The Science of Vision, Eye Health & Seeing Better | Huberman Lab Podcast #24

Summary

• The Huberman Lab Podcast is about bringing zero cost scientific information to the general public
• Sponsors of the podcast include Roka eyeglasses and sunglasses, Inside Tracker, and Helix Sleep
• The podcast discusses the science of vision and eye health, and how to see better
• The visual system is complex, with many different parts working together to allow us to see
• The eye is a camera, with the cornea and lens focusing light onto the retina at the back of the eye
• The retina is made up of cells called rods and cones, which detect light and color, respectively
• The optic nerve carries information from the retina to the brain, which processes and interprets the information
• The visual system can be affected by various factors, such as genetics, environmental factors, and disease
• There are many ways to maintain eye health and improve vision, including wearing protective eyewear, getting regular eye exams, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep
• Vision can also be improved through vision therapy, glasses or contact lenses, and surgery
• In conclusion, it is important to understand and take care of our visual system in order to maintain good eye health and seeing ability.
• Week off can be detrimental to physical performance
• Physical performance can be improved by incrementally increasing volume of workouts and cycling through different exercises
• Next several episodes will cover the senses, including sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, and interoception
• Understanding the senses can help with understanding mental health
• Practical tools for maintaining the health of the visual system and eyesight will be discussed
• Training and supporting eyesight is important for young people to maintain vision as they age
• Severe eye problems should be treated by a good ophthalmologist or optometrist
• Vision involves eyesight and the ability to perceive shapes, objects, faces, and colors
• The eye is made up of the sclera, cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, and optic nerve
• The retina contains photoreceptor cells called rods and cones that convert light into electrical signals
• Rods are responsible for black and white vision and detecting movement, while cones are responsible for color vision and fine detail
• The optic nerve sends the electrical signals from the retina to the brain to be processed into the images we see
• The eye receives light, which is converted into electrical information by photoreceptors (rods and cones) in the retina
• Retinal ganglion cells send the processed information to the brain
• What we see is based on a comparison of reflected light, not direct perception of objects
• The brain compares electrical signals to perceive colors and shapes
• The brain can fill in missing information based on past experiences and expectations
• Melanopsin ganglion cells in the eye regulate sleep patterns, mood, hormone levels, metabolism, pain threshold, and ability to learn and remember information
• Exposure to blue and yellow light, particularly sunlight, is important for activating these cells and setting the body's circadian clock
• Protocol 1 for better biology and psychology: get 2-10 minutes of sunlight in the eyes early in the day and in the evening
• Artificial blue light can be beneficial if natural sunlight is not available
• Protocol 2 for better biology and psychology: use blue-blocking glasses in the evening to reduce the suppression of melatonin
• Protocol 3 for better biology and psychology: optimize the timing, intensity, and duration of light exposure throughout the day
• Nearsightedness (myopia) can be offset by getting enough exposure to sunlight
• The eyes have a dynamic lens that adjusts to focus on objects at different distances through a process called accommodation
• Staying indoors and not getting enough sunlight can lead to unhealthy visual habits and defects
• The iris and ciliary body are involved in adjusting the shape of the lens and focusing on objects
• The pupils dilate and constrict to control the amount of light that enters the eye
• The brain is also involved in adjusting focus, and mental focus and relaxation can affect visual focus
• The cause of myopia is not fully understood, but it may be influenced by genetics and environmental factors such as time spent indoors and close-up work
• The iris, musculature, and ciliary body move the lens in the eye
• When looking at something far away, the lens relaxes and flattens out
• Looking at things up close requires effort from the eye muscles to move and contract the lens to bring light to the retina
• Pupils dilate when looking at something far away and shrink when looking at something close
• Spending a lot of time looking at things up close can lead to headaches and reshape the neural circuitry in the brain
• To maintain the health of the visual system, it is important to allow the lens to relax by looking at things far away and to get outside to look at the horizon
• It is recommended to take breaks from close viewing and do distance viewing for 20 minutes for every 90 minutes of close viewing
• Light exposure is important for regulating the body's internal clock and for maintaining healthy sleep patterns
