Yep, sunshine is all they need -- more specifically, the natural light of outdoors -- and 14 hours a week of outdoor light should do it.

Why this is the case is not exactly clear.

"We don't really know what makes outdoor time so special," said Donald Mutti, the lead researcher of the study from Ohio State University College of Optometry, in a press release. "If we knew, we could change how we approach myopia."

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What is known is that UVB light, (invisible ultraviolet B rays), plays a role in the cellular production of vitamin D, which is believed to help the eyes focus light on the retina. However, the Ohio State researchers think there is another possibility.

"Between the ages of five and nine, a child's eye is still growing," said Mutti. "Sometimes this growth causes the distance between the lens and the retina to lengthen, leading to nearsightedness. We think these different types of outdoor light may help preserve the proper shape and length of the eye during that growth period."

The scientists are also studying whether visible light outdoors, not just UVB, might contribute to healthy eyesight. Even on an overcast day, outdoor light is at least 10 times brighter than indoor light, they said. When a person is outdoors, certain specialized cells in the retina control pupil dilation, letting in more of less light.

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"Our initial research suggests that the pupil responds more if these cells have been exposed to a lot of sunlight in the previous few days."

Ultimately, there are more questions to be answered, says Mutti, but he believes his team's findings are already contributing to finding those answers.