Vivis Capsules 30s, and Who the Evidence Is Actually About
Vivis capsules help keep the macula at the back of the eye supplied with the antioxidant vitamins, minerals and lutein it draws on, in a 30-capsule pack. This is a formula for somebody who already has a diagnosis and is under the care of an eye doctor.
Eye supplements are an area where the honest account is more useful than the enthusiastic one, because there is real trial evidence here and it applies to a narrower group of people than most pages suggest. So below is what the evidence says, who it is about, who it is not about, and the one circumstance in which buying a capsule is the wrong thing to do.
Read This Part First, If Your Sight Has Changed
If your vision has changed recently — blurring, a dark or empty patch in the centre of what you are looking at, straight lines appearing bent or wavy, or colours looking washed out — see an eye doctor before you buy anything at all.
The reason is timing. Some causes of a sudden change in central vision are treated with injections into the eye, and that treatment works best when it starts quickly. Sight lost while somebody waits to see whether a supplement helps is generally not recoverable. A capsule bought online for a change in vision is the one purchase on our shelves where a delay costs something that cannot be bought back, and we would rather lose the sale than see that happen.
Our doctor can look at this and arrange the referral. If an eye doctor then recommends an antioxidant formula, come back and we will supply it gladly.
What the Trials Actually Found
This class of product rests on two large studies run by eye researchers in the United States, the second of which gave its name to the formulation most eye doctors mean when they recommend one. The findings are specific and worth stating precisely.
Who it helps. People with intermediate changes in the macula, in one eye or both, where the formula may stop that progressing to the late stage. And people who already have late changes in one eye, where it may slow the other eye down.
Who it does not help. People with early changes, where it has not been shown to stop progression to the intermediate stage. And people who already have late changes in both eyes, where it is unlikely to help. It does not prevent macular degeneration in somebody who has none, and it does not restore sight that has already gone.
That is a real and valuable result for a defined group of people, and it is a long way from an eye vitamin for everybody. Which stage you are at is something only an eye examination establishes, and it is the whole of what decides whether this product is worth your money.
The Formulation the Trials Used
The studied formulation is public, and it is worth knowing because it lets you judge any eye supplement against it. Per daily dose: vitamin C 500 mg, vitamin E 400 IU, zinc 80 mg, copper 2 mg, lutein 10 mg and zeaxanthin 2 mg.
Two things about that list. The copper is there because zinc at 80 mg depletes copper over time, so the two belong together and a high-zinc eye formula without copper is a poorly designed one. And the earlier version of the formula used beta-carotene, which was removed because high-dose beta-carotene increased lung cancer risk in people who smoke or used to smoke — so anybody with a smoking history should be on a formulation built around lutein rather than beta-carotene.
Our pharmacist will read the amounts on your Vivis box and compare them with that list in front of you, for this product or any competing one you bring in. It takes a minute and it is the only way to tell a serious eye formula from a token one.
What Else You Are Already Taking
This is where an eye formula most often goes wrong in practice, and it is worth two minutes at the counter.
The zinc in a studied eye formulation is 80 mg a day, which is a high dose by any measure and far above what a general supplement carries. If you also take a multivitamin or a separate zinc, you can end up well past a sensible intake without meaning to, and sustained excess zinc is what the copper in the formula is there to offset. The same goes for vitamin C and vitamin E.
Two of our own products overlap directly. Centrum Advance 50+ contains lutein, zinc, copper, vitamin C and vitamin E, so somebody taking both is doubling up on five ingredients at once. And our vitamin C 1000 mg effervescent would put you well over the studied amount of vitamin C on its own. Neither combination is dangerous for most people, and both are worth totting up rather than guessing at. Bring what you take to the counter.
How to Take It, and What a Pack Covers
Follow the dose on your pack, and tell us what it says so we can work out what a pack covers. Thirty capsules is a month at one a day and a fortnight at two, and the studied formulation is usually split across two capsules because the amounts are too large for one. At one a day that is around 53 shillings; at two it is over 100.
Take it with food. Lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin E are all fat-soluble, so a meal with some fat in it measurably improves how much you absorb, and an eye formula taken on an empty stomach is partly wasted. Consistency matters more than timing: the trials ran for five years, and the benefit came from taking it daily over years rather than from any single dose.
What Is in the Capsule
The pack states antioxidant vitamins, minerals and lutein. The individual amounts belong on this listing and are being added — ask us and we will read them to you from the box before you order, and compare them with the studied formulation while we are at it.
Is Vivis Right for You?
- If your sight has changed recently, see an eye doctor first rather than buying this. Some causes of a change in central vision are treated with injections and treated urgently, and sight lost while waiting is generally not recoverable. This is the one caution here that cannot wait.
- If nobody has examined your eyes, this is the wrong starting point. The evidence applies to specific stages of macular change, and only an examination tells you which stage you are at. Our doctor can arrange that.
