Vision Support II - AOR

Key Benefits At A Glance:

• Helps prevent age-related macular degeneration
• Helps relieve eye fatigue
• Preserves healthy eye structure and function
• Protects the eye from damage

Product Description:

Vision Support II is the most effective oral eye health formula available to help prevent age-related macular dengeration and cataracts as well as relieve day-to-day eye fatigue. Astaxanthin is a carotenoid that is valuable in relieving symptoms of weary eyes-a condition known as asthenopia; black soybean hull extract is also effective for symptoms of asthenopia. Zeaxanthin and lutein are carotenoids which have proven beneficial for relieving symptoms of cataracts and macular degeneration. Benfotiamine a form of the b-vitamin thiamine which is effective in preventing the formation of advanced glycation end products, which contribute to cataract formation. Vision Support II provides the ultimate protection when combined with a high-quality multivitamin/mineral and/or acetyl-L-carnosine eye drops.

Macular Degeneration – The Leading Cause of Blindness
Our vision – its immeasurable value is matched only by our propensity to take it for granted. This is the kind of double-standard that is at the root of all things that are impossible to appreciate until they are gone. The World Health Organization has some sobering statistics for us: every legally blind individual requires two able-bodied ones to look after him or her; macular degeneration (MD), by far the leading root cause of blindness in North America, affects the majority of us in some form or another as we age. Its more dire manifestation of Advanced Macular Degeneration (AMD) can indeed lead to blindness, and in only 10% of those instances can vision be saved. Other threats to vision (ocular) health include cataract formation, asthenopia (eye fatigue) and glycation.

Prevention Is Key
One would be hard-pressed to find a more appropriate application for the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure” than in preventative vision health. Indeed, the simplicity of such nutrients as manganese, grape seed, and vitamin C are in sharp contrast to their contributions to ocular health. However, more recent research has allowed us to better understand certain mechanisms of vision degeneration as well as new nutrients that may help prevent this degeneration.

Research

Astaxanthin
This maritime carotenoid has distinguished itself in recent years in a number of roles, one of which is asthenopia. This increasingly common condition is often caused by overexposure to visual display terminals (VDT’s), and human studies have shown that astaxanthin can alleviate asthenopia symptoms (such as eye strain, redness, and blurred vision) by 54%. Scientists believe the mechanism of action for these benefits is based on the increased ciliary body accommodation, increased retinal blood flow, and anti-inflammatory properties associated with astaxanthin supplementation. The ciliary body is composed primarily of an ocular muscle that stretches across the vitrous humour between the lens and the pupil. Accomodation refers to the ability of the ciliary body to manipulate the thickness of the lens in order to focus light on the retina. If the eye is required to focus on a fixed object for extended periods of time, muscle spasms and other signs of fatigue may occur. Factors such as the speed at which the ciliary body reacts to a change in visual focus are used to evaluate improvements (if any) in the accommodation response. Two clinical studies conducted in 2005 determined that the speed of the ciliary body’s reactions in the astaxanthin group were approximately 46% faster than those in the placebo group. This means that those taking astaxanthin were able to spot moving objects that much faster than those who were not. Furthermore, another placebo-controlled clinical study determined that astaxanthin can increase retinal blood flow by approximately 11% while yet another study (with laboratory rats) found that astaxanthin can reduce ciliary cell inflammation by nearly 80%.

Black Soybean Hull Extract
Asthenopia can arguably be considered part of the information age since it is so closely associated with overexposure to visual display terminals (VDTs). Nowhere is this reality more acute than in Japan, home of the most automated economy in the world. It seems fitting, therefore, that so many of the latest clinical studies dealing with Asthenopia originate there. The aforementioned astaxanthin clinical studies are one example, and those concerning black soybean hull extract are another. One such study in 2004 demonstrated black soybean hull extract ‘significantly’ improved the symptoms of Asthenopia among 32 healthy adults who regularly engage in VDT work. Black soybean hull extract is another example of ‘pushing the envelope’ to develop the most advanced ocular health nutraceuticals possible.

