I’m not an advocate of pushing any particular medicine or brand for that matter. But AREDS II seems like the only medicine on the market that’s so good for the eyes.
Discovered and researched by Bausch and Lomb, a company that long since has made its mark on the world with excellence, it has been recommended to be taken to counteract the leading cause of blindness in people over 60 aging macular degeneration (AMD.
In my research, I found the clinical trials on this were done over five years with government researchers at the National Eye Institute and its purpose was specifically to help people with AMD. The trial was carried out with people from the age of 55 through 80, some with, some without AMD. The study showed that about one of every five people in the group had a reduced risk of moderate vision loss, and about one in four of those with some level of AMD reduced their risk of further progression.
Then, five years after the first five year trial, the second trial showed continued improvements. They’re about to release the results of the ten year trial soon. At any rate, to my way of thinking, anything that has a chance of helping to prevent blindness is a good thing.
There are a couple of downsides the AREDS II for some people. It contains zeaxanthin and lutein, antioxidants that are yellow organic substances called carotenoids. They’re the things that give plants their color and they’re mostly found in leafy green vegetables and yellow fruits and veggies. Since the eyes are exposed to the air and light all day, they can develop oxygen free radicals, bad little things that damage the eyes. Those things that give plants color can neutralize, or quiet down those bad radicals before they get to damage your eyes.
Of courses any medication for the eyes would also have Vitamins C and E and AREDS II does.
Zinc and copper are the other main ingredients, and they are minerals that are always in the body. Zinc has been found particularly good for eye deficiencies, including AMD. Too much zinc can be dangerous because it eliminates copper, hence the importance of taking both together. Zinc can cause some gastrointestinal side effects including diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, that recede on their own. These possibilities can be eliminated in many cases simply by taking the capsules with food. It’s important to follow the prescribed directions for anything you’re taking into your body, so a supplement like AREDS II should only be taking twice a day, one capsule each time. More might cause problems you don’t need, and wouldn’t help your eyesight any better.
