those who originally started with the beta-carotene still had DOUBLE the risk of lung cancer if they had ever been smokers.
There was still NO increased risk in those taking lutein+zeaxanthin.
But those who took lutein+zeaxanthin the entire 10 years (as opposed to starting with beta carotene and then switching over) had an additional 20 percent reduced risk of having progressed to late-stage AMD.
There are a few takeaways here.
First, if you were ever a smoker, you should skip taking beta carotene supplements because of the potential increased lung cancer risk.
Second, the nutrient combo evaluated in this study could be one of your best bets for preventing the progression to late-stage AMD—helping you maintain your vision AND your independence.
Here are the nutrients included in this formula:
- 500 mg vitamin C
- 400 IU vitamin E
- 2 mg copper
- 80 mg zinc
- 10 mg lutein
- 2 mg zeaxanthin
P.S. Researchers have identified a protective “vision duo” – it’s two key ways to make sure you never have to experience this dreaded condition. Click here to read about it.
SOURCE:
Larkin, M. (2022, June 8.) “Alternative to Beta Carotene in Supplement Slows AMD Progression, Curbs Lung Cancer Risk.” Reuters News. https://www.zawya.com/en/life/health/alternative-to-beta-carotene-in-supplement-slows-amd-progression-curbs-lung-cancer-risk-f45qrxsp
