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Essentials: Protocols to Improve Vision & Eyesight

Apr 24, 2025 34m 51s 18 insights
In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I discuss the science of vision and share simple, effective tools to enhance eyesight and preserve eye health. I explain how the eyes and brain work together to process light, color and motion using specialized structures such as the retina and photoreceptors, and why conditions like nearsightedness, visual hallucinations and lazy eye occur. I also cover specific visual protocols to increase alertness and focus during work, improve sleep, and support visual health. Additionally, I highlight key vitamins essential for vision and discuss supplements such as lutein and astaxanthin for maintaining long-term eye health. Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes—approximately 30 minutes—focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past Huberman Lab episodes. Essentials will be released every Thursday, and full-length episodes will continue to be released every Monday. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past full-length Huberman Lab episodes. Watch or listen to the full-length episode at ⁠⁠⁠⁠hubermanlab.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.
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.

18. Take AG1 Daily

Consider taking AG1 daily, as its next-gen formula with bioavailable nutrients and enhanced probiotics supports digestive health, immune system health, bowel regularity, and reduces bloating.