Ocuvite

This is an eye vitamin, produced by Bausch and Lomb, designed to decrease progression of aging changes from macular degeneration.  This vitamin formula was created after the AREDS Study showed that certain antioxidants slowed the progression of macular degeneration changes in the retina.  This original formula consisted of vitamins A (beta-carotene), C, E and the minerals zinc and copper.  Since Bausch & Lomb helped supply the original formula (along with the National Eye Institute), they immediately patented the combination and now sell the vitamin with a costly markup.  Other companies have reached settlements with B&L and sell similar vitamins under different brands such as I-CAPS.  Due to new research (and market pressures) the original formula is changing with the addition of lutein, zeaxanthin, and Omega-3 oils added to the mix. These additional supplements have been studied in the follow-up AREDS 2 Study.