I recently ran a full fatty acid blood panel.

The result?

👉 Unbalanced.

(Not shocking to anyone who knows me… but this time it’s biological, not personality 😂)

But here’s the thing…

This isn’t just about “diet” or “nutrition.”

👉 This is about how your body interacts with light — the most important input into your biology.

⚠️ My Key Results (The Reality Check)

Here’s what stood out:

Omega-6 : Omega-3 ratio → 12:1 (too high)
Omega-3 index → 2.7% (low)
DHA → 1.76% (very low)
EPA → 0.98% (low)
Arachidonic acid (AA) → 12% (elevated)

At the same time:

Saturated fats → largely within range
Omega-9 (oleic acid) → healthy
ALA (plant omega-3) → “normal” (but not very useful on its own)
🧬 What This Actually Means

In simple terms:

👉 My system is skewed toward inflammation
👉 My cell membranes are not optimised
👉 My ability to process light and regulate cellular signalling is reduced

👁️ Why This Matters for Vision (Most People Miss This)

As an optometrist, this is where it gets interesting…

Your retina is one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body.

And it is packed with DHA.

But DHA is not just “a healthy fat.”

It is:

A structural component of photoreceptors
A key player in converting light into electrical signals
Essential for membrane fluidity and responsiveness

👉 If DHA is low, your retina — and your wider cellular signalling systems — become less efficient at handling light

That means:

Increased light sensitivity
Poorer visual adaptation
Greater oxidative stress from light exposure
Reduced visual performance over time

👉 And importantly…

These same effects are happening at a cellular level throughout the body — not just in the eye.

🧠 And It Doesn’t Stop at the Eye

The brain runs on the same system.

Low DHA + high Omega-6 =

Slower signalling
Poorer focus
Increased inflammation
Reduced resilience to stress

Which aligns with what many people feel daily:

👉 Brain fog
👉 Poor sleep
👉 Low energy
👉 Reduced focus

⚡ The Bigger Picture: Light + Biology

Here’s the part most people don’t connect:

You can have:

Perfect morning sunlight
Reduced evening blue light
“Good habits”

But if your cell membranes — the very interface between light and biology — are built poorly…

👉 You still won’t process light properly

The equation is simple:

Light (input) × Biology (receiver) = Outcome

Right now, my input is improving…

👉 But my receiver needs work.

🔥 What’s Driving This Imbalance?

This pattern is incredibly common.

It usually comes down to:

High Omega-6 intake (seed oils, processed foods)
Low DHA intake (lack of seafood or quality sources)
Poor conversion from ALA → DHA (very inefficient in humans)

👉 You cannot rely on plant omega-3 alone

🛠️ My Plan Moving Forward

This isn’t theory — this is now personal.

My focus:

✔ Increase DHA intake (food first, then high-quality supplementation)
✔ Reduce excess Omega-6 exposure
✔ Support cell membrane function
✔ Retest and track changes

👁️ The Missing Link in Modern Health

People are told:

“Get more sunlight”
“Reduce screen time”

Both are important.

But almost no one asks:

👉 What are your cells made of?

Because the eye isn’t just for seeing…

👉 It’s one of the primary ways your environment communicates with your biology

And if that system isn’t functioning properly — the signal gets distorted.

🧠 Final Thought

If you’re struggling with:

Eye strain
Light sensitivity
Poor sleep
Brain fog
Low energy

It might not just be your environment.

👉 It might be your biological interface with that environment — how your cells receive, interpret, and respond to light

This is where light health really begins.

Not just with what you see…

👉 But with what you’re made of.

👇 Want to Go Deeper?

This is exactly the foundation of my work as a Light Health Optometrist.

If you want to understand how to optimise:

Your light environment
Your biology
Your long-term vision & health

I’ll be documenting this journey step by step.

Alan Bryden
​Light Health Optometrist