“The eyes are the windows to the soul”. Quite poetic. Shakespeare was able to capture the miracle of vision in such a simple sentence. Although there is nothing ‘simple’ or ordinary about vision, most of us take it for granted. If you stop and think about what your eyes do for you daily, you might start to appreciate it truly. In addition to being one of the five primary senses, vision is probably the most fundamental sense to normal human functioning.
The Problem: Excessive Screen Time
Taking care of our eyes serves our best interests. This is even more important considering the day and age we live in. Most of us spend between 8-12 hours each day staring at our phones, laptops or PCs. Several studies and reports have identified that the pandemic has played a significant role in the situation. With most companies and educational institutes resorting to work/study-from-home, the average screen time has spiked substantially. Such regular use can place a tremendous amount of stress on our eyes, resulting in eye pain, headaches, migraines or other conditions.
Prolonged screen time does not affect just your eyes either. Digital eyestrain is a medical condition marked by dry eyes, blurred vision and neck and shoulder pain and is primarily attributed to excessive computer usage. However, people have had eye issues even before the existence of electronic screens. Most of these issues were due to natural aging or allergic reactions to your surroundings. With some caretaking and timely interventions, it is possible to prevent and even cure most eye-related disorders. If you would like better understand how you are going in terms of overall eye health, take our Eye Care Quiz by clicking on the link!
The Solution: Amrutam Eyekey Malt
The simple solution to screen-related eye issues would be to take frequent breaks and minimize screen time. However, we know this is not always possible. To help relieve some of the stress and maintain your eye health, we have created the Amrutam Eyekey Malt. It contains the perfect blend of Ayurvedic herbs and formulations that help balance the doshas that affect vision. Notably, the malt contains Triphala, Malkangani and Shilajit, all of which have Dosha pacifying and Rasayanic properties. It is important to note that Ayurvedic cures and formulations become much more effective when YOU start taking better care of your health. The Eyekey Malt gives you a defined path to follow.
To better understand how the Eyekey Malt works, let us first take a few moments to understand how Ayurveda interprets vision. The Tarka Sangraha identifies Vata and Pitta Dosha as the major contributors to the process. Vata is recognized as the key factor for Aksha Patavam (clarity of vision) while Pitta is responsible for Darshana (vision) itself. Agitations in the Doshas resulting in separate conditions. Excessive Kapha causes night blindness (nyctalopia). On the other hand, day blindness (hemeralopia) is caused when both Kapha and Pitta are agitated. Our Eyekey Malt helps in maintaining the appropriate Doshic balances to keep your eyes healthy. Additionally, it also contains various herbs and ingredients that help in providing proper nutrition to your eyes to keep them healthy.
Main Ingredients and Benefits of the Eyekey Malt
As mentioned previously, Triphala, Malkangani and Shilajit are some of the major ingredients used for preparing the malt. Triphala powder has countless properties attributed to it. Triphala itself is made of three unique ingredients, of which Amla is the most important one when talking about eye health. Various Ayurvedic texts classify Amla as an eye-enhancing Rasayana. It helps in enhancing the presence of Alochaka Pitta (a sub-class of the Pitta Dosha) which is primarily responsible for vision. Triphala is also a rich source of antioxidants. This helps it prevent eye damage caused by free radicals and oxidative stress. Several sources even recommend consuming Triphala on its own or along with honey or ghee (as Anupaan) to improve one’s eye health.
Malkangani (scientific name: Celastrus paniculatus), dubbed as the ‘Tree of Life’, is another important ingredient used. Its Vata and Kapha balancing properties make it a very interesting addition to the malt. Malkangani oil also has potent antimicrobial and antibacterial properties which aid in the prevention of Conjunctivitis and other disorders. As far as interesting ingredients go, few are going to top Shilajit. Formed as a sticky black residue in high-altitude locations like the Himalayas, it contains a whole bunch of minerals giving it a wide range of activity. Ayurveda describes Shilajit as an antioxidant, a potent energy booster, a brain functioning enhancer and capable of preventing aging. It also has a unique photoprotective action, which allows it to prevent damage caused by UV rays and other harmful radiations.
Some Simple ways to improve your Eye Health
In addition to taking two tablespoons of the Amrutam Eyekey Malt daily, there are quite a few things you can do to help protect your eyes better.
- Splash your eyes with cold water whenever you feel stress building up. This removes any dirt and also helps in lubricating the eyes.
- Taking five minute breaks from your screen every thirty minutes or so is a good way to give some much needed rest to your eyes.
- Avoid direct exposure to sunlight.
- Massage your head regularly. This improves blood flow and helps in relaxing. (Head massages feel all the better if you get a loved one to do it for you!)
- Palming your eyes helps in relieving stress and improves your eyesight in the long run. To palm your eyes, you will want to place your palms over your eyes without putting any pressure on them. Take deep breaths and stay in this position until you feel a sense of clam descend upon you.
You could also check out our article 'आंखों के लिए उपयोगी 55 आयुर्वेदिक जड़ीबूटियों' for a better understanding of how Ayurveda can help you maintain your eye health. Small steps like these along with appropriate Ayurvedic recipes greatly improve your eye health. And considering how much our eyes do for us, it is the least we can do for them!
Reference 1: Conceptual analysis of Physiology of vision in Ayurveda
Reference 2: Shilajit A Natural Phytocomplex with Potential Procognitive Activity