Benfotiamine
Very simply put, glycation is the bonding of sugar molecules to proteins or lipids in the body without the mediating action of an enzyme or coenzyme, and is a natural part of the aging process. The end result is the formation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) – stiff tissue that can affect any cell in the body. The cells of the retina are particularly vulnerable, because when blood sugar levels rise, some key cells high in metabolic activity (such as the retina cells and the filtering cells [glomeruli] of the kidney) are flooded with glucose. Thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) is the active coenzyme form of thiamin, and maintaining high TPP levels will cause an enzymatic reaction that alleviates the effects of this glucose backlog, thus inhibiting the formation of AGEs. Benfotiamine is a lipid-soluble version of thiamin that is at least 5 times more bioavailable than regular thiamin supplements, and is the most efficient method known for effectively raising TPP levels.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin
This ‘dynamic duo’ of ocular health is by no means new. In nature, these are pigments that give vegetables such as corn and spinach their color, but in the human body, these are fat-soluble carotenoids (structurally similar to vitamin A) that are found primarily in the retina. This fact has always served to define their antioxidant capacities specifically within the realm of ocular health, with clinical and observational studies demonstrating their effectiveness in dealing with the symptoms of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and cataract formation. AMD refers to the age-related deterioration of the central part of the retina (namely the macula), which is adjacent to the optic nerve and contains the fovea, which is at the center of the macula and is responsible for detailed central vision. Like glycation, AMD is a normal part of the aging process and can vary greatly in degrees of severity. Prevention is key of course, and the latest clinical studies using lutein and zeaxanthin have taken an unmistakable trend: the dosages have been increasing and more emphasis has been made on absorption. Indeed, one very encouraging study used 30 mg daily of both lutein and zeaxanthin (in a base of canola oil) to raise macular pigment optical density(OD) in healthy human subjects by as much as 40% in a dose-dependent manner.

Market Trends
The most popular eye-health nutrients are vitamin A and beta-carotene. Some other common supplements that are taken to promote eye health include vitamin C, lutein, zeaxthanin, phytochemical antioxidants and bioflavanoids.

AOR Advantage
AOR’s Vision Support II formula includes a variety of nutrients that have a positive impact on eye health. These include lutein and zeaxanthin, natural pigments called xanthophylls, which help filter UV light entering the eye, preventing damage to the lens. The formula also contains astaxanthin and black soybean hull extract – both of which are extremely powerful antioxidants, and benfotiamine, a form of vitamin B1 that prevents protein glycation – a process that is extremely damaging to the eyes. These ingredients are delivered in an oil-based delivery system for improved absorption.

Supplement Facts:

Serving Size: 1 Softgel
Lutein  ................  7.5 mg
Zeaxanthin   ..........  7.5 mg
Benfotiamine  ........  80 mg
Astaxanthin ...........  2 mg
Black Soybean Hull Extract (10% Cyanidin-3-Glucosides)  ........  60 mg

Non-medicinal ingredients: Extra virgin olive oil, corn oil, mixed tocopherol concentrate. Softgel: caramel, gelatin, glycerin.

Source: Lutein & Zeaxanthin – Marigold flower; Astaxanthin – Haematococcus pluvialis (algae); Black soybean hull extract – Glycine max; Benfotiamine - pharmaceutical synthesis

AOR Guarantees: that no ingredients not listed on the label have been added to the product. Contains no wheat, gluten, nuts, dairy, eggs, fish or shellfish. Contains soy.

Suggested Dose And Usage:

Take 2 softgels per day with food, or as directed by a qualified health care practitioner.

Warnings And Contraindictions:

Consult a healthcare practitioner prior to use if you are taking blood thinners or for use beyond 4 weeks.

Pregnancy/Nursing: Consult a healthcare practitioner prior to use

Additional Learning And Information:

Supports Optimal Vision And Eye Health (from AOR)

Statements about these products and health conditions have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. For the Complete disclosure statement click here.

References:

Bone RA, et al. Lutein and zeaxanthin dietary supplements raise macular pigment density and serum concentrations of these carotenoids in humans. J Nutr. 2003 Apr;133(4):992-8. Erratum in: J Nutr. 2003 Jun;133(6):1953.

Hammes HP, Du X, Edelstein D, Taguchi T, Matsumura T, Ju Q, Lin J, Bierhaus A, Nawroth P, Hannak D, Neumaier M, Bergfeld R, Giardino I, Brownlee M. Benfotiamine blocks three major pathways of hyperglycemic damage and prevents experimental diabetic retinopathy. Nat Med. 2003 Mar;9(3):294-9.

Hashim Z, Zarina S.Advanced glycation end products in diabetic and non-diabetic human subjects suffering from cataract. Age (Dordr). 2011 Sep;33(3):377-84.

Nagai R, Shirakawa JI, Ohno RI, Moroishi N, Nagai M. Inhibition of AGEs formation by natural products. Amino Acids. 2013 Mar 17.

Nagaki Y, et al. Effects of Astaxanthin on accommodation, critical flicker fusions, and pattern evoked potential in visual display terminal workers. J. Trad. Med. 2002, 19(5): 170-173.

Nagaraj RH, Linetsky M, Stitt AW.The pathogenic role of Maillard reaction in the aging eye. Amino Acids. 2012 Apr;42(4):1205-20.

Sakimoto T, et al. Clinical study with black soybean extract on ocular function. Japanese Review of Clinical Ophthalmology 2004, V.98;N.11;Pg.982-986

Scharrer A, Ober M. Anthocyanosides in the treatment of retinopathies. Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd 1981 May; 178(5): 386-9.