by @CK_Eternity_ on Twitter
At this point a huge portion of the population is suffering from myopia (near-sightedness), and needs glasses/contacts as a result, this is an introduction to reversing this issue and restoring 20/20 vision.
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Before I begin I want to be clear that I make no promises that this will help every person's situation, especially eyesight issues other than myopia.
That said, I have shared some or all of the info here with 100+ people, and many of them have used it to restore their vision.
Myopia, or near-sightedness as it's often called, is the common condition in which people lose the ability to see objects in the distance without wearing corrective lenses.
It's incidence has increased exponentially over the last century and is expected to continue rising.
Myopia stems from two primary causes:
The first is the eye itself getting longer, and the fluid filled lens getting thicker.
The eye is completely surrounded by delicate muscles, and would be fairly soft and malleable without them holding it in place.
A pair of healthy human eyes are naturally adapted to focus on objects 20+ feet away the majority of the time.
When we spend too much time focusing on things close to us it puts strain on our eyes, and over time this causes permanent alterations in eye shape/structure.
The second is oxidative stress in the eye, caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) like hydrogen peroxide and iron oxide.
Our eyes are made primarily of the omega-3 fat DHA, which is essential as a semiconductor and photon-interrupter, yet highly prone to oxidative damage.
When DHA is damaged by ROS it creates a compound called CEP, which is used as a marker of macular degeneration.
The oxidized lipid fragments the break off from DHA being broken down react with other nearby fats, creating a cascade of damage that can overwhelm cell detox processes.
When these two factors occur at the same time it creates the perfect conditions for eye damage, by stressing the eye and altering it's structure at the same time.
We are told that myopia is a life sentence, and that our only options are corrective lenses or surgery.
It's taken me some to realize it, but this is a lie, and at this point I've spoken with numerous people that have proved to me that reversing myopia is possible with a little time and effort.
There are two levels of myopia, and each is handled differently:
The first is what's called psuedomyopia, where eye strain from things like too much screen time create mild/temporary myopia.
The eye will bounce back from this if the stressor is removed, but most eye doctors will still give you glasses for it, actually making the myopia worse.
If you want to reverse potential psuedomyopia or prevent full myopia, take a break from reading or staring at a screen at least every 20 minutes, and for at least a few minutes get outside and/or stare at something more than 20 feet away.
Full myopia may seem more intimidating, but it can also be reversed by gradually tapering your prescription and avoiding any more eye strain.
This pdf provides the best taper plan I've found, as well as good info on how to easily prescribe yourself glasses.
Don't bother with eye exercises advertised to reverse myopia, as most provide only temporary relief or take daily practice to acheive only minor benefits.
The pdf info alone is enough to improve myopia, however I'd also like to add a few ways to solidify your improvement:
1: Get plenty of retinol and DHA
It's important to give your body the building blocks it needs to be replace damaged lipids in the eye, the most important is DHA itself.
I recommend eating seafood daily to support myopia recovery, as well as general health.
The next most essential nutrient for eye health after DHA is retinol, which is actually named after it's function in the retina.
RETINOL is preformed vitamin A, which is then converted into its analog RETINAL, retinal is actually used to build photoreceptors throughout the body.
Retinal catches photons and turns them into electric impulses which travel through the lipid "wires" into the brain.
Retinol is also an antioxidant, binding up damaging ROS and stopping the lipid oxidation cascade, the best food sources of retinol are liver and animal fats.
Plant vitamin A will NOT work unfortunately, as it's poorly converted and can actually block the retinol receptors.
Cod liver oil can be a good way to supplement retinol, but be careful sourcing it as most fish oils are oxidized from poor storage/manufacture (try Nordic Naturals).
2: Avoid artificial light and get plenty of sunlight
It's well established that artificial light (blue light) is toxic, it essentially ages tissue by creating a buildup of ROS and inflammatory signalling molecules, it's one of the biggest causes of eyesight damage.
Sunlight in comparison is incredibly beneficial, and sunlight exposure is tied to lower incidence of myopia, as well as being protective against many other diseases like obesity, heart disease, and cancer.
Try to get out in the sun for at least a few hours a day.
3: Correcting iron dysregulation
Put simply, iron dysregulation is when iron atoms aren't properly loaded into proteins for use by the body.
Unbound iron atoms bind readily to oxygen, creating iron oxide (rust), which damages any fat/protein structures it comes in contact with.
Iron requires bioavailable copper, retinol, and food-sourced vitamin C to be used correctly.
You can get the copper and retinol from foods like liver, salmon, and oysters, and vitamin C from citrus fruits, strawberries, rosehips, acerola cherry, or camu camu.
If you want to read a more detailed overview of iron metabolism and guide to correct its dysrefulation, I have on in the blog section of my website: Link
4: Reducing inflammation
Cutting out inflammatory triggers/foods will also reduce cell damage and oxidative stress, the worst offenders are:
5: Clearing oxidative waste
You can clear oxidized fats and damaged cells from the eyes more efficiently by inducing a process called autophagy.
The most potent methods I've found are through fasting, or a low carb/ketogenic diet, there are also many herbs/foods that support it.
You can also donate blood a few times per year, and/or take either lactoferrin or IP6 to bind up excess free iron in the body.
IP6 should only be taken away from food, as otherwise it can prevent minerals in food from absorbing, but the research on it shows many benefits.
The end.