June 26, 2019 - Blue Light
Hey folks, it’s Dr. Sam. I’m on a morning hike in the National Forest just outside of Santa Fe, and I received the question about blue light and does it have an effect on our eye health?
Well, there was a recent report that came out. This was through the French government. It’s a watchdog group that oversees health, wellness, and safety. They actually explored how blue light impacts our eyes. And they concluded that the damaging blue light actually can accelerate the aging process in our retinal tissues and it can lower our visual acuity.
They’re also very concerned in terms of children using digital devices because their lens of the eye is not completely developed until about age 11. Also, in the report, they said that the LED lights can have a negative effect on our biological rhythms and our sleep.
A Holistic Approach to Blue light
So my takeaway is that if you’re on electronic devices a lot you want to make sure you’re getting foods that contain:
- Carotenoids
- Lutein
- Zeaxanthin
- Astaxanthin
- Also, the antioxidants that really help protect your eyes, and you can do that through your foods.
- I would also consider getting some blue blocking glasses. I think that they can be very beneficial in protecting your eyes against the short wavelength of the blue light.
So that’s my message for today. Thank you so much for tuning in. Take good care.