Choosing the Right Supplement

Having read and digested all this information about AREDS and AREDS2, assuming you wish to take a supplement how do you then choose the most appropriate one? You need to carefully look at the recommended daily doses and compare the ingredients, the key things to watch out for in a supplement are:

• The correct ingredients
• The correct dose of ingredients
• Contains no other carotenoid (e.g. beta-carotene, meso-zeaxanthin, astaxanthin etc)

Some products also contain additional ingredients (e.g. omega 3 EPA/DHA), or form part of a family which also contain additional ingredients. None of these additional ingredients have been demonstrated by AREDS2 to have an effect, but may be something you wish to consider for other health reasons.

 

So look for a supplement containing:

• Vitamin C (500mg)
• Vitamin E (400IU or 268mg α-TE)
• Lutein (10mg)
• Zeaxanthin (2mg)
• Zinc (25mg)
• and Copper