Essentials: Protocols to Improve Vision & Eyesight
Andrew Huberman, a neurobiology and ophthalmology professor, discusses the science of vision and provides actionable tools to enhance eyesight and preserve eye health. He covers protocols for improving alertness, sleep, and overall visual health, including light exposure, eye exercises, and nutritional support.
Deep Dive Analysis
14 Topic Outline
Introduction to Vision and Eyesight's Broader Role
The Eye's Structure and How it Connects to the Brain
Brain's Interpretation of Light and Perception of Reality
Subconscious Visual Effects on Mood, Sleep, and Appetite
Ancient Purpose of Eyes: Communicating Time of Day
Accommodation: How the Eye Focuses at Different Distances
Tools for Enhancing Focus and Alertness Through Vision
Improving Vision Through Distant Viewing and Smooth Pursuit
Binocular Vision, Lazy Eye, and Critical Periods in Development
Understanding Visual Hallucinations and Brain Activity
Testing and Preserving Vision with a Snellen Chart
Nutritional Support for Vision: Vitamin A and Vegetables
Supplements for Eye Health: Lutein and Astaxanthin
The Indirect Role of Cardiovascular Health in Vision
7 Key Concepts
Neural Retinas
These are parts of your central nervous system, essentially pieces of your brain that sit outside the cranial vault. Their primary job is to collect light information and send it to the rest of the brain.
Photoreceptors (Rods & Cones)
Specialized cells within the retina that contain chemical reactions involving vitamin A. Rods are mainly for night/low light vision, while cones are primarily responsible for daytime and color vision, converting light into electrical signals.
Melanopsin Retinal Ganglion Cells
A specific type of neuron in the retina that contains its own photoreceptor and communicates information about the time of day to the brain. These cells regulate circadian rhythms, influencing sleep, wakefulness, metabolism, dopamine levels, and pain threshold, responding best to blue and yellow light contrast at low solar angles.
Accommodation
The dynamic process by which the eye's lens changes shape (thickens or flattens) through the action of the iris, musculature, and ciliary body. This allows the eye to precisely focus light onto the retina, enabling clear vision of objects at varying distances.
Smooth Pursuit
The visual system's ability to track individual objects moving smoothly through space. Training this ability can improve overall vision and the coordinated function of the brain's motion tracking systems, the eyes, and extraocular muscles.
Critical Periods
Specific developmental windows, primarily up to age seven (potentially extending to age twelve), during which the young brain is highly plastic and vulnerable. During these periods, imbalances in visual input between the two eyes can lead to permanent changes in how the brain processes visual information.
Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)
A condition resulting from imbalanced ocular input during critical periods, where one eye becomes weaker. The brain effectively 'shuts down' the visual pathway from the weaker eye if the imbalance is not corrected early in life.
7 Questions Answered
Vision extends beyond perceiving shapes, colors, and motion; it also subconsciously influences mood, alertness, sleep, and appetite by communicating information about light to the brain.
The brain does not directly see objects; instead, it receives patterns of electrical signals from the retina and makes a 'best guess' about the external world by comparing these signals, creating our perceptions of color, depth, and form.
The most ancient cells in our eyes are primarily designed to communicate information about the time of day to the brain and body, which is crucial for anchoring our biological rhythms.
Spending time outdoors, especially viewing distant objects, allows the eye's lens to relax and flatten, exercising the muscles involved in accommodation and preventing the eyes from becoming overly trained for close-up viewing, which is common with modern screen use.
Yes, hallucinations can occur when the visual system is under-stimulated, such as in prolonged darkness, causing the brain to compensate by generating its own activity and creating visual perceptions.
Lutein has shown evidence of improving vision only for individuals with moderate to severe age-related macular degeneration, not for those with normal vision or low-degree degeneration. Astaxanthin may increase ocular blood flow and improve skin quality.
A healthy cardiovascular system, supported by regular endurance and strength training, is essential for delivering adequate blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the metabolically active neurons of the eye, thereby indirectly supporting overall brain and vision health.
17 Actionable Insights
1. Get Morning Sunlight Exposure
Get 2 to 10 minutes of bright light in your eyes early in the day to trigger melanopsin cells, setting your circadian clock and enhancing alertness.
2. Spend Time Outdoors Daily
Spend at least two hours a day outdoors without sunglasses to significantly reduce the probability of developing myopia (nearsightedness).
3. Practice Panoramic Vision Breaks
Every 30 minutes of focused work, look up and relax your face and eye muscles, allowing your eyes to go into a panoramic vision state before refocusing, which helps exercise and relax the eye lens and its musculature.
4. View Distant Horizons Daily
Spend at least 10 minutes a day viewing things off in the distance (half a mile or more, like a horizon) to improve eyesight, keep the lens elastic, and strengthen eye muscles.
5. Exercise Eye Accommodation
Practice eye accommodation for a few minutes every other day by focusing on an object up close, then moving it far away and back, to keep the lens elastic and muscles strong.
