Astaxanthin is a carotenoid with strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic activity.

Though it is not stored up in the macula, it circulates in the blood like lycopene, providing a protective filter in the pre-retinal circulation.

Macular Wellness formulas allow you to take a different carotenoid at each meal to ensure absorption.

The carotenoids compete for absorption, so avoid supplementing Beta Carotene at the same meal.

Also, avoid supplements with stearates or stearic acid listed as 'Other Ingredients.'

Each excipient-free capsule supplies:

Nutritional Factors:

 Vitamin B9: 5-MTHF 400 mcg 100%

 Vitamin B12: Adenosyl Cobalamin & Methyl Cobalamin 1000 mcg 1667%

 Methyl Cobalamin 6 mcg 100%

We emphasize the mitochondrial coenzyme form and keep Methyl B12 to a minimum essential level because Methyl B12 is the catalyst that methylates Mercury. Research shows that "...methylation proceeded at a remarkably high rate when methylcobalamin and inorganic mercury were mixed." Source: Chemical methylation of inorganic mercury with methylcobalamin, a vitamin B12 analog

 Vitamin B15: TMG from Beta spp. 30 mg

Trimethylglycine is a methyl donor with three methyl groups.

 Vitamin B20: ALCAR 30 mg

"L-carnitine and its derivatives are involved in numerous physiological reactions, including sugar aerobic metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation and osmosis.... L-carnitine has also demonstrated antioxidant properties in animal models of oxidative damage." Source: The aging eye and the role of L-carnitine and its derivatives

 Vitamin C: Ascorbyl Palmitate 20 mg 33%

 Ascorbyl Palmitate 50 mg

The lipophilic AP was able to cross biological barriers and satisfied the tissue demand for ascorbate better than the hydrophilic form. AP should be considered as the preferred form of transport of ascorbate into neural tissues. Source: Ascorbyl palmitate as a carrier of ascorbate into neural tissues

 Ascorbyl Palmitate 50 mg

The lipophilic AP was able to cross biological barriers and satisfied the tissue demand for ascorbate better than the hydrophilic form. AP should be considered as the preferred form of transport of ascorbate into neural tissues. Source: Ascorbyl palmitate as a carrier of ascorbate into neural tissues

 CoQ10 (20% Ultra Absorption) 25 mg supplies 5 mg

"Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) plays a critical role in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation by serving as an electron carrier in the respiratory electron transport chain. CoQ10 also functions as a lipid-soluble antioxidant by protecting lipids, proteins and DNA damaged by oxidative stress.... CoQ10 is detectable in retina and declines with ageing." Source: Therapeutic Potential of Co-enzyme Q10 in Retinal Diseases

 L-Carnosine 30 mg

"Carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) has protective functions additional to anti-oxidant and free-radical scavenging roles. It extends cultured human fibroblast life-span, ... protects cells against aldehydes and an amyloid peptide fragment and inhibits, in vitro, protein glycation (formation of cross-links, carbonyl groups and AGEs) and DNA/protein cross-linking. Carnosine is an aldehyde scavenger, a likely lipofuscin (age pigment) precursor..." Source: Carnosine, a protective, anti-ageing peptide?

 Stabilized Bio-Enhanced® R-Lipoic Acid 25 mg

We use the patented Stabilized Bio-Enhanced® R-Lipoate form because it is many times more bioavailable than the common natural R-Lipoic Acid or synthetic racemic Lipoic Acid forms that can also harbor toxic impurities. "We measured the serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, an important marker of antioxidant defense.... There was a statistically significant increase in serum SOD activity after LA [Lipoic Acid] intervention." Source: α-Lipoic Acid Treatment Improves Vision-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration

 S-Acetyl Glutathione 25 mg

Reduced Glutathione is preferable to common Glutathione supplements but is subject to digestion in the gut and in the blood on the way to the retina. We use the more precious S-Acetyl Glutathione form because the addition of the acetyl group not only facilitates crossing the blood-eye barrier but also prevents its digestion until it is taken into the intracellular space, where an enzyme cleaves it off, releasing pre-formed reduced Glutathione into the cytoplasm. "The results suggest that in studies of age-related pathologies, oxidation of GSH may be a more important parameter than a decline in pool size..." Source: Glutathione in human plasma: decline in association with aging, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetes

 N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) 25 mg

"...NAC pretreatment reduced t-BHP-induced ROS production and protected from H2O2-induced cell death and ATP depletion." Source: N-Acetyl-L-cysteine Protects Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells from Oxidative Damage: Implications for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

 Taurate 46 mg

"The mechanism by which taurine supplementation acts is mainly related to the reduction of oxidative stress.... Antiapoptotic effects are also involved; however, the protective mechanisms exerted by taurine against retinal damage remain to be further investigated." Source: Taurine and oxidative stress in retinal health and disease

 Magnesium 4 mg 1%

Botanical Factors:

Astaxanthin 10% (Haematococcus pluvialis) 30 mg

"Due to its unique molecular structure, astaxanthin features some important biologic properties, mostly represented by strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic activities." Source: Clinical Applications of Astaxanthin in the Treatment of Ocular Diseases: Emerging Insights

 Curcumin (Curcuma longa) 20 mg

"...the mechanisms of curcumin impact on oxidative stress, angiogenesis and inflammatory processes are described indicating that curcumin use may... restore body homeostasis." Source: Therapeutic potential of curcumin in eye diseases

"The retina is continually exposed to free radicals from its rich blood supply, numerous mitochondria, and photons of light which strike its surface.... Curcumin exerts anti-inflammatory, ... antioxidant, and VEGF inhibition properties through modulation of numerous biochemical mediators.... However, studies on curcumin's efficacy have been limited mostly to animal studies." Source: Therapeutic potential of curcumin in major retinal pathologies

 Quercetin Dihydrate (Sophora japonica) 20 mg

We use the water-soluble Dihydrate form of Quercetin because it is about eight times more bioavailable than common Quercetin. "...quercetin protected human retinal pigment epithelium (ARPE-19) cells from NaIO3-induced apoptosis by inhibiting reactive oxygen species production and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential..." Source: Protective Effect of Quercetin on Sodium Iodate-Induced Retinal Apoptosis through the Reactive Oxygen Species-Mediated Mitochondrion-Dependent Pathway

 Polyphenols (Camelia sinensis) 20 mg

"Green tea extracts exhibit anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory actions..." Source: Green tea catechins are potent anti-oxidants that ameliorate sodium iodate-induced retinal degeneration in rats

 Ginsenosides (Panax quinquefolius) 7 mg

 Salvianolic Acid 20% (Salvia miltiorrhiza) 10 mg

...Sal A protects RPE from lipid oxidative damage and chronic inflammation... Source: Salvianolic acid A protects retinal pigment epithelium from OX-LDL-induced inflammation in an age-related macular degeneration model

 C3G 40% (Oryza sativa) 10 mg

"...HHE leads to inflammatory damages to ARPE-19 cells while C3G has great protective effects..." Source: Cyanidin-3-glucoside Alleviates 4-Hydroxyhexenal-Induced NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation via JNK-c-Jun/AP-1 Pathway in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

 Trans-Resveratrol (Polygonum cuspidatum) 5 mg

 Bioavailability Factors: Fibonacci-inspired sequence of Ginkgo, Niacin, Licorice, Moringa, Gingerol, Piperine, & Vinpocetine.