What is blue light?

Blue light isn’t some special form of light that only comes from computers and LED lights – it’s actually all around us. In fact, sunlight is the main source of blue light. When you walk outside during the day, you’re exposed to blue light.

It is part of the visible light spectrum – what the human eye can see (UV and Infrared Light are both invisible). It has the shortest wavelength but the highest energy. About one-third of all visible light is considered high-energy visible or blue light. Artificial sources of blue light include fluorescent light, LEDs, flat screen LED televisions, computer monitors, smart phones and tablet screens. Our exposure to artificial blue light has significantly increased over the last year having to work from home and rely on video-calls to stay in touch with friends and family.

What does blue light do to our eyes?

Your cornea and lens protect the light-sensitive retina at the back of your eye from invisible yet damaging UV rays. However, those structures don’t keep out blue light. Nearly all visible blue light passes through the cornea and lens and reaches the retina. Overexposure to blue light has the potential to harm the retina’s light-sensitive cells in the macula. Damage of the macula can affect our central vision, which we rely on for driving, reading  and seeing people’s faces. This could prematurely age the eyes and result in a condition known as Age-related Macular Degeneration.

What are blue light glasses?

Blue light glasses are eyeglasses with lenses that have been engineered to limit the quantity of blue light that enters the eye. Blue light rays are filtered by these glasses to help prevent them from entering our eyes and causing harm. Blue light lenses usually have a faint yellow tint.

Do Blue Light glasses  work?

While blue light blocking glasses are excellent at limiting the amount of blue light that enters the eyes, there is no published research that proves they can improve or safeguard our eyes’ health. Simply put, there is no scientific evidence that wearing blue light filtering glasses is beneficial to our eye health.

What else can help protect our eyes?

Did you know we are actually born with a natural blue light filter at the back of our eye called the macular pigment? Plant nutrients called carotenoids naturally accumulate and concentrate in the back of our eyes, generating the macular pigment. This protective yellow layer sits in front of our macula and essentially works as a natural sunblock to protect our eyes by filtering blue light and protecting the retina from damage. Unfortunately, over time this protective layer is broken down by oxidative stress and ageing.

Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and most importantly Meso-Zeaxanthin are the three essential carotenoids that make up the macular pigment.

Scientists at Waterford Institute of Technology’s Nutrition Research Centre Ireland (NRCI) have proven in many clinical trials that human eyes need 10mg Lutein, 10mg Meso-Zeaxanthin, and 2mg Zeaxanthin every day, to successfully rebuild and maintain the macular pigment.

So where can we find these carotenoids?

While carotenoids are available through our diet in green leafy veg, fruit and fish, it is nearly impossible to get the daily 22mg allowance our eyes need through diet alone. And that’s where MacuPrime food supplements can help. When taken every day, MacuPrime has been shown in Irish clinical studies to give the precise amount of the three critical carotenoids needed to repair the protective macular pigment. Once restored, the macular pigment will filter blue light and protect the eye from oxidative stress and ageing. To consume the quantity of carotenoids found in MacuPrime that have been proven to be efficient by Waterford Institute of Technology research, you’d have to eat 1.7 cups of kale, 11,904 trout fish, and 1.8 cups of orange pepper per day.

Wouldn’t one small MacuPrime capsule a day be easier?