Yes. Nine out of every ten participants in the AREDS2 clinical trial (the trial that the PreserVision AREDS 2 formula is based on) were taking multivitamins along with the AREDS2 formulation. Researchers noted no significant side effects.
If you want to take an AREDS2 formulation eye vitamin and prefer the convenience of taking just one supplement, you can choose PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula with Multivitamin.
No. The PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula contains the exact nutrient formula recommended by the NEI that was tested and proven in the second Age Related Eye Disease Study, AREDS2. In that study, people who took multivitamins alone did not see the same effects as study participants who took the AREDS2 formulation.
It is important to take both doses of PreserVision because some of the nutrients in PreserVision—like zinc and Vitamin C—can't be stored by our bodies. Instead, your body excretes what it doesn’t absorb. Because of this, you need a fresh supply of these vitamins every day. The only way to make sure that you maintain protective levels of all the important nutrients is by taking your PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula supplement twice a day, every day.
It would be very hard to get the levels of antioxidants and zinc in PreserVision from your diet alone, even if you eat plenty of green leafy vegetables. As we age, we become less able to absorb certain nutrients from the foods we eat. The AREDS2 trial showed that people who got the least amount of lutein and zeaxanthin in their diets benefited the most from high dose supplementation with these nutrients.
Some of the important nutrients in PreserVision, like lutein and vitamin E, are fat-soluble. That means your body absorbs them more effectively when you take them with a meal that includes a little good fat — for example, vegetable oil. If your stomach is sensitive to any of the nutrients in PreserVision, you may also find that taking your supplement with a meal lessens any sensitivity.
During the first AREDS trial, researchers tested four nutrient formulas with different levels of vitamins and minerals: zinc alone, antioxidants alone, a combination of antioxidants plus zinc, and a placebo. At the end of the five-year study, the study participants who took antioxidants plus 80 mg of zinc had the lowest risk of AMD progression to the advanced stage. Based on these findings, the National Eye Institute recommends a vitamin formula that contains 80 mg zinc.