Product Review:Eye Health Supplements (with Lutein and Zeaxanthin) and Astaxanthin Supplements
How Products were Selected: Products were selected to represent those commonly sold and/or available nationally in the U.S. ConsumerLab.com purchased products on the open market through retail stores, on-line retailers, catalogues, or multi-level marketing companies. Products were not accepted directly from manufacturers.
Testing Method: Products were tested for their claimed amounts of lutein, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin. Analyses for lutein, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin were performed using an HPLC method in an independent laboratory. Products not having passing levels of lutein, zeaxanthin, or astaxanthin were then re-tested in a second independent laboratory using a similar HPLC method.
Disintegration of non-chewable, non-capsule, non-enteric coated and non-time-release formulations were analyzed utilizing USP (United States Pharmacopeia) <2040> recommendations entitled "Disintegration and Dissolution of Nutritional Supplements."
Analyses for lead were made using Inductively Coupled Plasma/Mass Spectroscopy (ICP/MS).
Analyses were conducted in independent laboratories to which the brand identities of the products were not disclosed. Any product not passing an initial analysis was retested in a second independent laboratory on at least one of the criteria on which it did not initially pass.
Passing Score: * To pass testing, a product must meet the following criteria:
Contain at least 100% of its labeled amount of lutein, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin.
Meet recommended USP parameters for disintegration for vitamin supplements (excluding capsule, enteric coated, chewable and time-release products).
Not exceed the State of California's Prop 65 limits for lead in supplements in a recommended daily serving: 0.5 mcg of lead per daily serving with an additional allowance of 1.0 mcg for supplements containing 1,000 mg/day or more of elemental calcium and 0.5 mcg for supplements containing specific other minerals. For supplements not marketed for use by children, ConsumerLab.com provides an additional allowance of 0.5 mcg if containing 250 to 499 mg/day of elemental calcium or 1.0 mcg if containing 500 to 999 mg/day of elemental calcium and an allowance of 0.5 mcg for if containing one whole herb (not extract) ingredient or 1.0 mcg for two or more whole herb ingredients. If a maximum recommended daily serving is not defined, a daily serving size will be determined and applied by CL.
Meet all FDA labeling requirements.
A product passed if it passed each applicable criterion in any one of the analyses.
* Passing scores allow for specific margins of technical error associated with each analysis. ConsumerLab.com reserves the right to disqualify a product at any time from passing if it considers such product to present a safety risk or to provide misleading or inaccurate label information.
