The 5 Real dangers and effects of blue light from cell phones, computers and led bulbs.
Nowadays, blue light is becoming more of a health
concern because of the chronic use of screens and led bulbs.
Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum,
which usually comes from the sun along with all of the other colours which you can see.
But blue light is also emitted from mobile devices, computers, tv's,
fluorescent and LED bulbs which we're now using all of the time around the home and office.
Here you can see an image of your eye. Light travels through the front part
of the eye called the cornea, through the lens and travels to back which is retina.
This is where different cells called called rods
and cones pick up light so that you can see different colours.
Unfortunately studies are now showing us that being exposed to too much blue-violet
light in the spectrum between 415-455nm can be
incredibly damaging to your eyes and also to different parts of your brain.
In this video we are going to explore the dangers of blue-violet light and
how it affects your hormones, your eyesight and your overall health.
Afterwards we will also take a look at some simple
ways to protect yourself against these harmful light rays in the modern world.
Just a quick reminder this video is for educational purposes only,
so do speak to your doctor if you have any medical concerns.
1. Dry Eyes One of the main
concerns with blue-violet light, is how it can damage your eyes in various ways.
Studies show us that too much blue-violet light
causes inflammation and oxidative damage to the front part of your eye (cornea),
Causing the eye to produce less tears. This leaves them unlubricated,
feeling dry, irritated with a gritty sensation.
And the lack of tears also makes your eyes more
vulnerable to infections from viruses and bacteria.
Which is something I have personally suffered with
after working in an office for 8 hours a day (conjunctivitis).
2. Cataracts Another problem
with staring at screens and phones all of the time, is that it can also lead to the
formation of cataracts, which appear as a white film across the lens of the eye.
This also happens to people who are exposed too much sunlight,
because the lens of the eye changes colour to help protect the retina.
Fortunately there are nutrients called lutein and zeaxanthin which can help to
protect and reverse this type of damage, which we will talk more about later in the video.
3. Ruins Eyesight
One of the most important parts of your eye is the retina at the back of the eye.
This is where light is converted into electrical
signals that are sent to your brain, so that you see images and colour.
The problem with artificial blue-violet light (415-455nm) is that is has been
shown to penetrate the retina and cause photochemical damage.
It also leads to swelling, fluid retention and calcification of
the eye that can cause blurred vison and difficulty focusing on objects.
Over time, the blue light and also the eyestrain from staring
at flickering screens causes the ciliary muscles in the eyes to become tense,
Causing poor eyesight, and the need for prescription glasses,
And also a higher risk of macular degeneration with age.
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4. Ruins Sleep (Melatonin)
Our bodies have a hormonal wave like pattern called the circadian rhythm (body
clock) which causes us to sleep at night and wake up in the morning in a regular pattern.
Natural blue light from the sun helps to turn off the sleep hormone (melatonin) in
the morning so that you wake up feeling refreshed.
As the sun goes down, naturally melatonin levels in the brain
start to go up to make you feel sleepy and fall asleep at night.
Artificial blue light from devices interrupts this natural pattern. In
fact studies show that blue light can supress melatonin by up to 5x.
So if you are looking at your phone, tv or devices at night time,
you are far less likely to get a deep restorative night's sleep,
And will be more likely to wake up at irregular times,
which over time can cause some severe damage to your overall health.
If you suffer from sleeping difficulties, you may want to switch off all of your
devices 1-2 hours before bed to support your pineal gland in releasing melatonin.
5. Raises Cortisol Excessive blue light exposure
has also been shown to raise cortisol and adrenaline, the stress hormones.
Emotional stress can also raises cortisol,
so if you combine the anxieties of life with the use of screens every single night,
the lack of sleep and the eyestrain,
You get a cocktail of cortisol boosting effects
which can have a devastating effect on your overall health.
High levels of cortisol over a prolonged period of time keeps your body in a state
called "fight/flight", where your nervous system becomes overactive.
This can cause muscle loss, especially in the lower legs,
It causes higher blood sugars which are converted into body fat,
especially in the liver and around the belly area.
