Dodge Eye Damaging Blue Light with THIS Duo
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted June 26, 2024
Don’t look now, but your eyes are under attack from blue light.
From cellphones, tablets, computers, TVs, and LED lights—your peepers are constantly bombard with damaging blue light.
See, blue light is shorter in length and higher in energy than other colors, so it deeply penetrates the retina and macula.
And prolonged and concentrated exposure to it from digital devices can contribute to age-related eye diseases, including macular degeneration and cataracts.
However, scientists say a simple dietary change could enhance your vision and help safeguard your eyes from devastating eye diseases like these.
The buzz about lutein and zeaxanthin is steadily growing.
The natural duo has already gained a reputation for boosting eye health and reducing the risk of chronic eye diseases—and the evidence continues to roll in.
Together, the pair accumulates in the retina, where they essentially act as a blue-light shield. Now, new research reveals that one-half of this winning team, lutein, could significantly improve eye health in as little as two weeks.
The recent study investigated the bioavailability of lutein in its free and ester forms, and its impact on visual contrast threshold (the smallest amount of contrast needed for someone to distinguish an object from its surroundings).
The small but impactful study involved 24 healthy volunteers, equally divided between men and women, and from two age groups: 20-35 and 50-65.
Participants were given a daily six mg dose of lutein from marigold extract, either in free or ester form, for two months.
Blood samples were collected at the beginning of the study and after 15, 40, and 60 days.
The results showed that lutein levels increased by 2.4 times and were maintained until the end of the study. Serum zeaxanthin also increased by 1.7 times.
The findings suggest that daily supplementation with lutein, regardless of its chemical form, significantly increases serum lutein levels within 15 days in adults with normal lipid levels.
This is a big deal because increased lutein levels are linked to a significantly reduced risk of all those vision-robbing age-related eye diseases we’re trying to avoid—including the ones partially driven by our overexposure to blue light.
The study also showed that supplementing with zeaxanthin substantially increased serum levels of the eye-supporting nutrient over time (plateauing at 40 days).
Increasing your lutein and zeaxanthin levels through food or supplements could offer a simple, effective way to improve eye health and reduce the risk of chronic eye diseases… particularly those related to aging.
Both nutrients are found in their free forms in dark leafy greens (such as spinach and kale) and brightly colored vegetables (including peppers, broccoli, peas, and yellow corn).
And they’re esterified with fatty acids in tubers (such as potatoes, yams, and carrots) and ripe fruits (including tangerines, oranges, goji berries, and persimmons).
P.S. Natural “vision cocktail” saves eyesight!
Source:
Olmedilla-Alonso, B.; Granado-Lorencio, F.; Castro-Feito, J.; Herrero-Barbudo, C.; Blanco-Navarro, I.; Estévez-Santiago, R. Bioavailability of Lutein from Marigold Flowers (Free vs. Ester Forms): A Randomised Cross-Over Study to Assess Serum Response and Visual Contrast Threshold in Adults. Nutrients 2024, 16, 1415.
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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