- If you smoke or used to smoke, check with our pharmacist which formulation this is. High-dose beta-carotene increased lung cancer risk in smokers and former smokers, which is why the current studied formula leaves it out in favour of lutein.
- If you already take a multivitamin or a separate zinc, bring both in. A studied eye formula carries 80 mg of zinc, and doubling that is how people quietly go past a sensible intake.
- If you take a blood thinner, mention it. The vitamin E in an eye formulation is high, and high-dose vitamin E is worth raising alongside warfarin or any anticoagulant.
Storing It
Keep the pack closed in a cool dry place, away from sunlight, and out of reach of children.
Where to Buy Vivis Capsules in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. At the dose on the pack a pack runs for a known length of time, so tell us the pack size you want and we will work out how many months that covers before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Tell us the destination and we will confirm any import paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. An eye formula taken steadily month after month does far more than a single pack, so tell us who it is for and how many months you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your Vivis Capsules from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will read you the actual amounts from the box and tell you honestly whether they match the formulation the trials used, explain which stages of macular change the evidence applies to and which it does not, check the zinc and the vitamin C against anything else you take, and say plainly that a recent change in your vision needs an eye examination rather than a capsule. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Vivis capsules for?
They supply the antioxidant vitamins, minerals and lutein that the macula at the back of the eye draws on. In practice this class of product is for somebody who already has a diagnosis of macular change and is under the care of an eye doctor. It is not a general eye vitamin, and which stage of change you have is what decides whether it is worth taking.
Will it treat my eye disease?
No, and we are correcting our own earlier wording on that. The evidence for this class of formula is about slowing a change that is already underway in a specific group of people, not about treating a condition. It does not prevent macular degeneration in somebody who has none, and it does not restore sight that has already gone. Those are the findings of the trials themselves rather than our caution.
My vision has changed. Should I buy this?
No. Please see an eye doctor first, and soon. Some causes of a change in central vision are treated with injections into the eye and treated urgently, and sight lost while somebody waits to see whether a supplement helps is generally not recoverable. Our doctor can look at it and arrange the referral. If an eye doctor then recommends an antioxidant formula, come back and we will supply it gladly.
Who does the evidence actually apply to?
People with intermediate changes in the macula, in one or both eyes, where the formula may stop progression to the late stage. And people with late changes in one eye, where it may slow the other. It has not been shown to help people with early changes, and it is unlikely to help somebody who already has late changes in both eyes. Only an eye examination tells you which of those describes you.
What should an eye formula contain?
The studied formulation is public: per daily dose, vitamin C 500 mg, vitamin E 400 IU, zinc 80 mg, copper 2 mg, lutein 10 mg and zeaxanthin 2 mg. That gives you a yardstick for any eye supplement, including this one and any competitor. Bring the box to our counter and our pharmacist will compare the amounts with you in a minute.
Why does the formula contain copper?
Because the zinc is high. At 80 mg a day, zinc depletes copper over time, so copper is included to offset it. A high-zinc eye formula with no copper in it is a poorly designed one, and that is a useful thing to know when comparing products.
I smoke. Does that change anything?
It changes which formulation you should use. The earlier version of the studied formula contained beta-carotene, which was removed because high-dose beta-carotene increased lung cancer risk in people who smoke or used to smoke. Current formulations use lutein and zeaxanthin instead. Ask our pharmacist to check which this is before you start.
Can I take it with my multivitamin?
Bring both to the counter first. An eye formula carries 80 mg of zinc, which is far above what a general supplement contains, and our own Centrum Advance 50+ contains lutein, zinc, copper, vitamin C and vitamin E, so taking both doubles up on five ingredients at once. It is not dangerous for most people and it is worth adding up rather than guessing at.
Should I take it with food?
Yes, and with some fat in the meal. Lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin E are all fat-soluble, so a meal measurably improves how much you absorb. An eye formula taken on an empty stomach is partly wasted.
How long before it does anything?
The trials ran for five years, and the benefit came from taking it daily over years rather than from any single period. There is nothing to notice week by week, because slowing a change is not something you can feel. Anybody offering you a timeline for an eye supplement is guessing.
Will it help my cataracts, dry eyes or glaucoma?
No. The trials looked at macular degeneration and at cataract, and found no benefit for cataract. Glaucoma and dry eye are different conditions with their own treatments. If one of those is your diagnosis, this is not the product and our doctor can tell you what is.
How many capsules are in a pack and what does it cost a day?
Thirty capsules, which is a month at one a day or a fortnight at two. The studied formulation is usually split across two capsules because the amounts are too large for one, so tell us what the dose on your pack says and we will give you the cost per day. At one a day it is around 53 shillings; at two it is over 100.
Where can I buy Vivis capsules in Kenya?
From HealthAlone. Order online for delivery anywhere in Kenya, including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Thika, Kiambu, Meru, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Kakamega, Kisii, Kitale, Nanyuki, Embu, Garissa, Malindi and Diani, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We also ship across East Africa and further afield. If you have not yet had your eyes examined, say so when you order and our doctor will speak to you first.
