If you are shopping for lutein enriched multi-vitamins, you may be shocked by the prices. One formula costs $40 per bottle and it contains only six nutrients. Of course, price is not the only consideration. Here are some things to consider. Let's start with a recommendation about where “not” to buy it.

E-bay and other auction sites are great if you are buying collectible figurines, but it's not the place to buy healthcare products of this kind. E-bay resellers pick up salvaged goods. There is no way to determine what has been sitting alongside that supplement or what nutrients it contains. Even if it is the same brand that you have been using, it could easily have been contaminated.

Additionally, the potency of a product reduces over time. You really shouldn't buy anything that is even close to its expiration date. These products are manufactured years before they expire. You really don't want to take something that has been sitting on a shelf for years.

The next thing to consider when buying lutein enriched multi-vitamins is the other nutrients that are included in the formula. Are they 100% natural? Is the vitamin E natural or synthetic? Does it even include vitamin E?

According to the latest research, the most effective supplement is one that contains mixed carotenoids, not just beta-carotene and lutein, but also zeaxanthin and lycopene. The multi-nutritional supplement used in the latest study also included alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), bilberry extract and DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid. Like lutein and zeaxanthin, DHA is one of the major components of the retina.

You will have to buy a separate omega 3 supplement, because the nutritional formula that works best for the eyes must be protected by an enteric coating. It cannot be mixed with fish oil, which is the best source of DHA. The enteric coating allows for the highest degree of effectiveness.

Those $40 lutein enriched multi-vitamins that I mentioned in the first paragraph contain no vitamin E. It does contain lutein and zeaxanthin, but the dosage of zeaxanthin is less than what nutritional experts recommend for a 5 year old. These supplements are normally marketed towards older people with failing eyesight. They would need at least 50mg of lutein and 10mg of zeaxanthin to see any improvement.

The $40 supplement contains too much taurine and not enough alpha lipoic acid. Research and development teams may disagree about the proper dosage. So, there may be an honest explanation for the poor quality of expensive lutein enriched multi-vitamins, but in most cases, the manufacturer is taking advantage of the customers' limited knowledge.

For $41, you can get a supplement that provides 91 different nutrients, including essential vitamins and minerals. So, you would no longer need to take a daily multi-vitamin. If you are over the age of 40, you should be taking calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and vitamin K2 to reduce your risk of osteoporosis or bone loss. The job of vitamin K2 is to put calcium where it is need and make sure that it does not get deposited in the arteries.

The best lutein enriched multi-vitamins, contains all of the nutrients mentioned in this article. They are specially formulated to stave off all age-related diseases and to provide improvement for people that already have them.