The three antioxidant vitamins, with vitamin A given as beta-carotene.
Retina ClearIn plain words
The seller lists vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate). All three appeared in the original AREDS formula.
Retina ClearWhat the evidence shows
AREDS in 2001 found that a high-dose mix (500 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin E, 15 mg beta-carotene, 80 mg zinc oxide, 2 mg copper) reduced the risk of advanced macular degeneration in people who already had intermediate disease. That does not carry over to healthy adults or to a capsule with unknown amounts.
In this capsule
The exact amounts of these vitamins are not published.
Watch-outs: Beta-carotene is a concern for current and former smokers, because large trials found it raised lung-cancer risk in that group. It is why AREDS2 dropped it. Preformed vitamin A has an upper limit and matters in pregnancy.
Common question
Should smokers avoid beta-carotene?
Yes, that is the usual advice from trial results. Ask a clinician before using any product that lists it.