Recommended dose:

Adults: Take 2 delayed release capsules daily with meals, or as directed by a healthcare practitioner.

Recommended duration of use:

• Consult a health care practitioner for use beyond 3 months.

Recommended use or purpose:

• Helps to maintain/support eyesight in conditions (associated with sunlight damage) such as cataracts and age related macular degeneration.
• Helps to reduce the risk of developing cataracts.
• Helps to improve macular pigment optical density.
• Source of anti-oxidants for the maintenance of good health.

Cautions and warnings:

• Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Store in airtight container, protect from light.
• If seal around cap is broken or missing, do not use.

Vision Boost is an advanced eye health formula based on research performed at Schepens Eye Research Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School.

Max Snodderly, Ph.D., senior scientist at The Schepens Eye Research Institute, believes that nutrition may be a useful tool for retarding the process that leads to AMD. “I really want to know what is going on early in the process,” he says. “If we can figure that out, we can eliminate this disease.”

Although Snodderly has been involved in studies of other nutritional factors, he is particularly interested in lutein and zeaxanthin, which are the pigments in the macula. The theory is that these pigments protect the macula from light damage just as they protect plants during photosynthesis.

Previous studies have already shown that levels of these chemicals are low in the retinas of AMD patients and in smokers. There is also suggestive evidence that women absorb lutein less readily than men do from the diet.

Vision Boost provides Nature's most potent anti-oxidants to help maintain optimal ocular function and to help reduce the risk of Age Related Macular Degeneration of the eyes (AMD).

AMD is the leading cause of irreversible blindness among people age 65 and older. For reasons scientists have yet to pinpoint, parts of the retina and the macula become diseased. As AMD progresses, tiny, fragile blood vessels begin to develop in the retina. These vessels often leak blood and fluid that damages the retina even further.

• Blurred vision may be the first symptom.
• Straight lines begin to appear crooked.
• Dark or empty spaces may block central vision.

The macula is in the center of the retina, directly behind the lens. It's a tiny area made up of millions of cells that help produce sharp vision needed to read and see objects clearly. Scientists believe that the macular pigment protects the retina. The density of macular pigment has been used to measure the health of the eye.

Studies show that lutein (LOO-teen) and zeaxanthin (Zee-uh-zan’-thin) are the predominant anti-oxidants found in the macula. Lutein & zeaxanthin are carotenoids found in many fruits and vegetables. They protect cells against light-induced damage. Spinach and kale contain high levels of lutein, but it is also present in corn and egg yolk.

• Dietary intake of lutein increases pigment density.
• Smoking and alcohol consumption decrease macular pigment density.
• Lifetime sun exposure decreases density.
• The macula receives the most light, making it susceptible to blue light damage.
• Blue light damage may contribute to age-related macular degeneration.
• Lutein filters out blue light that causes free radical damage in the eyes.

Vision Boost contains:

Lutein Extract (30 mg)

(Each capsule provides 6 mg Lutein from 20% ester-free marigold extract)

Zeaxanthin Extract (30 mg)

(Each capsule provides 6 mg Zeaxanthin from 20% ester-free marigold extract)

Vision Boost includes optimum levels of free lutein & zeaxanthin.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are xanthophyll carotenoids found in dark-green leafy vegetables and in egg yolk. They are widely distributed in tissues and are the principal carotenoid in the eye lens and macular region of the retina. They act as antioxidants, protecting cells against the damaging effects of free radicals.

Free lutein and zeaxanthin versus esterified lutein and zeaxanthin.

The natural plant form of lutein and zeaxanthin is the esterified form. They can be de-esterified by saponification and purified by crystallization. After saponification, lutein and zeaxanthin are in their "free" or unesterified form.

Lutein and zeaxanthin esters must be de-esterified before they can be absorbed into the body; only free lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the human serum where they are biologically active as antioxidants.

Vitex uses the more costly free form or de-esterified form for maximum bio-availability. Esterified forms must first be de-esterified by the body's digestive system to the more biologically active free form before they can function as antioxidants. Many people with digestive issues will have trouble with this process and in some cases, very little if any esterified forms will be broken down to the free form thereby reducing the benefit.

Epidemiologic studies indicate an inverse relationship between xanthophylls intake and status and both cataract and age-related macular degeneration suggest these compounds can play a protective role in the eye.

