You may have heard a story something like this. British Royal Air Force pilots would eat bilberry jam with their English tea before heading out for their nighttime bombing runs.
What the Royal Air Force found was that the bilberry helped further improve their night vision and was one reason for their incredible accuracy.
This story has never been confirmed and research has not conclusively shown that bilberry can improve night vision.
However, there are several reasons to be believe bilberries can help improve eye health along with other health benefits.
What is bilberry?
The bilberry, a relative of the cranberry, huckleberry, and North American blueberry, is a plant with bright green leaves and bell-shaped flowers that grows wild, primarily in northern Europe.
The bilberry looks very similar to a blueberry, but darker. The color is somewhere between a deep purple. In addition, the bilberry tends to have a more tart flavor.
The rich color the bilberry flesh is from the anthocyanins. Other phytochemicals in bilberry include tannins, known for its antimicrobial properties, are also found in purple graps and teas including green tea and black tea.
German doctors during the 18th century would prescribe bilberry for intestinal conditions. In the 20th century, the the German Commission E, a panel of experts that assess the safety and effective of herbs, approved the use of bilberry for diarrhea and inflammation of the mouth or throat.
More recent studies have found that bilberry can reduce inflammation of the retina, a layer at the back of the eyeball.
Is bilberry extract safe?
According to the German Commission E and the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, bilberry extract is safe.
There is some concern that anthocyanins can prevent platelets from sticking to each other. In theory, this might interfere with a blood thinning drug like warfarin.
Here are some tips on how to find dietary supplements made with the best ingredients.
When looking for bilberry extract you want to make sure to purchase bilberry extract from a quality source. One tip is to make sure it is dark in color because the dark color is from the anthocyanins.
Where Can I Find Bilberries?
Bilberry is hard to find in North America, however, you can find bilberry jam for your morning toast.
Another natural source of anthocyanins similar to the ones found in bilberries include blueberries or other dark berries.
Bilberries are a low glycemic index fruit, meaning the sugar in bilberry is absorbed slowly, making it a good snack for people with or without diabetes.
The anthocyanins in bilberry will quench free radicals, an unstable molecule that has a free electron.
Should I try bilberry or bilberry extract?
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) has been an object of affection for scientists with more than 600 peer reviewed articles on PubMed.
Benefits suggested in these articles include reducing inflammation, a key component of every disease, that has been linked to cancer, decreased vision, diabetes, poor blood circulation, Alzheimer’s disease, high cholesterol, and more.
If you are looking for a new fruit to try, bilberry is an easy recommendation. If you have trouble finding fresh bilberry you can always try bilberry jam. If that’s not easy to get you can always try other anthocyanin containing fruits including cranberries, aronia (also known as Viking berry), blueberries, black or red raspberries, and grapes.
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Antioxidant, Ask the Pharmacist, Eye, Plant Extracts, Plant Medicine