What is Bilberry
Bilberry is the small dark purple fruit of a dwarf shrub that is native to parts of Britain, Europe and Siberia and is a close relative of the North American blueberry. Sometimes called the European Blueberry, Bilberry is used extensively in Europe for ophthalmic applications including macular degeneration and poor night vision.
The History of Bilberry and Vision - Proven Effective
The effectiveness of bilberry in improving vision dates back to World War II. During nightly bombing missions, British Royal Air force pilots reported their night vision increased dramatically after eating bilberry jam. In fact, in one Italian study, patients given a combination of Bilberry (400mg/day) and beta-carotene (20mg/day) had improved night vision and adaptation to light intensity (Fiorni G. et. al.,1965).
Can Bilberry protect and prevent the onset of Age Related Macular Degeneration?
Several studies have shown that the potent antioxidants found in Bilberry may be a natural way to prevent AMD. The active components of bilberries are flavonoid compounds known as anthocyanosides, which have been described as potent free radical scavengers, possessing an antioxidant effect up to 50 times more powerful that vitaman E. Studies have shown that the rate of retinal degeneration associated with macular degeneration can be slowed by increasing the amount of anthocyanosides through dietary supplementation. (Scharrer A, Ober M. 1981).A typical amount of bilberry used in studies was 240-480 mg per day of an extract standardized to contain 25% anthocyanosides, taken in capsules or tablets.
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