Vitamin E

Does vitamin E help with macular degeneration?

Updated 10 Nov 2026

Short answer

Not on its own. A Cochrane review of 4 trials with 55,614 people found that vitamin E does not prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD).[1] In people who already have AMD, the AREDS formula slowed progression to late AMD. It combined 400 IU of vitamin E with 500 mg of vitamin C, 15 mg of beta-carotene, 80 mg of zinc and 2 mg of copper.[2] A 2023 Cochrane review rated this effect as moderate certainty: about 78 fewer cases of late AMD for every 1,000 people with intermediate AMD.[3]

Beta-carotene in the formula raised the risk of lung cancer, mostly in former smokers.[3] The AREDS formula did not affect cataracts.[4]

Sources (4)

  1. Antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements for preventing age-related macular degeneration. Evans JR, Lawrenson JG Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2017. PMID 28756617
  2. A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS report no. 8. Arch Ophthalmol, 2001. PMID 11594942
  3. Antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements for slowing the progression of age-related macular degeneration. Evans JR, Lawrenson JG Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2023. PMID 37702300
  4. Vitamin E: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. ods.od.nih.gov

More about vitamin e

What is vitamin E?Which foods contain vitamin E?What is vitamin E used for?Who is at risk of vitamin E deficiency?Is vitamin E safe?Does vitamin E prevent heart disease?

For education; not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change a supplement.