AREDS II And Vision Vitamins

By Hugh Dagenais


AREDS II stands for the Age-Related Eye Diseases Study 2. This is a trial designed to examine the effects of different nutritional supplements on the progression of eye diseases. AMD or age related macular degeneration and cataract are the most common eye diseases among people above 5o years of age. It is essential to stop or slow down this progression using natural eye supplements.

Giving large doses of lutein and zeaxanthin could have significant effect on progression of this type of degeneration. People with this type of disorder usually have large drusen in their retina. They can have this small deposits in one or both eyes. The combination of large drusen in one and AMD in other eye is also very common. Participants of this study have either bilateral drusens or this combination.


This study needs to evaluate the particular impact those high doses of natural supplements of antioxidants and fatty acids have on those health conditions. Combination of those long chain poly unsaturated fatty acids, DHA, ARA and xanthophylls could significantly slow down the progression of eye degeneration development. ARA is the arachidonic acid, while DHA is also known as docosahexaenoic acid.

Combination of those elements given in very high doses could slow down moderate vision loss and affect the development of cataract. Those effects have to be researched and the results have to be evaluated in the first phase of this study. After that, the same evaluation will be done using reduced amounts of zinc in the mixture, and with elimination of beta-carotene. Results can be expected in 2013.

This study is performed simultaneously in approximately one hundred clinics all over the states, financed by the National Health Institutes. Everything is done in phases, but the first and the most important one is to determine if using the vision vitamins can stop the progression of eye diseases. Vision vitamins are normally found in hale, spinach and other leafy vegetables, and fatty acids are extracted from fish oil.

All participants have to consume a high doses of antioxidants from dark green leafy vegetables and orange and yellow antioxidant rich fruits. These are combined with fish oil fatty acids. Similar treatments already had very good results, but this is the first extensive study designed to evaluate particular effects on macular degeneration, and great results are expected.

Macula is very important for maintaining healthy vision. It is placed behind the eyeball, and different macular problems can permanently destroy the entire area. If there is a way of slowing down this process at least, it would be highly beneficial. AREDS II study is designed to research possibilities for that.




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