Bilberry Extract and its Benefits

Bilberry Extract is an herbal preparation with strong antioxidant properties. It is used to promote eye health and strengthen blood vessels, and it is thought to protect the heart as well.

Both the fruit and leaves of bilberries, which are closely related to blueberries, are rich in compounds known as anthocyanidins. Anthocyanidins are a type of flavonoid, an extremely powerful antioxidant found in many fruits and vegetables.

As antioxidants, the flavonoids in bilberry extract can prevent damage caused by free radicals that result from oxygen reactions in the body. These unstable oxygen molecules (free radicals) are created by metabolic reactions that occur in the body every day as a result of exercise, smoking, pollution and other factors.

A free radical molecule has only seven electrons, one less than a stable oxygen molecule. It will bombard the body, seeking an additional electron to make them stable. The activity of free radicals accelerates aging and contributes to the development of cancer. In the retina of the eye, free radicals cause damage that can lead to vision loss as well as macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in people over 55 years of age.

Bilberry extract helps to protect the eye from free radical damage by strengthening the tiny capillaries that affect vision. The capillaries can become damaged by diabetes and hypertension. By increasing microcirculation in the eye, the anthocyanidins in bilberry extract can help to improve vision. Research has shown that bilberry extract also increases enzyme activity in the eye that is linked to energy production, and it can help to reduce the amount of time the eyes need to adapt to darkness as well.

In fact, the idea that bilberry extract could help promote visual acuity was first recognized by pilots who noticed that they could see better at night after eating bilberry jam. This is because the flavonoids in bilberry extract help to replenish rhodopsin, a pigment in the retina of the eye that is used by nerve cells for night vision.

Bilberry extract is widely used to treat macular degeneration, a particular condition in which the macula, located in the retina of the eye, begins to deteriorate, causing vision to decline. There are two types of macular degeneration, dry (atropic) and wet (exudative). Up to 90% of cases are dry. Since this form of macular degeneration is largely caused by the breakdown of capillaries in the eye, bilberry extract can prevent further damage by strengthening blood vessels related to vision.

Bilberry’s effectiveness in helping to keep the circulatory system free of damage and functioning smoothly is also supported by studies that suggest that bilberry helps increase capillary flexibility and restore normal blood flow in the legs. Bilberry extract can also be used to treat varicose veins in the legs and to treat the symptoms of varicose “syndrome,” which include pain and swelling in the calves and ankles. In general, the flavonoids in bilberry extract prevent bruising, bleeding and breakage of capillaries.

They can also prevent blockage of blood vessels by calcium or fat deposits. This action helps to protect the heart by preventing artherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries caused by deposits of plaque. In addition, bilberry extract is a blood thinner that can further protect the heart and circulatory system by preventing blood clots from forming.

Bilberry extract is available in capsules or tablets. To be effective, supplements should be standardized to contain at least 25% anthocyanidins. The usual dosage of standardized bilberry extract is 160 to 320 mg once or twice per day. Supplements of bilberry extract are extremely safe, and no known side effects or drug interactions have been reported. The usual dose of bilberry extract is equivalent to eating two or three bowls of the bilberries.

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