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MacuHealth News
Is Your Supplement Delivering What It Promises?
Consumers trust that the amount of ingredients on a supplement’s label is the same as what’s inside the bottle, especially for those taking eye supplements featuring antioxidants known as carotenoids. “This is essential for patients with, or at risk of, age-related macular degeneration, but also offers enormous potential to enhance vision for the general population,” says Professor John Nolan.
But a study by Dr. David Phelan, Professor Nolan and Dr. Alfonso Prado-Cabrero in the medical journal Nutrients1 showed that of the 46 supplements they tested, 61% of them didn't deliver the bioavailability promised on their label. This fact shows they don’t help the patients using them.
The number of a supplement’s active ingredients can be significantly lower than what's on the label due to the nutrient’s molecular structure, how the body responds to it and the encapsulation process. Powder-filled capsules are more susceptible to oxidation due to their clear interlock. Oil-filled softgels have an airtight closing, making them more stable and less prone to degradation.
Eye supplements like MacuHealth feature Micro-MicelleTM Technology, which enhances the stability of its ingredients by changing the structure of the micro-nutrients to allow the body to absorb its Triple Carotenoid Formula at a significantly higher rate. In a recent clinical study, its formula provided the highest bioavailability studied to date with a greater serum and retinal response compared to a standard macular carotenoid supplement.2
Supplement Certified, an independent certification team based at the Nutrition Research Centre Ireland within the Waterford Institute of Technology, provides a rigorous analysis of products to ensure that a supplement's active ingredients retain their potency and stability throughout its shelf-life. MacuHealth is honored to carry the team's seal on all its products, proof that each one delivers what's on its label.
Frederic Jouhet, the Founder and President of MacuHealth said, “I strongly encourage all companies in the eyecare supplement space to follow our lead and get their products Supplement Certified for the health and benefit of our patients and Eye Care Professionals.”
1 Phelan D, Prado-Cabrero A, Nolan JM. Stability of Commercially Available Macular Carotenoid Supplements in Oil and Powder Formulations. Nutrients. 2017;9(10): 1133.
2 Green Gomez et al 2020. Doi:10.3390/antiox9080767
