Disclosure: TruVista publishes this library and makes one of the products in this comparison. We list label facts only.
Eye vitamins that mention AREDS2 do not all contain the amounts used in the trial. Of the six labels we checked, three list all six AREDS2 amounts per day: PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula, PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula + Multivitamin, and TruVista Desert Truffle Plus AREDS2. Systane ICaps AREDS2 lists 25 mg of zinc, Member's Mark Advanced Eye Health Complex lists 4 mg of copper, and Ocuvite Adult 50+ is a general eye vitamin with lower amounts. A label tells you what is in the bottle, not whether a formula is right for you.
People often search for "PreserVision vs Ocuvite" or "the best AREDS2 supplement." We don't rank products here. Instead, we read each Supplement Facts label and compared it with the formula tested by the National Eye Institute (NEI). We checked the other brands' labels on September 13, 2026, using the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database where a current entry existed, and manufacturer websites where it did not. TruVista's values come from our own Supplement Facts panel.
For reference, the AREDS2 formula provides, per day: vitamin C 500 mg, vitamin E 400 IU, zinc 80 mg, copper 2 mg (as cupric oxide), lutein 10 mg and zeaxanthin 2 mg. Our article AREDS and AREDS2 explained covers how those doses were tested.
Six labels, side by side
| Product (maker) | Label source | Daily amount | Vitamin C | Vitamin E (form) | Zinc (form) | Copper (form) | Lutein / zeaxanthin | Other additions | All six AREDS2 amounts? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula MiniGels (Bausch + Lomb) | NIH DSLD 246688, entered March 2021; matches preservision.com | 2 soft gels | 500 mg | 180 mg (synthetic, dl-alpha) | 80 mg (zinc oxide) | 2 mg (cupric oxide) | 10 mg / 2 mg | None | Yes |
| PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula + Multivitamin (Bausch + Lomb) | preservision.com; not in DSLD | 2 soft gels | 500 mg | 180 mg (synthetic, dl-alpha) | 80 mg (zinc oxide) | 2 mg (cupric oxide) | 10 mg / 2 mg | Multivitamin and mineral blend | Yes |
| Systane ICaps AREDS2 Softgels (Alcon) | NIH DSLD 270317, entered June 2022 | 2 softgels | 500 mg | 180 mg (synthetic, dl-alpha) | 25 mg (zinc oxide) | 2 mg (vegetable protein chelate) | 10 mg / 2 mg | None | No: zinc is 25 mg |
| Member's Mark Advanced Eye Health Complex (Sam's Club) | NIH DSLD 305922, entered February 2024 | 2 minigels | 500 mg | 180 mg (synthetic, dl-alpha) | 80 mg (zinc oxide) | 4 mg (cupric oxide) | 10 mg / 2 mg | Mixed tocopherols (no amount listed) | No: copper is 4 mg |
| Ocuvite Adult 50+ MiniGel (Bausch + Lomb) | ocuvite.com, 2026 page | 1 soft gel | 150 mg | 20 mg (natural, d-alpha) | 9 mg (zinc oxide) | 1 mg (copper oxide) | 5 mg / 1 mg | Vitamin D 30 mcg; omega-3 250 mg | No: all six are lower |
| TruVista Desert Truffle Plus AREDS2 (TruVista) | TruVista Supplement Facts panel; not in DSLD | 2 capsules | 500 mg | 180 mg (synthetic, dl-alpha) | 80 mg (zinc oxide) | 2 mg (cupric oxide) | 10 mg / 2 mg | Desert truffle extract 4:1, 500 mg | Yes |
How to read an eye vitamin label
1. Look for the daily amount, not the serving size
PreserVision, ICaps and Member's Mark list one softgel as a serving but direct you to take two a day, so one softgel gives half the amounts in the table. The TruVista label lists two capsules as one serving. Ocuvite Adult 50+ is taken once a day.
2. Convert vitamin E from IU to mg
According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), 1 IU of synthetic vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol) equals 0.45 mg, and 1 IU of the natural form (d-alpha-tocopherol) equals 0.67 mg. That is why the AREDS2 dose of 400 IU appears as 180 mg of the synthetic form on newer labels; in the natural form it would be about 268 mg. Ocuvite's 20 mg of the natural form works out to about 30 IU.
3. Check the zinc: 80 mg or 25 mg
AREDS2 tested both doses and found no difference. Its 10-year follow-up reported a hazard ratio of 1.04 for low vs high zinc. A hazard ratio compares how quickly an outcome, here late AMD, happens in two groups over time, and a value near 1 means essentially no difference. Even so, NEI still treats the 80 mg dose as the gold standard, because AREDS2 had no placebo group for that comparison. Some formulas use 25 mg, including ICaps AREDS2. All six labels use zinc oxide, the form used in AREDS. Our article on zinc and copper explains the tradeoffs.
4. Check the copper: 2 mg or more
NEI says copper was added to the formula to reduce the risk of copper deficiency anemia linked to high zinc. The trial amount is 2 mg a day. Member's Mark lists 4 mg a day, which is still below the adult upper limit of 10 mg listed by ODS. A 2022 label for CVS Health Vision Health Advanced Eye Supplement (DSLD 278552) listed the same amounts as Member's Mark, including 4 mg of copper. CVS.com now lists a product called "CVS AREDS 2 Softgels," but we could not read that page to confirm its label.
