05 Jan Leo Angart’s tips for protecting your eyes
Our eyes are true marvels.
Vision is our most important sense.
With our eyes we recognize things that are infinitely far away, like the stars in the universe, and as tiny and close as hairs on our skin. The eyes house seventy percent of all the sensory receptors in our bodies, and each eye is made up of one hundred thirty-seven million photoreceptors and more than one billion individual components.
Our eyes provide us with up to eighty percent of the information we need to perceive our external world. Our visual system manages to create a coherent image of the world in our brain from the huge stream of information that constantly arrives through the eyes. In interaction with other areas of our brain, sensory perceptions are sorted, filtered, evaluated and so skilfully linked with memory content and experiences that we seem to find our way effortlessly in our extremely complex environment. About a quarter of our brain is involved in this process. And although our eyes and brain together account for only two percent of our body weight, the process of seeing consumes about a quarter of the energy ingested with food.
Since our sense of sight is our most valuable sensory system, it is also the most researched sense, yet the task: to unravel “the miracle of sight” has not yet been accomplished.
Visual impairment and eye diseases have been on the rise in recent decades, with the trend continuing to increase. Our eyes are designed to be used outdoors and to see accurately into the distance, but are used less often for this purpose. We spend more time indoors and at screens: at work or in our free time surfing, chatting or playing games. The strain on our eyes is constantly growing, a feat for our visual system, and we often lack the necessary compensation for it. Resting them outside in daylight, looking into the distance, is a good and easy way.
A balanced supply of vitamins, nutrients and trace elements also plays a major role in maintaining good vision. To this end, a healthy diet with adequate intake of the B vitamins, vitamin E, zinc and selenium, as well as omega-3 fatty acids and, of course, hydration is important. Secondary plant substances such as the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin have a protective effect on the retina and can prevent age-related macular degeneration. Antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E can act as a preventative for a clouding of the lens, or cataract.
In the following video, Leo Angart has more tips for you to give your eyes some relief.
Among other things, also tips for a good workplace.