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Free tool

Does your eye supplement actually match AREDS2?

AREDS2 is the name of a clinical trial, not a certification. Any manufacturer can print it on a bottle, and nobody audits whether what is inside matches what was studied. Type in the panel and find out.

No brand rankings, no scores, no sign-up. It compares your label against the tested formulation and tells you where it differs.

Printable patient handout

Step 1

Has an eye-care professional told you what stage you are at?

This decides whether the rest matters. The trials found a benefit in one specific group and nothing in the others, so the answer here is worth more than any label comparison.

Your AMD stage

Step 2

Type in what the supplement facts panel says

Use the amount per daily serving, not per capsule, since many products need two a day to reach the full amounts. Leave a field blank if the ingredient is not on the label.

About this tool

What does this AREDS2 checker do?
It compares the amounts on a supplement label against the formulation tested in the AREDS2 trial: vitamin C 500 mg, vitamin E 400 IU, lutein 10 mg, zeaxanthin 2 mg, zinc 80 mg and copper 2 mg. It reports which ingredients match, which fall short, and which are missing.
Does it recommend a brand?
No. It reports how a label compares to a published formulation and nothing else. AREDS2 is a trial name rather than a certification, so any manufacturer can print it, and the panel on the back is the only thing that settles what is actually inside.
Why does it ask about my AMD stage first?
Because the trials found a benefit only in people with intermediate AMD in one or both eyes, or advanced AMD in one eye. For everyone else they showed nothing. If you are not in that group, which label you buy is not the question worth answering.
Is 80 mg or 25 mg of zinc better?
Neither. AREDS2 tested both and found no difference in effect, and the lower dose did not produce fewer side effects in the trial either. The checker treats both as a match.
Why does missing copper matter so much?
Zinc competes with copper for absorption, and sustained high-dose zinc without copper can cause a copper deficiency. Copper was included in the trial formulation specifically to prevent that, so a high-zinc eye supplement without it has dropped a safety component.

The reasoning behind the checks

Nutrition & Supplements9 min read

AREDS2 Supplements: Who Actually Needs Them?

AREDS2 works for one specific group and does nothing for everyone else. Here is how to tell which you are, before you spend anything on it.

Nutrition & SupplementsRead