5. Read "AREDS2" and "AREDS3" as names, not guarantees
"AREDS2" on a front label does not guarantee the trial amounts, which is how products with similar names can list different amounts. The Supplement Facts panel is what tells you the doses. PreserVision AREDS3, launched by Bausch + Lomb in February 2026, is a brand name, not a National Eye Institute trial. The brand says it keeps the AREDS2 nutrients but uses 25 mg of zinc a day and adds vitamin B6 (50 mg), folic acid (900 mcg) and vitamin B12 (1,000 mcg) per softgel, with 2 softgels a day.
6. Know what the extras are
The AREDS2 formula has six nutrients. Anything else on a label was not part of that formula:
- Multivitamins. NEI says the AREDS2 formula does not replace a multivitamin, and almost nine in ten AREDS2 participants took one. If you already take a multivitamin, ask whether a combined product would double up.
- Omega-3s. AREDS2 tested DHA 350 mg plus EPA 650 mg and found no added benefit (hazard ratio 0.97). Ocuvite Adult 50+ lists 250 mg of omega-3.
- Desert truffle extract. The TruVista label adds 500 mg. Desert truffle was not part of AREDS or AREDS2 research.
- Other added vitamins. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says there is no clear evidence that adding other vitamins or micronutrients provides extra benefit for AMD.
Notes on individual labels
- Systane ICaps AREDS2 Softgels: Alcon's product page states the softgels "may have limited stock availability due to discontinuation." That page also lists different ingredient forms (for vitamin C, vitamin E and copper) than the 2022 label in the NIH database, so check the bottle you have.
- Ocuvite Adult 50+: Its NIH database entry dates from 2019 and no longer matches the current product, so we used the manufacturer's page. It is a once-daily eye vitamin, not an AREDS2 formula.
- PreserVision: Bausch + Lomb also sells Chewables, + CoQ10, Vegan Soft Gels and AREDS3 versions. We did not compare those labels.
- Lutein and zeaxanthin sources: Every label that names a source lists marigold flower extract, and PreserVision and Ocuvite note that zeaxanthin may also come from paprika. Member's Mark lists "zeaxanthin isomers" without defining the term.
- TruVista: Our Supplement Facts panel is not in the NIH database, so these values come from our own label.
Keep in mind: A matching label does not make a supplement right for you. NEI says the formulas benefited people with intermediate or late AMD, with no benefit for people with early AMD or without AMD. See What Is AREDS2 and Who Needs It?
Questions to ask your eye doctor
- Do I have intermediate AMD, or late AMD in one eye? Would a formula help at my stage?
- Should I take 80 mg or 25 mg of zinc a day?
- I smoke or used to smoke. NEI says current and former smokers should use the AREDS2 formula rather than the original AREDS formula. Is this product the right type?
- I take antibiotics, a blood thinner, or a water pill (thiazide diuretic). Does anything need to change? ODS lists interactions for zinc and vitamin E.
- I already take a multivitamin, zinc or iron. ODS notes that 25 mg or more of iron taken at the same time can lower zinc absorption. How should I combine them?
- I have kidney problems. Is 500 mg of vitamin C a day right for me?
For side effects and interactions in detail, read Are AREDS2 vitamins safe? Our science page also lists the doses used in the trials.
Related reading
- Nutrition and Eye Health: What the Research Actually Shows
- 5 Vitamins and Nutrients That Matter for Your Eyes
- Can AREDS2 Prevent Macular Degeneration?
- Lutein and Zeaxanthin: The Yellow Pigment That Shields Your Macula
References
- NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula, label 246688 (entered March 25, 2021). dsld.od.nih.gov/label/246688
- Bausch + Lomb. PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula + Multivitamin (accessed September 13, 2026). preservision.com
- NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Systane ICaps AREDS2 Softgels, label 270317 (entered June 16, 2022). dsld.od.nih.gov/label/270317
- Alcon. Systane ICaps AREDS 2 Softgels (accessed September 13, 2026). systane.myalcon.com
- NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Member's Mark Advanced Eye Health Complex, label 305922 (entered February 22, 2024). dsld.od.nih.gov/label/305922
- NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. CVS Health Vision Health Advanced Eye Supplement, label 278552. dsld.od.nih.gov/label/278552
- Bausch + Lomb. Ocuvite Adult 50+ (accessed September 13, 2026). ocuvite.com
- Bausch + Lomb. PreserVision AREDS3 for eye care professionals. preservision.com
- National Eye Institute. About AREDS and AREDS2; AREDS/AREDS2 Frequently Asked Questions. nei.nih.gov
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E, Zinc and Copper fact sheets for health professionals. ods.od.nih.gov
- AREDS2 Research Group. JAMA. 2013;309:2005. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4997
- Chew EY, et al. AREDS2 Report No. 28. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2022;140:692. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.1640
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Vitamins for AMD (published August 19, 2026). aao.org
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Talk with your eye doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you smoke, take other medicines, or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. TruVista products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
