While we based our formulation mostly off of AREDS2, we actually made the decision to include Vitamin A as well (which is normally in AREDS1) and to include more Vitamin E rather than Zinc since Zinc is found in other daily vitamins or in our diet.
AREDS2 and AREDS are designed for macular health. We wanted to include vision comfort, which is why we included Astaxanthin (not found in either AREDS) and other ingredients meant to help the eye not found in AREDS (like carrot juice powder and bilberry fruit).
The long term vision support is based on AREDS with more Vitamin A, less Zinc, and other key ingredients like Bilberry and Carrot Juice Powder. The short term vision comfort is helped primarily by Astaxanthin, which is a powerful antioxidant that increases blood flow to the eye.