Bilberries (scientific name: vaccinium myrtillus) are a dark blue fruit, similar in appearance to blueberries but are smaller, softer and darker.Research studies indicate that a compound in bilberries, anthocyanosides, appear to promote blood vessel strength which could have protective properties against forms of retinal damage in people with diabetes. Anthocyanosides are a part of a class of nutrients called flavonoids that are found in a number of fruits and other plants.

General Information

Common Names of raw material: Whortleberry, European Blueberry, Myrtle Blueberry, Blueberry, Huckleberry,  Black Whortle, Burren Myrtle, Whinberry, Dyeberry, Wineberry, Fraughan (Irish), Black Hearts, Grouseberry 

Latin Names: Vaccinium myrtillus (EU origin) or Vaccinium Uliginosuml (China origin)

Plant Description: 

Bilberry is a perennial shrub that grows to about 16 inches in height. It has sharp-edged, green branches and black wrinkled berries, which are ripe for picking in late summer. Bilberry is a relative of blueberry, cranberry, and huckleberry, and its fruit looks and tastes much like the American blueberry.

Constituents of Bilberry Fruit:

This fruit also contains flavonoid compounds called anthocyanidins. Flavonoids are plant pigments that possess outstanding antioxidant properties, foraging out dangerous particles in the body known as free radicals.
Bilberry fruits contain the highest amounts of anthocyanins in comparison with other berries such as Vaccinium angustifolium.
Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments responsible for red, pink, mauve, purple, blue,or violet color of most flower and fruits. These compounds act as potent antioxidants and phosphodiesterase inhibitors,thus being particularly effective in the amelioration of capillary resistance and permeability and are widely used in dietary botanicals and pharmaceutical market for the treatment of vascular and vision disorders.
The bilberry anthocyanins are C-3 glucosides, galactosides, and arabinosides of cyanidin, peonidin,delphinidin, malvidin and petunidin.

Health Benefits of Bilberry extract

1.May improve vision
Bilberries may improve vision in people with glaucoma and reduce eye fatigue and dryness in people working with video display terminals.
Bilberries are most popular for their purported ability to improve vision, particularly night vision.
A few small studies have researched these berries’ effects on night vision but concluded that this benefit is not supported by strong evidence.
That said, bilberries may benefit your vision in other ways.
One 2-year study in people with glaucoma, a condition that leads to a gradual loss of sight, found that taking 120 mg of bilberry anthocyanins daily improved visual function by around 30%, whereas the placebo group experienced worsened visual function.
Other studies suggest that supplementing with 160–480 mg of powdered bilberry extract daily may reduce eye dryness and other symptoms of eye fatigue caused by working with video display terminals.

2.May reduce inflammation
Bilberries are rich in anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that may reduce markers of inflammation.
Bilberries may help fight inflammation, which is believed to be the root cause of many diseases.
This effect may partly be due to their content of anthocyanins, which are antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties.
In one 3-week study, people taking a supplement containing 300 mg of bilberry anthocyanins daily experienced a 38–60% reduction in inflammatory markers, compared with a 4–6% reduction in the placebo group.
What’s more, a small 4-week study noted that drinking 11 ounces (330 ml) of bilberry juice daily significantly reduced markers of inflammation, compared with a placebo.

3.May lower blood sugar levels
Bilberries may stimulate insulin secretion and prevent the breakdown of carbs in your gut, both of which may help lower blood sugar levels.
Bilberries are a popular herbal remedy used to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
Experts believe that the berries prevent the breakdown and absorption of carbs in your gut, similarly to some blood-sugar-lowering medications.
Animal studies suggest that the anthocyanins in bilberries may also stimulate the secretion of insulin, the hormone needed to help move sugar from your blood into your cells.
One study reported that a bilberry extract reduced blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes more effectively than a placebo. The extract provided the equivalent of 50 grams of fresh bilberries.
Another 8-week study showed that a diet enriched with fresh bilberries increased insulin secretion in adults with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.

4.May improve heart health
Bilberries may help lower blood pressure, reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol, and protect you from blood clots, thus improving your heart health.
This may partly be because they’re rich in vitamin K, a vitamin that helps prevent the formation of blood clots, reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Test-tube research further suggests that the specific mix of anthocyanins in bilberries may help lower blood pressure.
In one 8-week study, 35 people who took a mixture of various berries, including bilberries, daily experienced improved platelet function, blood pressure, and HDL (good) cholesterol levels — all markers linked to a healthier heart .
In another 12-week study, people taking 320 mg of anthocyanins from blackcurrants and bilberries daily experienced an 11% rise in HDL (good) cholesterol, as well as a 14% drop in LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, compared with less than a 1% drop in the placebo group.

Precautions or side effects:
Bilberry fruit extract is considered generally safe, with no known side effects.

Recommended dosage
The recommended dose of standard commercial preparations ranges from 60 to 160 milligrams three times daily. Because potency may vary, always follow the manufacturer's instructions. The usual daily dose of the unprocessed berry is 20 to 60 grams (about 1 to 2 ounces).