Eye Health
Support ocular comfort during prolonged exposure to digital devices.
Eye Health Benefits of Astaxanthin
- Helps to support eye health.
- Promotes resilience to digital eye strain.
- Supports accommodative function/dynamic focus.
- Provides antioxidant support for the eye.
- Promotes healthy blood flow to nourish eyes.
Understanding Eye Health
The front of the eye contains all our focusing power in the cornea and the lens. While the cornea’s focus is fixed, the lens is flexible and allows for dynamic focus. Dynamic focus occurs by changing the shape of the lens, in a process called “accommodation.” Ciliary muscles and ligaments framing the lens at the front of the eye help to change the shape of the lens. Muscles contract to allow focus on near objects and relax to allow focus afar.
Accommodation ability is affected by both age and lifestyle. We tend to lose near vision as we age, and our digital lifestyles means people are overworking their ciliary muscles, which can cause eye strain and temporarily blurred vision. The average American spends 7 hours looking at digital devices every day, which corresponds to about 40% of waking hours.1 In a 2022 survey conducted by the Vision Council, 80% of American respondents said that they have experienced eyestrain in the last month. Eyestrain was also the number one complaint of e-sport athletes surveyed across 9 difference universities in the USA and Canada.2
Astaxanthin to the Rescue
Natural astaxanthin crosses the blood retinal barrier and has been found in ciliary muscles at the front of the eye. Astaxanthin promotes muscle function, quenching free radicals, and supporting the eye during prolonged digital screen use associated with eye strain. AstaReal® Astaxanthin has also been shown to promote capillary blood flow to the back of the eye, which is important for carrying nutrients and oxygen needed to support healthy vision.
Study Highlight
When 48 computer workers experiencing eye strain (ages 30-45) supplemented with 6 mg/day AstaReal® or placebo softgels for 4 weeks, the AstaReal® group showed a significant increase in dynamic focus range after 4 weeks compared to the placebo.3
In a survey of 82 computer workers (ages 30-45) who reported feeling moderate to severe eye strain at the beginning of the study, 62% of those from the AstaReal® Astaxanthin group reported improvement after 4 weeks of supplementation. This was significantly greater than the 15% of participants from the placebo group who reported improvement after 4 weeks.4
Products
What’s Next
Some studies and formulations have combined lutein and zeaxanthin, supporting the back of the eye, together with astaxanthin for front-of-the-eye support. Together, these carotenoids provide front to back support for vision and digital device use.
References
- We Are Social & Meltwater (2023), “Digital 2022: Time spent Using Connected Tech Continues to Rise,” retrieved from Digital 2022: Time Spent Using Connected Tech Continues to Rise — DataReportal – Global Digital Insights on 16 August, 2023.
- The Vision Counsil inSights (2022), “The Vision Council Releases Focused inSights 2022: Digital Habits,” retrieved from visionmonday.com/business/article/the-vision-council-releases-focused-insights-2022-digital-habits/ on 16 August, 2023.
- Nagaki Y. et al. 2005. Journal of Clinical Therapeutics and Medicines, 21(5): 73-78.
- Nagaki N. et al. 2010. Japanese Review of Clinical Ophthalmology, Folia Ophthalmologica Japonica, 3(5):461-468.