What is Lumega-Z?
Lumega-Z is a vitamin/mineral/antioxidant supplement that is taken by mouth and is labelled a medical food. A medical food is simply a name used to identify a product that is taken by mouth and produced by a company for the purpose of treating disease and/or improving health. By definition, medical food must be prescribed by a physician and not sold over-the-counter. Lumega-Z is presumed to improve retinal health and potentially prevent or treat macular degeneration.
What does Lumega-Z do?
Lumega-Z aims to increase the amount of protective pigment in the macula with the hope that it will be helpful in the management of macular degeneration. Guardion is the company that makes Lumega-Z. They state in their website: “The Company’s current focus is on the Macular Protective Pigment (“MPP”), a bio-marker and major risk factor for developing Age-Related Macular Degeneration (“AMD”) and other retinal disorders.”
I take issue with this statement. “Macular Protective Pigment” has not been shown to be a major risk factor for AMD. Furthermore, the company cites no clinical research (even in their website for ophthalmologists) to support their claim that clinical benefit is derived from using their product.
Perhaps, we may assume there is benefit from Lumega-Z as another nutritional supplement (PreserVision AREDS-2) has been shown to reduce the risk of progression of macular degeneration. However, there are no current studies to compare the effectiveness of Lugema-Z with PreserVision AREDS-2. Alas, the company itself concludes: “Guardion Health Sciences, the maker of Lumega-Z, cannot guarantee…any vision benefit with treatment.”
What about the company that makes Lumega-Z?
Gardion’s business plan is provide medical food (a label that means their product is for medical use and must be provided via prescription) to patients with ophthalmologists who partner with Guardion (and may derive financial benefit). Gardion’s spokesman, Dr Hovenesian, is a refractive and cataract surgeon from California. His on their medical board of directors and a shareholder. He is not a retina specialist.
Is Lumega-Z worth the cost?
Lumega-Z costs twice as much as Preservision AREDS-2. However, it has not been scientifically demonstrated to be twice as good as PreserVision AREDS-2. Indeed, it has not even been shown to be equivalent to PreserVision AREDS-2. At the time of this publication, I am of the opinion that Lumega-Z is not worth the cost. I currently recommend PreserVision AREDS-2 to patients with AMD at risk for loss of vision as determined by examination.
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