Bilberry fruit is well known as a food, in particular, as a jam. The Vaccinium genous contains hundreds of species, many with edible berry-like fruits.
The name bilberry is derived from a Danish word meaning dark berry. Bilberry has been used in Europe to colour wine and to dye wool. During World War II, bilberry jam was consumed by RAF to improve their night vision.
Both the leaves and the ripe blue-black fruits are used in traditional medicine to assist vision, decreases vascular permeability, and it protects against oxidative stress.
The berries are rich in the anthocyanins glycosides of delphinidin, cyanidin, petunidin, peonidin, malvidin, quercetin-3-glucuronide and hyperoside, the polyphenols catechin, epicatechin and tannins, as well as pectins and vitamin C.
Blueberry extract is stated to have a potent protective antioxidant action on human low-density lipoprotein.
Early studies involving healthy subjects and patients with visual disorders who received blueberry extracts alone or in combination with beta-carotene and vitamin E reported improvements in night vision and faster adjustment to darkness and restoration of visual acuity following exposure to a bright flash of light.(1)
Crystal Eye Omega will provide you with 100 mg Bluebery extract and 25 mg anthocyanins per daily dose.
Norwegian customers may order Crystal Eye Omega here
- Morazzoni P, Bombardelli E. Vaccinium myrtillus L. Fitoterapia 1996; 66: 3–29.
