These days, we seem to spend so much time on screens. From working on a computer all day to scrolling through social media and watching our favorite Netflix show, it's hard to get away from spending much of our day on screens! In fact, the average american spends 7 hours and 4 minutes on screens!
This much time on screens is bound to impact our eyesight. Blue light from digital screens can reduce contrast, which leads to symptoms of eye fatigue, or dry eyes for many people. But why exactly does this happen? Well, to learn why we need to learn a little bit more about how our eyes work!
How do our eyes work?
When light goes through our eyes, it passes through the cornea, pupil, and the lens before it reaches the retina at the back of the eye. The retina is made up of special cells called photoreceptors, which then get turned into electrical signals which get sent to the brain through the optic nerve.
So how can we help our eyes work better?
You may have heard that carrots help you get 20/20 vision, and there is actually some truth to that! Carrots contain carotene, and studies have shown that eating a carotenoid-rich diet can support eye health and prevent eye diseases. Since we have to get carotenoids from our food, it is important to make sure we take eye care supplements if we do not already get it from our diet.
Herbaland’s Eye Care gummies contain Lutein and Zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that support overall eye health. Lutein is a powerful antioxidant that functions as a carotenoid that is found in the eye’s retina, which is the part of the eye that receives images and sends them to the brain. Lutein helps maintain the blue light filters that protect photoreceptor cells in the back of the eye. Lutein is known to help maintain eyesight in conditions such as eye fatigue, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration. It is also the main carotenoid found in our eyes!
Zeaxanthin is another powerful antioxidant that also functions as a cartenoid, but is mostly found in the eye’s macula. The macula is the part of the eye that is responsible for providing clarity in our vision, and processes what you see directly in front of you. It is the pigmented area at the center of the retina at the back of the eyeball. Zeaxanthin is known to help maintain eyesight in conditions such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration along with improving macular pigment optical density.
How can carotenoids help prevent eye fatigue from blue light from screens?
Lutein and Zeaxanthin act as blue light filters to protect the photoreceptor cells in the back of the eye. On average they create a 40% reduction in blue light intensity (and can go as high as 90%). They also significantly reduce the oxidative stress on the retina and may account for the reduction in risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. In addition, these two powerful antioxidants can prevent blue light from creating reactive oxygen species that could damage photoreceptor cells.
In a delicious orange blossom flavor, Herbaland's Eye Care gummies are a great daily supplement to add to your routine!