Does your Eye Vitamin have what's on the label?

VisiVite regularly tests its competitors’ products, and the results are often not pretty. This is especially true of the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin.

VisiVite uses FloraGLO lutein from marigold flowers and Omnixan zeaxanthin from paprika. Each of these are supplied as “beadlets” that are mixed for hours into the final powder; to assure uniform potency.

But many other eye vitamin makers use less expensive sources of these two critical ingredients, and independent laboratory analysis by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrometry reveals that the amount of lutein and zeaxanthin in the mixture is far below  - sometimes less than 50% - of what is listed on the ingredients label.

You might wonder whether the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) or FTC (Federal Trade Commission) would become involved, and you’d be wrong. The FDA is strictly looking for unsafe supplements and otherwise has a hands-off policy, while the FDA is strictly looking for illegal advertising for false or inflated claims.

1. Manufacturing laboratory puts in less than listed on the label.

As one of the corporate advisors for the Ocular Wellness and Nutritional Society, we became aware of one manufacturer that was claiming 50 mg of lutein per day in his vitamins but in actuality only contained 1 mg. The rest was rice flour. And the manufacturing laboratory was GMP certified, meaning that is not a guarantee of quality.

2. Inadequate “overage” during production

There is some drop-off in potency that requires putting more than 100% of contents into the capsules to assure 100% potency once they reach store shelves.

3. Improper mixing

This can result in some capsules having more while others have less than what is listed on the label. This is particularly true with lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin E, which have a sticky consistency. Proper mixing requires enough time as well as using high quality flow and anti-caking agents.

4. Unstable ingredients

We are aware that many manufacturers use different branded or off-branded lutein and zeaxanthin. These products often test below label claims, and actually continue to lose significant potency when we repeat test the products after only two months.

At Shop VisiVite, we go beyond having our manufacturing laboratory tell us what’s in VisiVite formulas with a Certificate of Analysis. Instead, we utilize INDEPENDENT LABORATORY VERIFICATION to assure our customers that they are getting complete potency and purity in the finished products for their vision or macular degeneration. This is among the many benefits of selling products from a physician-led company, and is your guarantee that you are getting the best nutritional products for your eye health and visual performance.