Question 1

What is the difference between the areds and areds 2?

Accepted Answer

According to WebRN:  AREDS contains 80mg zinc, which far exceeds the recommended daily upper limit for adults. A study found that the vision of 15% of patients do worse taking AREDS vs. taking a placebo. The high zinc dose was presumed to be the cause, and an analysis by Harvard Chan School of Public Health found that some individuals are genetically predisposed to do poorly with high zinc supplementation.  The newer AREDS2 formula therefore contains half the amount of zinc (40mg).

Question 2

Areds or regular Preservision?

Accepted Answer

Just a little information to help you chooses. I have been taking AREDS thinking that I don't need to take AREDS 2 because I am not a smoker. Since reading this information from the National Eye Institute I am purchasing AREDS 2 this time around.

Why are the AREDS and AREDS2 formulas different?
In the AREDS trial, taking the AREDS formula reduced the risk of advanced AMD by about 25% over a five-year period. In the AREDS2 trial, adding omega-3s or lutein + zeaxanthin to the AREDS formulation (containing beta-carotene) had no additional overall effect on the risk of advanced AMD. However, trial participants who took AREDS containing lutein + zeaxanthin and no beta-carotene had a reduction in risk of advanced AMD, compared with those who took AREDS with beta-carotene. Also, for participants with very low levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in their diet, adding these supplements to the AREDS formulation helped lower their risk of advanced AMD. Finally, former smokers who took AREDS with beta-carotene had a higher incidence of lung cancer. (Please see below for more details on the effects of lutein + zeaxanthin vs. beta-carotene.) The investigators found no significant changes in the effectiveness of the formulation when they  lowered zinc.
What are lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene?
Lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene belong to a family of nutrients known as carotenoids. Carotenoids are made by plants and are enriched in green leafy vegetables. They can be stored in animal tissues and are found at relatively low levels in animal-based foods. In the body, beta-carotene is used to make vitamin A, which is required by the retina to detect light and convert it into electrical signals. Beta-carotene itself is not found in the eye. In contrast, lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the retina and lens, where they may act as natural antioxidants and help absorb damaging, high-energy blue and ultraviolet light.

Question 3

Is it safe to chew these?

Accepted Answer

Unless you buy the chewable tabs---swallow whole--do not chew--they need to enter into the stomach whole.

Question 4

What is the expiration date on this product

Accepted Answer

The expiration date on the bottle I received is June 2020

PreserVision AREDS Eye Vitamins for Macular Health, Multivitamin with Copper, Vitamin A, C & E, Zinc Supplements for Vision & Ocular Support, 120 Softgels

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