This can raise your blood pressure, increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, anxiety,
depression and a range of other problems.
If you'd like to find out yourself if you have high cortisol,
check out my video entitled "8 signs you have high cortisol".
How To Protect Against Blue Light
Now that we have explored some of the potential dangers of blue-violet light exposure, let's take
a look at 5 practical things you can do to protect and restore your eyes against blue light damage.
1. 1-2 hours before you plan on going to sleep, dim the lights in your home and
put away the devices to give your pineal gland the signal that it's time to release melatonin.
This will help to balance out your circadian rhythm to help you sleep deeply at night,
refreshing your eyes and normalising cortisol.
If you like to take it to the next level, you can purchase "sleep lights" which emit a red
light that actually stimulates the release of melatonin for better sleep (red light therapy).
2. Use non-prescription blue-light blocking glasses to help filter
some parts of the spectrum when you are working indoors or at home using screens.
You can also purchase blue light filter covers for your phone,
tv and pc monitors to help protect your cornea, lenses and retinas.
3. Use a blue-light blocking app in your phone or software on your pc,
so that LED bulbs in your screens emit less light in the blue-violet spectrum.
4. Consume foods rich in carotenoids regularly to support the rod and cone cells in your retina,
by lowering inflammation caused by harmful blue-violet light.
Carrots, Swiss chard, collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce,
peppers and shrimp are all excellent choices.
Eating these regularly supplies lutein, zeaxanthin and beta carotene, all of which
help you to see better in the dark, and reduce photochemical damage from all types of light.
5. Avoid low fat diets and eat foods that are rich in retinol (active Vitamin A) to
protect the 1.7 million nerve fibres of the eye, and keep them lubricated.
The best sources of retinol are beef liver (grass fed), virgin cod liver oil, pasture raised egg
yolks, real butter (not margarine/shortening), European cheeses and mackerel.
6. To reset your circadian rhythm, melatonin and cortisol cycles, try to wake up early when the sun
is rising, go outside and exposure yourself to full spectrum light for 20-30 minutes.
Take a walk, stare at distant objects to relax the
muscles of the eye and breathe in lots of fresh air as this reduces cortisol.
Nutritional Supplements
Finally, I'd like to share with you some of best nutritional supplements that you
can take to support healthy eyes and protect against blue light damage.
Lutein & Zeaxanthin Take a supplement which contains 25mg of lutein
and 5mg of zeaxanthin on a daily basis. These are directly absorbed into the lenses of your eyes,
helping to absorb and filter out blue light, whilst also protecting against oxidative damage.
Cod Liver Oil You may consider taking 1-2 teaspoons
of virgin cod liver oil on a daily basis to supply your eyes with lots of retinol, (active Vitamin
A) along with essential omega 3 fats. These support the structure and function of the eye,
especially the nerve tissue helping you to see better in low light, and have less eyestrain.
Antarctic Krill Oil Another powerful fish oil
supplement is called arctic krill oil, which contains an extremely powerful
carotenoid called astaxanthin. This helps to prevent cell death in the eyes caused by
blue light and led light exposure. You can take 1000-2000mg of this per day in a gel capsule.
Digestive Enzymes (with Bile) If you have any type of digestive damage such as
bloating, gas, acid reflux, indigestion or inflammation in your colon you may struggle
to absorb the nutrients that I just shared with you such as Vitamin A, Omega 3-s and Carotenoids.
To boost your absorption, take 1-2 capsules of digestive enzymes which also contain
ox bile before each meal of the day. This directly supports your gut-brain connection,
to deliver nutrients to your brain and your eyes for better overall health.
Following a healthy diet and eating the right foods
can make a massive impact on brain and eye health.
So if you'd like to go deeper and learn more about healthy foods for your eyes,
go ahead and tap on this video on the screen now.
The Top 10 FOODS For HEALTHY EYES
Thank you so much for watching my video today,
and as always I wish you great health, wealth and happiness.