What is Bilberry?

Bilberry is dark violet-colored fruit harvested in summer, containing much amount of anthocyanin pigment. Bilberry has gained the attention its component good for eyes, since the World War II when a UK air force pilot testified enemy planes well seen in the dark after eating Bilberry jam before the take-off. Since then, there have been many studies on Bilberry even in France and Italy after the war.

In addition, Bilberry fruit contains 3~4 times of anthocyanin and flavonoid compounds than in blueberry, and that is why it is commercialized as functional effective food beneficial to the blood circulation, eye sight recovery and diarrhea. Bilberry leaves have been used for the prevention from diabetes, diabetes resultant damaged retina and high blood pressure.

Effect of Bilberry

1. Improving eye fatigue
A human subject research with the subjects who use eyes much in daily life, indicated that it was helpful to recover fatigue due to tension of eyes, through comparative trials with the supplement effect of Bilberry extract.

2. Diabetes improvement
Bilberry leaves improve non-insulin dependent diabetes, by increasing the production of insulin and the hypoglycemia level.

3. Diarrhea prevention and healing
As Bilberry contains antioxidant substance that inhibits the growth of bacteria, it is effective to intestinal microorganism that causes diarrhea.

Related Articles

1. Protective effect of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) extracts on cultured human corneal limbal epithelial cells (HCLEC).  (Song J, Li Y, Ge J, Duan Y, Sze SC, Tong Y, Shaw PC. Phytother Res. 2010 Apr;24(4):520-4.)

: The study results indicated the Bilberry extract was the constancy of cornea epithelial cells and the physiological recovery.

2. Bilberry and its main constituents have neuroprotective effects against retinal neuronal damage in vitro and in vivo. (Matsunaga N, Imai S, Inokuchi Y, Shimazawa M, Yokota S, Araki Y, Hara H. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2009 Jul;53(7):869-77.)

: It was shown that anthocyanin in Bilberry extract had protective effect in the subjects with retinal diseases.

3. Vision preservation during retinal inflammation by anthocyanin-rich bilberry extract: cellular and molecular mechanism.(Miyake S, Takahashi N, Sasaki M, Kobayashi S, Tsubota K, Ozawa Y. Lab Invest. 2012 Jan;92(1):102-9. )

: Bilberry extract with rich anthocyanin has the protective effect for visual function when retina inflammation appears.