Currently, there is no cure and only limited treatment options for AMD. Preliminary research, however, is showing that lutein & zeaxanthin may help reverse the symptoms of dry AMD.

The best cure for AMD remains prevention. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables containing adequate amounts of lutein & zeaxanthin is the best hope for reducing the incidence of AMD in our ageing population.

A supplement like Vision Boost which includes lutein & zeaxanthin is a good option if food intake is not sufficient.

Bilberry Extract (60 mg)

(Vaccinium myrtillus fruit containing 25% anthocyanidins)

Bilberry is used in connection with vascular and blood disorders and shows positive effects when treating varicose veins, thrombosis and angina. Bilberry fruit contains flavonoids and anthocyanin, which serve to prevent capillary fragility, thin the blood, and stimulate the release of vasodilators. Anthocyanin, a natural antioxidant, also lowers blood pressure, reduces clotting and improves blood supply to the nervous system. Bilberry also contains glucoquinine, which has the ability to lower blood sugar.

Bilberry has long been a remedy for poor vision and "night blindness." Clinical tests confirm that given orally it improves visual accuracy in healthy people, and can help those with eye diseases such as pigmentosa, retinitis, glaucoma, and myopia.

During World War II, British Royal Air Force pilots ate Bilberry preserves before night missions as an aid to night vision. Bilberry works by improving the microcirculation and regeneration of retinal purple, a substance required for good eyesight.

Grape Seed Extract (120 mg)

(Vitis vinifara seed containing 95% Proanthocyanidins)

Proanthocyanidins and catechins extracted from grape seeds have been shown in numerous studies to have beneficial effects, including: inhibition of enzymes that can damage the integrity and elasticity of capillaries, skin and other tissues. In inhibiting the harmful enzymes, the active ingredients in grape seed extract can help to keep the important collagen and elastin in various tissues from degrading. In particular, the capillaries are allowed to retain their flexibility (to let red blood cells through tight places) and integrity (so that blood does not inappropriately leak through the capillary wall).

Grape Seed extract has been used for: poor distribution of microcirculatory blood flow in the brain, heart and eyes, poor capillary elasticity and integrity and excessive platelet aggregation. It is also an effective cardiovascular protector and a formidable collagen cross-linking regulator because of its unique affinity with both elastin and collagen proteins.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin improve neural efficiency promoting cognitive functioning in old age.

Researchers asked 43 community-dwelling adults aged between 65-86 years to learn and remember pairs of unrelated words while undergoing brain imaging through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). All participants were white, and 58 percent of them were women.

Scientists assessed the levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in the retina by measuring the macular pigment optical density. Scientists found that higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin correlated with a lower signal in several areas of the brain, as measured by the level of oxygen in the participants' blood.

This indicated lower brain activity in individuals with higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin during memory tasks, which means they did not have to work as hard to complete the task.

The team was led by Cutter Lindbergh, a doctoral candidate in the psychology department of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia.

J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2016 Oct 25:1-12.

Vitex’s Vision Boost is now provided in the new enteric DRcaps; plant origin hypromellose polymer. This new DRcaps technology enables the enzyme to pass through the stomach unchanged, and be absorbed in the small intestine. DRcaps have several advantages over the traditional enteric coating of tablets and capsules. This new technology eliminates the costly and cumbersome enteric coating process which requires the use of solvents and heat which can have destructive effect on the active ingredients in the formula. Finally, DRcaps are more resistant to moisture and provide a more precise and consistent dissolution rate compared to the traditional method of enteric coating.
Finally, the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) shows that optimum levels of the essential vitamins, minerals and essential fatty also benefit people at risk for macular degeneration.

NOTE: For maximum benefit, take the SOURCE Optimum, SONA based vitamin/mineral/enzyme formula and VEGAN Omega 3-6-9 to provide the body with optimum levels of other essential nutrients necessary to help maintain long term good health.

Packaging: Packed in light & oxygen resistant recyclable PETE (Bisphenol A free) bottles.
Gluten Free: Contains no animal substance; artificial preservatives, colours, flavours, sweeteners, dairy, salt, yeast or wheat
Excipients: Microcrystalline cellulose
DRcaps: Hypromellose polymer, gellan gum (designed to dissolve in the small intestine). Ingredient details can be read here.
DRCaps is a reg. trademark of Capsugel.

Interview from Healthworx Radio with Barrie Carlsen about Vision Boost.