6. Perform Smooth Pursuit Exercises
Spend 2 to 3 minutes regularly (every other day, every third day) performing smooth pursuit exercises, which involves tracking moving objects, to maintain the health of your visual and motion tracking systems.
7. Wear Red Lens Glasses Evening
Wear red lens glasses in the evening after sundown to filter out short wavelength light from screens and LEDs, which helps maintain high melatonin and low cortisol levels, promoting calm and improving sleep transition.
8. Maintain Cardiovascular Health
Engage in regular endurance and strength training to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, ensuring critical blood flow, oxygen, and nutrients to the retina, supporting overall eye and brain health.
9. Look Up to Increase Alertness
If feeling tired, look up towards the ceiling for 10 to 15 seconds to trigger brain areas involved in wakefulness, as an upward gaze tends to increase alertness.
10. Practice Soft Gaze
Give your eyes rest by going outside, looking at a horizon, or simply letting your eyes go soft (a “soft gaze”) to relax the visual system.
11. Correct Childhood Visual Imbalances
For young children, ensure balanced visual input and correct any imbalances like strabismus or amblyopia early with a professional to build strong binocular vision and high-fidelity eyesight.
12. Consult Ophthalmologist for Imbalances
If you have strong imbalances between your two eyes, consult a good ophthalmologist or neuro-ophthalmologist as early as possible to address issues like cataracts, lens problems, or neuromuscular conditions.
13. Eat Vitamin A-Rich Foods
Consume dark leafy vegetables and carrots, especially in their raw form, to provide sufficient vitamin A, which is essential for supporting vision.
14. Use Home Snellen Chart
Place a Snellen chart in your home and use it regularly as part of your visual training to potentially improve and monitor your vision.
15. Get Professional Vision Tests
If considering corrective lenses or laser surgery, get your vision professionally measured by an ophthalmologist or a good optometrist.
16. Lutein for Macular Degeneration
Consider supplementing with lutein if you have moderate to severe age-related macular degeneration, as studies show it can help offset detrimental effects in these specific cases.
17. Astaxanthin for Ocular Blood Flow
Consider astaxanthin supplementation, a red-pink pigment found in seafood, as it appears to increase ocular blood flow, which can support eye health.
5 Key Quotes
Your eyes, in particular, your neural retinas are part of your central nervous system. They are part of your brain. They're the only part of your brain that sits outside the cranial vault.
Andrew Huberman
Everything you see around you, you're not actually seeing those objects directly. What you're doing is you're making a best guess about what's there based on the pattern of electricity that arrives in your brain.
Andrew Huberman
The most ancient cells in our eyes, and the reason we have eyes, is to communicate information about time of day to the rest of the brain and body.
Andrew Huberman
So much of our mental focus, whether or not it's for cognitive endeavors or physical endeavors, is grounded in where we place our visual focus.
Andrew Huberman
Preserving your eyesight and preserving your vision is one of the most life-enhancing or quality of life-enhancing things that you can do.
Andrew Huberman
5 Protocols
Morning Light Exposure for Circadian Rhythm and Alertness
Andrew Huberman- Get bright light in your eyes early in the day.
- Aim for 2 to 10 minutes of sunlight exposure.
- Do this anytime you want to be awake.
- Avoid wearing sunglasses during this time.
Eye Muscle Relaxation and Focus Enhancement
Andrew Huberman- For every 30 minutes of focused work (e.g., on screens), look up and away from your work.
- Relax your face and eye muscles, including your jaw muscles.
- Allow your eyes to go into a 'panoramic vision' where you are not focusing on anything specific.
- Then, refocus on your work.
Wakefulness Boost with Upward Gaze
Andrew Huberman- If you are feeling tired, look up toward the ceiling.
- Raise your eyes (without tilting your chin all the way back).
- Hold this upward gaze for 10 to 15 seconds.
Vision Training for Distance and Motion Tracking
Andrew Huberman- Spend at least 10 minutes a day viewing things off in the distance (well over half a mile or more), trying to see a horizon.
- Perform smooth pursuit exercises for 2 to 3 minutes, every other day or every third day (e.g., using online stimuli).
- Practice accommodation by bringing an object close to your eyes to feel the strain, then moving it out to a relaxation point, and then further out, bringing it back in.
- Give your eyes rest by getting outside, looking at a horizon, or letting your eyes go into a 'soft gaze' (not focusing on anything).
Supporting Binocular Vision in Children
Andrew Huberman- For young people (up to age 7, possibly 12), ensure they get really good binocular vision, not just at the level of phones or tablets, but also at a distance.
- If an imbalance exists (e.g., a 'lazy eye' or amblyopia), cover the stronger eye to make the weaker eye work harder.
- Address any strong imbalances (such as cataracts, lens issues, neuromuscular issues, or strabismus) as early as possible by consulting a good ophthalmologist or neuro-ophthalmologist.