Vitalux Advanced Chewable

Medicinal Ingredients (per 2 tablets):
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate) 500 mg
Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopheryl acetate) 268 mg AT (400 IU)
Zinc (oxide) 25 mg
Copper (citrate) 1 mg
Lutein (Tagetes erecta, marigold flower) 10 mg
Zeaxanthin (Tagetes erecta, marigold flower, ketoisophorone) 2 mg

Non-Medicinal Ingredients: dextrose, d-mannitol, bilberry fruit extract, natural flavour enhancer, vegetable stearic acid, natural flavours (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry) citric acid, calcium silicate, silicon dioxide, sucralose, natural cherry colour.

Contains no salt, gluten or lactose.

This product has come into contact with milk, soy, fish, and sulphites. Do not use this product if you are allergic to milk, soy, fish or sulphites

Consult a health care practitioner if experiencing decreased visual acuity or if you are taking tetracyclines. Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you have cancer, cardiovascular disease or diabetes. May cause gastrointestinal distress. Zinc supplementation can cause copper deficiency.

Store at room temperature 15-25°C away from children.

Chew 2 tablets per day with a meal containing fat/oil or as directed by a health care practitioner.
Take a few hours before or a few hours after taking other medication.

AREDS2, a study conducted by the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) Research Group in the U.S. concluded that patients older than 55 should consider taking a supplement of antioxidants plus zinc. This may help slow the progression of macular degeneration and help maintain healthy vision.

Your eye care professional may recommend that you take a supplement such as Vitalux® Vitamins, which contain high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals — including lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids.

There is growing evidence that improving your diet may also improve the health of your eyes and slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), or reduce your risk of developing the disease.

By eating a diet rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein and zeaxanthin you will be consuming the nutrients thought to be most valuable to eye health. These can be found in a variety of healthy foods including:
• Fruits
• Fresh fish
• Green leafy vegetables

You can get these nutrients either through diet or your eye care professional may recommend supplementing your diet with an ocular vitamin, such as Vitalux® Vitamins, specifically designed to help maintain healthy vision.

Lutein is a yellow carotenoid pigment found in fruits and vegetables. Lutein makes up the bulk of the pigment contained in the macula. Its partner zeaxanthin is a carotenoid that helps maintain eyesight in conditions (associated with sunlight damage) such as age-related macular degeneration

Lutein is found in the lens and in the retina of the eye and is closely related to zeaxanthin. It is believed to protect the eye from the oxidative stress that breaks down healthy tissue. It may also protect the macula by filtering blue light.

One study showed that eyes with AMD have 32% less lutein than eyes without AMD. Another study demonstrated that increased lutein intake may have positive effects on visual acuity.

Lutein can be found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables and dark leafy greens including:
• Spinach
• Kale
• Collard greens
• Broccoli

Your eye care professional may recommend supplementing your diet with an eye vitamin, such as Vitalux® Vitamins, specifically designed to provide the body with lutein and zeaxanthin to help maintain healthy vision.

Antioxidants
Fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidant vitamins and minerals (beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and minerals zinc and copper) may play a special role in eye health.

These help protect your body from damage caused by destructive molecules called ""free radicals."" These destructive molecules are created during your body's normal processes. In excess, however, free radicals can cause cell damage, or oxidative stress, which is thought to play a role in the development of macular degeneration. Antioxidants neutralize the damaging effects of oxidative stress and help protect against cell damage.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids may also be important for eye health. The two omega-3 fatty acids that are believed to be the most relevant to ocular health are DHA and EPA. DHA and EPA are long-chain fatty acids found in most cells. In the eye, they are believed to help fight against age-related conditions by slowing free radical production and may also work together to reduce inflammation.

Fish is an excellent dietary source of omega-3. In fact, studies have shown that eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce the risk of macular degeneration progression.

Talk to your eye care professional about the possible benefits of taking a vitamin supplement containing omega-3 fatty acids.

Why Was Beta Carotene Removed From AREDS2 Vitamin Formula?

The change in the AREDS formulation (nutritional supplements used to slow the progress of age-related macular degeneration, or AMD) results from the AREDS2 trial, where former smokers who took the formulation with beta-carotene had a higher incidence of lung cancer. This was not the case when taking the formulation with lutein/zeaxanthin. Also, participants who took a formulation with lutein/zeaxanthin and no beta-carotene had a slightly lower risk of progressing to advanced AMD when compared to those who took the previous formulation with beta-carotene and no lutein/zeaxanthin.