microgen / Getty Images
Key Takeaways
Preventing vision loss just got a lot safer.
Both supplement formulations also contained vitamin C, vitamin E, copper, and zinc.
Lutein and zeaxanthin slow progression more than beta-carotene and do not raise the risk of lung cancer.
microgen / Getty Images
What Is Macular Degeneration?
Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of loss of vision and blindness.
Changing the Formulation
When AREDS started in the 1990s, researchers didnt know much about carotenoids.
But they knew carotenoids were likely important for protecting vision since they concentrate in the retina.
Beta-carotene is a bad actor when given very high doses.
Lutein and zeaxanthin behave very differently even though they differ by just two oxygens from beta-carotene.
The beta-carotene found in food is not a problem for smokers or former smokers.
And eating a diet heavy in carotenoids is not dangerous.
Chew is the director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications at the National Eye Institute.
Her teams research followed 3,882 of the original 4,203 AREDS2 participants for an additional five years starting in 2012.
The lutein/zeaxanthin formulation reduced the risk of macular degeneration progression by 26%.
Should You Take Lutein and Zeaxanthin?
Should everyone be taking a dietary supplement with lutein and zeaxanthin?
Go to your doctor first, Chew said.