• Blue light is important for daytime, but at night it can suppress the production of melatonin and disrupt sleep
• It is recommended to avoid screens 2-3 hours before bedtime and to use blue light filters at night
• The 20-20-20 rule suggests taking a 20 second break to look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes of close viewing
• Blue light exposure and bright light exposure, especially at night, can distort the lens accommodation mechanism in the eye and lead to myopia
• Viewing bright light between 10 PM and 4 AM consistently can suppress dopamine production
• Try to get at least 2 hours of bright light exposure per day and avoid wearing sunglasses unless necessary
• Use magenta instead of red to help red-green colorblind individuals see better
• Spend at least 10 minutes per day viewing things far in the distance to improve vision
• Blink frequently and do eye exercises to improve eye health
• Protect eyes from UV radiation by wearing sunglasses and a hat
• Get enough sleep and maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle to support eye health
• Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
• Get regular eye exams to detect and treat vision problems early on
• Improving vision can be done through training the extraocular eye muscles
• One method is smooth pursuit training, which can be done with a pen, wand, or YouTube video
• Accommodation training involves focusing on objects at different distances and moving them closer or farther away
• Vergence eye movement training involves focusing on objects that are moved closer or farther away until they become blurry and cross-eyed
• It is important to give the eyes rest and to look at objects at different distances to give the eyes a break from near work
• Other methods for improving vision include the 20-20-20 rule (looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes), eye massage, and the palming method (covering the eyes with the palms of the hands in a dark room to relax them)
• Red light may help maintain vision and improve smooth pursuit and accommodation near-far exercises
• Dry eye can be improved through blinking exercises
• Lazy eye (amblyopia) is caused by a lack of use of one eye, leading to reduced visual acuity in that eye
• Rapid brain plasticity can be triggered through the use of sensory deprivation and other methods
• Nutrition and supplements can support vision and potentially reverse some visual loss
• Vision therapy can improve vision by retraining the brain to process visual information correctly
• It is important to have good binocular vision and to correct imbalances in vision early in life.
• Covering one eye can lead to poor vision in that eye, but covering both eyes can extend the period of critical plasticity.
• It is normal for young children to have an eye that deviates outward or inward (strabismus), and it is important to correct this to have balanced vision and high quality vision.
• It is possible to regain vision in a weak eye through exercises and patching the stronger eye.
• Most people have a dominant eye, but this may not necessarily be related to their dominant hand. It is possible to balance out a dominant eye by covering it up each day, but this should be avoided in young children unless there is a clinical need.
• It is important to see a good ophthalmologist and neuro-ophthalmologist for any vision issues.
• Snellen charts can be used to test vision at home, but results may vary depending on time of day and level of fatigue
• It is important to get vision tested by a professional, such as an ophthalmologist or optometrist, as self-test kits and those found in eyeglass stores may not be accurate
• Eyesight and movement are important for taking care of oneself and others
• Genetics and injuries can affect eyesight
• Vitamin A, lutein, idebenone, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin can improve vision
• Blood flow and eye strain can impact vision
• Perceiving time using vision can be influenced by context and attention.
• Lutein may be beneficial for severe or moderate macular degeneration
• Leucine can be found in non-animal sources and may be beneficial for vision
• Idebenone may be beneficial for Leber's congenital eye disease, but more research is needed
• Zeaxanthin and astaxanthin may offset disruption in vision caused by aging
• Astaxanthin increases antioxidant enzyme profile and ocular blood flow, and may increase fertility in males and improve skin elasticity and moisture
• More research is needed on the long-term effects and optimal dosages of these compounds
• The optimal learning window is 90 minutes, reflected in the length of the podcast episodes
• Episodes are released on Mondays and indexed and searchable on the website
• Captions are available in English and Spanish on YouTube, with a delay of a few days
• Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify to stay updated on new episodes
• Leave feedback and suggestions on YouTube and search for specific topics on the website
• Support the podcast through Patreon or by checking out sponsors
• Thorne is a reliable source for supplements that are accurately labeled and independently tested
• Use the code "huberman" at Thorne to receive a 20% discount on supplements