Take a second look!

Our five senses—touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight—are precious gifts that help us experience the joys of life. When people are asked which sense they would be most worried about losing, the majority immediately say sight. Seeing brings us out of darkness and allows our brain to perceive the beauty, colors, and emotions of the world we live in.

For many Canadians, the risk of losing their sight is far too high. The name of this threat is age-related macular degeneration, or AMD.

What is AMD?

AMD is an eye condition that affects adults as they age. It causes damage to the retina, which can lead to loss of vision in the center of the visual field (the macula). AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in Canada: it affects over one million Canadians and more than a third of the population aged between 55 and 74. ¹

What can we do to reduce our risk of vision loss? Avoiding smoking, reducing exposure to pollution, lowering stress levels, wearing UV-protective sunglasses, and ensuring a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help!

Vitamin and carotenoid supplementation is another way to reduce risk. Studies on the prevention of dry AMD using antioxidants have shown that a specific combination can reduce the incidence of AMD by 25% in high-risk patients. This was the conclusion of the largest ocular nutrition study ever conducted, AREDS.

AREDS closely followed 4,500 participants suffering from different levels of AMD. The results indicated that the AREDS formula, while not a cure for AMD, can play a key role in helping people at high risk of developing advanced AMD retain their residual vision. The daily dose of vitamins and minerals evaluated was 25,000 IU of beta-carotene, 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, 80 mg of zinc, and 2 mg of copper. For the past fifteen years, AMD-inspired formulas have been recommended by ophthalmologists to millions of Canadians at risk of AMD.

In the years following the groundbreaking AREDS study, research continued. One of the goals of the follow-up studies was to replicate the impressive prevention results obtained with the AREDS formula while making it safer. Other studies had raised concerns that beta-carotene, a vitamin in the AREDS formula, might increase cancer risk in smoking patients. Was there a way to substitute beta-carotene with other antioxidants? Also, the AREDS formula was developed with a high amount of zinc, and high amounts of zinc are known to affect urinary comfort – could this level be reduced?

The follow-up study, known as AREDS2, examined these questions. Completed in 2013, it showed that the benefits of the original AREDS formula could be achieved without beta-carotene and with a reduced zinc content. The new formula now contains a combination of two powerful natural marigold antioxidants, known as lutein and zeaxanthin (10 mg and 2 mg per day respectively). The AREDS2 study concluded that the formula containing lutein and zeaxanthin is even more effective than the original AREDS formula in people who consume few green leafy vegetables.

Vision Supreme 2 from the Health First® brand is a new vision supplement, based on AREDS2 research. The product meets and exceeds the lutein and zeaxanthin requirements evaluated in the AREDS2 study, without the use of beta-carotene and with a reduced level of zinc. Vision Supreme 2 also contains natural antioxidants, including blueberries and goji berries.

The list of benefits of the Vision Supreme 2 formula includes:

• Helps maintain eyesight and promote eye health in conditions associated with sun damage, including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
• • Helps slow the progression of eye diseases, including diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy and macular degeneration.

If you are serious about preserving your vision, Vision Supreme 2 is clearly the choice for the best clinically proven eye supplement in Canada.

Available in easy-to-swallow vegetable capsules.