Blue Light Protection + How to Save & Boost Your Eye Health Naturally

8 minute read

You are likely one of millions that sits in front of a computer screen at work all day, and you’re almost certainly reading this article on a high-definition screen (smartphone, tablet, etc.) right now. All this screen exposure may be entertaining and important for work, but it is not so good for your eye health.

Limiting screen time is one way to go, but natural supplements offer advanced protection, from the inside out. We can’t always tear ourselves away from the monitors, so it’s important that you do your part to prevent any lasting damage.

The Bad Side of Blue

Specifically it is the blue light from electronic devices that seriously damages your eyes. Understanding the dangers and what you can do to protect your eyes is important in keeping your vision optimal for as long as possible.

Blue light not only causes eye strain but it disrupts your natural sleep rhythms causing insomnia and a host of other health problems.

Blue light has the shortest wavelength of the colors but also has the most energy which makes it more harmful. Because this color is closer to the nonvisible spectrum (UV rays), your natural eye filters are unable to protect against it.

All visible blue light passes through your cornea and goes straight to the retina at the back of your eye.

The direct exposure can affect your vision and cause your eyes to prematurely age. Not only can your vision become strained, but you can also develop fatigue, dry eyes, and have difficulty focusing.

Protecting Your Eyes

Outside of reducing screen time, particularly in the hours before going to sleep, there are natural ways that you can protect your eyes from blue light.

Lutein is largely concentrated around your retina, and is used to protect eye health. Lutein is specifically known as a macular carotenoid because of the support it provides to eye health.

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This is a compound your body cannot make on its own, though, so it needs to be consumed through diet.

Adding lutein to your diet is luckily not very difficult, as there are a number of foods that are rich in this potent carotenoid, like:

♦ Spinach

♦ Collard greens

♦ Squash

♦ Sweet corn

♦ Arugula

♦ Peas

♦ Kale

♦ Pumpkin

♦ Sweet potatoes

No need to worry if these foods are not your favorites. A powerful antioxidant, known as astaxanthin, can be found in krill oils supplements and works in the same way as lutein.

A daily supplement will give you all the eye support you need and protection from blue light rays.

The Connection Between Krill Oil and Your Eyes

Getting older will naturally have an impact on your eyes and vision, so the additional exposure to blue light will not help. The DHA omega-3 fatty acid in particular, is beneficial for eye health and can protect your eyes both from age-related degeneration and the effects of blue light.

In addition to the omega-3s, the high levels of astaxanthin in krill oil, provides the same benefits as lutein.

As a powerful antioxidant, krill oil (specifically astaxanthin) has the ability to successfully scavenge free radicals from your system. Free radicals cause oxidative damage and this can increase as you age and with exposure to blue light.

Removing free radicals keeps the delicate cells around your retina protected from damage.

Typically beta-carotene and lutein are the go-to resources for improving eye health, but studies have shown that astaxanthin is a more potent and powerful antioxidant than the other compounds in the same chemical family. The reason is that it has the ability to protect a very specific type of oxidative damage.

Singlet oxygen quenching occurs as a result of extreme UV exposure or blue light exposure, and krill oil has the antioxidant agent to beat this. Proven to be more successful at stopping this type of oxidative damage over vitamin E and beta-carotene, krill oil is a better option for those at risk of blue light damage.

If you sit at a computer all day, you need to have a bottle of krill oil nearby.

Astaxanthin also has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier easier than the other eye-protective antioxidants. This allows it to easily reach the retina and provide closer protection.

It is also lipid soluble, which means it can be easily incorporated into the cell membranes within your retina cells, acting as an on-site bodyguard to keep blue light out.

All About Sunglasses and Krill Oil

Macular degeneration is one of the leading causes for blindness, and blue light exposure significantly increases your risk. While you may not be able to get away from the computer and other electronics, you can make sure you provide your eyes with protection.

You wear sunblock when you go outside and a coat when it is raining, so your eyes should be armed with astaxanthin for everyday electronics use.

Vitamin C is a wonderful vitamin to take if your eyes have already been damaged by blue light. However, it cannot take care of your eyes by itself.

A diet high in lutein will certainly help, but studies have found that astaxanthin is much more potent and a better protector for eye health.

The Bottom Line

Krill oil provides a number of benefits to your health. When it comes to eye health, protection from blue light damage, and the prevention of macular degeneration, krill oil should be purchased alongside sunglasses.

Your vision is essential, and when circumstances and environmental factors cannot be avoided, you need to protect from within. You can wear sunglasses at night and at work if you want, but krill oil supplements will do a better job. They can help ensure your vision stays crisp enough to read all the emails, posts, and blogs you like.