The bilberry is known to the world of science as actinium myrtillus, and it is a member of the blueberry family. Like the blueberry, it is blue in color and sweet in taste.
The bush is a shrubby perennial that grows wild in the meadows and forests of many places in Europe and Western Asia, as well as the Rocky Mountain regions of the United States and Canada. The bilberry is related to the cranberry, huckleberry and blueberry, and the fruit is of a similar appearance.
Major benefits of bilberry
For many years, the bilberry has been used in traditional medicine, and the leaves of the bilberry bush are known to have important healing properties as well.
One of the most significant benefits is the ability to enhance vision, particularly night vision. As far back as World War II, those fighter pilots who consumed large quantities of bilberries claimed to have better night vision, and many modern studies have backed this up. In addition, it has been shown to have the ability to slow many degenerative diseases of the eye, and the compounds contained in the bilberry may have the ability to improve visual acuity as well.
Other traditional uses included its use to treat diarrhea. As far back as the sixteenth century, the bilberry was combined with honey in order to make a syrup solution known as rob. This rob syrup was traditionally used to treat diarrhea and other digestive problems.
Bilberry strengthens collagen, a protein responsible for the health of connective tissue, and it is though to provide important benefits to the health of blood vessels as well. The compounds contained in the bilberry, specifically compounds known as anthocyanosides, have been shown to help fortify the walls of blood vessels, thereby increasing the flow of blood and improving circulation.
It is also known to be quite effective at soothing sore throats, and drinking or gargling with a cooled tea made with dried bilberries has proven to be very soothing to those suffering from sore or inflamed mouths and throats.
For many years bilberry has been used to treat night blindness, and to reduce the affect of glare on daytime vision. In addition, it is thought that bilberry may play a role in preventing macular degeneration and other eye diseases associated with aging.
The compounds in bilberry may also help to slow down the formation of cataracts, another eye problem often associated with aging. It is thought that the high concentration of vitamin E and vitamin A in bilberries may account for this eye protective benefit.
In addition to its ability to improve vision and prevent its degeneration, those who eat bilberry on a regular basis have often noted a reduction in varicose veins. The active compounds contained in bilberry are thought to improve circulation and increase blood flow, therefore reducing the appearance of varicose veins and lessening their severity.
Additional information:
The bilberry is known to contain large amounts of phytochemicals, and these phytochemicals are thought to have the ability to help lower blood pressure, reduce the formation of blood clots and to provide a greater blood supply to the nervous system.
In addition, some scientific studies have suggested that the antioxidants contained in the fruit of the bilberry bush may be up to fifty times as effective as vitamin E and up to ten times as valuable as vitamin C. In addition, it may be effective at reducing vascular insufficiency, and it is thought to work in the same way as horse chestnut and ginkgo biloba.
The bilberry is available in many varieties, including fresh bilberries and extracts in capsule and pill forms. It is important to buy, whether in fresh or pill form, from only the highest quality sources.
As with other foods and supplements, how the bilberry is harvested and processed can have a significant impact on both its nutritional value and its taste. It is important that the bilberry be harvested at the peak of ripeness, and that it be processed using the most modern state of the art manufacturing methods.
Originally posted 2019-10-20 12:30:48.
