Clinical QuestionDoes supplementation with high doses of antioxidant vitamins and minerals slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD)?Evidence-Based AnswerSupplementation with a combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and zinc modestly reduces the progression of ARMD in patients with disease in one or both eyes. High-dose vitamin supplements should not be recommended for patients without ARMD because of the possible harmful effects of vitamin E and beta-carotene at high doses.Practice PointersARMD is the most common cause of blindness in industrialized countries, with up to one third of adults older than 75 years showing at least early signs of the disease. High doses of vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, lutein, selenium, and zinc are increasingly being recommended to prevent or treat ARMD. However, some studies have shown that high doses of vitamin E and beta-carotene may increase all-cause mortality.1,2Evans reviewed any randomized trial comparing antioxidant vitamins with placebo in patients with ARMD in one or both eyes.
The primary outcome was visual acuity. Eight studies were included in the systematic review. Patients had a mean age of 70 years. Three of the trials studied zinc alone, two studied an antioxidant combination, one studied lutein, and one vitamin E. The vitamin E trial (Vitamin E, Cataract and Age-related maculopathy study [VECAT]) had 1,204 participants and followed patients for four years. The largest study (Age-Related Eye Disease Study [AREDS]), which compared zinc alone, an antioxidant combination, or both, with placebo, included 3,640 patients and lasted six years.3 The other six studies each had fewer than 200 patients and lasted for no more than two years; thus, most of the data come from the VECAT and AREDS trials.The AREDS trial found that supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and beta-carotene slows the progression of disease in patients with ARMD (relative risk = 0.68; 99% confidence interval, 0.49 to 0.93).3 The VECAT study included healthy older patients and found no visual benefit to supplementation with vitamin E (500 IU per day) after four years.
Given the potential risks of vitamin E, it cannot be recommended to protect vision in patients without ARMD. The single study of lutein included 52 patients and found no effect on visual acuity.Vitamin supplements for “eye health” are increasingly used by patients who may have a family history of ARMD but who do not have macular degeneration. It is important to warn patients about the potential harms of these supplements and the lack of known benefit. Antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements for slowing the progression of age-related macular degeneration. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Meta-analysis: high-dosage vitamin E supplementation may increase all-cause mortality. Effects of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene supplements on cancer incidence in the Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study. Am J Clin Nutr.Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group. A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS report no. 8.
The page was not foundWinter FamilyThe WinterHealth QuickChildren'S HealthWinter ChillsSmall BottlesChewable Vitamin CHealthy ImmunityHappy CustomerForwardWant to beat the winter chills before you get them? Need something quick & easy to keep your whole family healthy this season? Try our KNH Chewable Vitamin C tablets today! Available in small bottles or large value packs in store and online today. But don't take our word for it, listen to our happy customer Cal who said "We have the whole family on this Vitamin C, kids included and they love it! Tastes great and helps keep us all healthy." #immunity #winter #family #health #quick #easyAs a breastfeeding mother, you probably think about everything you consume in terms of the effect it will have on your breastfed baby. If you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C or take supplements with this nutrient, you might wonder whether high doses could affect you or your infant. In general, high doses of vitamin C won't harm your child, but they could cause unpleasant side effects or simply be a waste of money for you.
Vitamin C plays a role in tissue growth and repair, making it essential for proper development of a breastfeeding infant. It is especially important in the growth of bones, teeth and collagen, a protein found in blood vessels, cartilage, tendons and ligaments. It also helps boost the immune system's ability to fight off disease. Vitamin C occurs in many fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits, berries, bell peppers and tomatoes, and you can also consume it in supplement form. As a water-soluble vitamin, this nutrient passes into breast milk, so your intake impacts your breastfed baby. The body cannot produce its own vitamin C, so you and your baby must both get this vital nutrient from diet. While nursing a baby, you will need more vitamin C than you did during pregnancy or before having your baby. The amount recommended for breastfeeding women, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, is 120 milligrams per day. Nursing mothers who consume more than the recommended amount of vitamin C are unlikely to harm their infants because the mother's body seems to tightly control the amount of vitamin C that gets into breast milk.
According to a study in the April 1985 issue of "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," breastfeeding mothers who took more than 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C, about 10 times the recommended dose, did not experience an increased level of vitamin C in their breast milk. Instead, as long as the mother is getting sufficient vitamin C, the concentration of this nutrient in breast milk remains at the optimal level for the nursing infant. Any excess vitamin C is excreted through the mother's urine. Doses of more than 2,000 milligrams per day can lead to upset stomach, diarrhea or intestinal gas. Because excess vitamin C leaves the body and isn't stored in fat or other tissues, it does not cause long-term effects. However, taking extra vitamin C in supplement form is likely to be a waste of money, since the kidneys simply remove it from the body. Should I Take Vitamin C in Powder or Pill Form? High-Dose Vitamin C & Weight Loss Is Expired Vitamin C Dangerous? Is Extra Vitamin C Safe When Breastfeeding?