Kanchan Koya x Ra Optics

Meet Kanchan

Meet Kanchan, a former molecular biologist turned chef, author, and wellness expert on a mission to empower individuals to take control of their health and well-being. With a Ph.D. from Harvard University, she is a renowned authority in the field of nutrition and wellness and is frequently featured in major media outlets like The New York Times and The Huffington Post. She is also a proud wearer of Ra Optics. Kanchan explains why sleep is perhaps one of the most under-looked, yet most important aspects for optimizing our long-term health and how Ra Optics can help you optimize your sleep.

Meet Kanchan

Kanchan is a former molecular biologist turned chef, author, and wellness expert on a mission to empower individuals to take control of their health and well-being. With a Ph.D. from Harvard University, she is a renowned authority in the field of nutrition and wellness and is frequently featured in major media outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Huffington Post. She is also a proud wearer of Ra Optics. Kanchan explains why sleep is perhaps one of the most under-looked, yet most important aspects for optimizing our long-term health and how Ra Optics help her achieve this.

How does Light

affect your Health?

Articial blue light

Modern, man-made light sources have been able to isolate certain wavelengths of light, and utilize blue wavelengths to stimulate the brain and body for activity, effectively “force-stressing” people into more work and productivity, by affecting our hormones and neurotransmitters — in the workplace or at school, for example. [25][26]

Near-infrared light, which is always present in large quantities in sunlight, naturally counter-balances the damaging effects of high-energy blue light. Many modern light sources, in order to be more energy efficient, have completely eliminated near-infrared light, because it is believed to be “wasted energy”. Therefore, modern light sources lack near-infrared light, causing the blue light that they emit to be very detrimental to the health of our eyes, cells, brain, and body as whole.

Articial blue light

Modern, man-made light sources have been able to isolate certain wavelengths of light, and utilize blue wavelengths to stimulate the brain and body for activity, effectively “force-stressing” people into more work and productivity, by affecting our hormones and neurotransmitters — in the workplace or at school, for example. [1][2]

Near-infrared light, which is always present in large quantities in sunlight, naturally counter-balances the damaging effects of high-energy blue light. Many modern light sources, in order to be more energy efficient, have completely eliminated near-infrared light, because it is believed to be “wasted energy”. This causes the blue light that they emit to be very detrimental to the health of our eyes, cells, brain, and body as whole.

Protect your Circadian Rhyhthm

Circadian rhythms are a set of physiological, psychological, and behavioral changes that occur within a 24-hour cycle. These inherent patterns are predominantly influenced by light and darkness and impact a wide range of organisms, including humans. [3][4]

‘Circa’ is Latin for “approximately”, and ‘dies’ means “a day”; therefore, circadian means “approximately a day”. Researchers recently discovered that we we possess internal cycles that follow almost exactly the length of a day, hence this name.

In 2017, the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms that control circadian rhythms. [5]

They discovered that the primary driver of the circadian rhythm is light. Which makes sense, considering that a day is created by one full rotation of the earth around its own axis, and the most significant change in the environment during this period is the shift between the presence and absence of daylight.

Circadian Rhyhtms

Circadian rhythms are a set of physiological, psychological, and behavioral changes that occur within a 24-hour cycle. These inherent patterns are predominantly influenced by light and darkness and impact a wide range of organisms, including humans. [3][4]

‘Circa’ is Latin for “approximately”, and ‘dies’ means “a day”; therefore, circadian means “approximately a day”. Researchers recently discovered that we we possess internal cycles that follow almost exactly the length of a day, hence this name.

In 2017, the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms that control circadian rhythms. [5]

They discovered that the primary driver of the circadian rhythm is light. Which makes sense, considering that a day is created by one full rotation of the earth around its own axis, and the most significant change in the environment during this period is the shift between the presence and absence of daylight.

Circadian Rhyhtm

Circadian rhythms are a set of physiological, psychological, and behavioral changes that occur within a 24-hour cycle. These inherent patterns are predominantly influenced by light and darkness and impact a wide range of organisms, including humans. [3][4]

‘Circa’ is Latin for “approximately”, and ‘dies’ means “a day”; therefore, circadian means “approximately a day”. Researchers recently discovered that we we possess internal cycles that follow almost exactly the length of a day, hence this name.

In 2017, the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms that control circadian rhythms. [5]

The Benefits of wearing Ra Optics

Feel better

Leave behind eye strain, headaches, afternoon fatigue and feel your mind relax.

Protect your eyes

Constant exposure to blue light could damage retinal cells and cause vision problems such as age-related macular degeneration

Sleep better

Experience deep relaxation, ease falling asleep, and a new level of sleep and rejuvenation.

"Research is telling us that poor sleep is associated with an elevated risk for pretty much every modern day disease. From neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease and metabolic dysfunction. So prioritizing sleep by paying attention to light exposure is a simple yet powerful tool for us to really optimize our long-term health. This is why every night around 7 PM I throw on my blue-light blockers."

Kanchan Koya, Ph.D.

From Science to Style

From Science to Style

We started with science and then made it stylish. Our glasses have been developed with leaders of photoscience, neuroscience, and optics. They are infused with pigments that have been tested and retested for effectiveness

Endorsed by Leading Health & Wellness Experts

PAUL CHEK

The "Godfather" of Modern Holistic Health and Fitness

BEN GREENFIELD

America's Top Personal Trainer and New York Times Bestselling Author of "Beyond Training"

DARIN OLIEN

Superfood Hunter and Creator of #1 Netflix Series "Down to Earth" with Zac Efron

When to wear Ra Optics Daylight lenses?

Wear your yellow Daylight Lenses to block harmful blue light from fluorescent bulbs, LED’s, and screens during the day, whether at school, at work, or at home.

When to wear Ra Optics Sunset lenses?

Wear your red Sunset Lenses from sunset to sleep to block sleep-disrupting blue light, re-align your body’s rhythm with nature, and get the best sleep of your life.

Join 50,000+ Satisfied Customers

Change your Light, Change your Life

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find the right pair?

We know that having a pair of glasses that look good and are comfortable is extremely important to you. Please see our size guide for a few simple tricks to get the perfect size and style.

If for whatever reason you are not happy, Any purchase has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you need another size, we will be happy to assist.

How do I use my Ra Optics?

  • Wear your Ra Optics Daylight Lenses to block harmful blue light from fluorescent bulbs, LED’s, and screens during the day, whether at school, at work, or at home.
  • Wear your Ra Optics Sunset Lenses from sunset to sleep to block sleep-disrupting blue light, re-align your body’s rhythm with nature, and get the best sleep of your life.
  • You will also receive a brochure with instructions on how to use your Ra Optics.

How can blue light be harmful to my health?

Light is a spectrum of colors with each color being of a differing amount of energy and wavelength. Red light at one end, with longer wavelengths and less energy and blue light at the other, with high energy and shorter wavelengths.

Sunlight, contains all the colors of the visible spectrum in balance, and was our only source of light, until humans invented artificial light - oil lamps, the lightbulb, computers etc. Today in our digital world we are exposed to light on a constant basis, much of it the artificial blue light emitted by devices and light bulbs. Its cumulative effect is having negative impacts on our health, from disturbing our sleep to harming our eyes.

Can I exchange my glasses if I don't like them?

Absolutely! If you reside within the U.S.A. we even offer free shipping, returns and exchanges.

How long does it take to start seeing benefits?

In most cases, it takes about two weeks for your eyes to adjust and for you to start seeing the full benefits of our lenses.