Zinc

Does zinc slow macular degeneration?

Updated 10 Nov 2026

Short answer

In people who already have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a formula of zinc and antioxidant vitamins probably slows the disease. A 2023 Cochrane review found that people who took it were less likely to progress to late AMD (odds ratio 0.72, moderate certainty).[1] Zinc alone also lowered progression (odds ratio 0.83, moderate certainty).[1]

What the AREDS trial found

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease of the back of the eye in people over 50.[1] Most of the evidence on zinc comes from AREDS, a US trial.[1] Its AMD trial included 3,640 people aged 55 to 80. They were followed for an average of 6.3 years.[2]

Each person took one of four daily tablets:[2]

  • antioxidants: 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E and 15 mg of beta-carotene[2]
  • 80 mg of zinc as zinc oxide, with 2 mg of copper[2]
  • antioxidants plus zinc[2]
  • placebo[2]

Compared with placebo, antioxidants plus zinc lowered the odds of advanced AMD (odds ratio 0.72). For zinc alone, the result was 0.75, which was not statistically significant across all participants.[2] In people at higher risk, both zinc alone (0.71) and antioxidants plus zinc (0.66) lowered the odds. Only antioxidants plus zinc lowered the rate of moderate vision loss (odds ratio 0.73).[2]

What the Cochrane review found

A 2023 Cochrane review included 26 studies with 11,952 people.[1] Antioxidant vitamin and mineral formulas lowered progression to late AMD (odds ratio 0.72, 3 studies, 2,445 people, moderate certainty).[1] For people with intermediate AMD, this means about 78 fewer cases of late AMD for every 1,000 who take the formula. For people with early AMD, whose risk is low, it means about 4 fewer cases per 1,000.[1]

Five studies compared zinc alone with placebo. In 3 of them, with 3,790 people and most data from AREDS, zinc lowered progression to late AMD over six years (odds ratio 0.83, moderate certainty).[1]

The AREDS formulas

With the original AREDS formula, the risk of advanced AMD was 25% lower than with placebo over 5 years.[3] The follow-up trial AREDS2 found the same protection with 25 mg of zinc, but its researchers called this result preliminary. The US National Eye Institute recommends the formula with 80 mg of zinc.[3]

AREDS2 also tested lutein and zeaxanthin in place of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene raised the risk of lung cancer, mostly in former smokers.[1]

Side effects

Stomach and gut symptoms were the main side effects. In AREDS, men who took zinc had more genitourinary problems, but AREDS2 found no difference between high and low zinc doses.[1] The dose of 80 mg a day is twice the US upper limit for adults. This limit does not apply to people who take zinc as a treatment under a doctor's care.[3]

Who it is for

People with intermediate AMD gain more, because their risk of progression is higher than in early AMD.[1] People who have AMD or are developing it should talk to their doctor about their zinc intake and the AREDS formulas.[3]

Sources (3)

  1. 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
  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. Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. ods.od.nih.gov

More about zinc

What is zinc?Which foods contain zinc?What is zinc used for?What are the signs of zinc deficiency?Is zinc safe?Do zinc lozenges help with colds?

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