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Bilberry
Herbal Remedies and Medicinal Cures for Diseases, Ailments & Illnesses that afflict Humans and Animals
Aloe Vera •
Astragalus •
Bankoro •
Bilberry •
Bitter Gourd (Ampalaya) •
Bitter Orange •
Black Cohosh •
Cat's Claw •
Chamomile •
Chasteberry •
Coconut •
Cranberry •
Dandelion •
Echinacea •
Ephedra •
European Elder Tree •
Evening Primrose •
Fenugreek •
Feverfew •
Flaxseed •
Garlic •
Ginger •
Ginkgo •
Ginseng (Asian) •
Golden Seal •
Grape Seed •
Green Tea •
Hawthorn •
Hoodia •
Horse Chestnut •
Kava •
Lavender •
Licorice •
Malunggay Moringa Oleifera •
Milk Thistle •
Mistletoe •
Passion Flower •
Peppermint Oil •
Red Clover •
Ringworm Bush (Akapulko) – Cassia alata •
Saw Palmetto •
St. John's Wort •
Tawa Tawa •
Turmeric •
Valerian •
Yohimbe •
accept the bitter to get better
 Billbery Fruits | |||
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Bilberry
The medicinal herb Bilberry as an alternative herbal remedy for scurvy, diarrhea, menstrual cramps - Bilberry is a relative of the blueberry, and its fruit is commonly used to make pies and jams. Bilberry grows in North America, Europe, and northern Asia.Common Names--European blueberry, whortleberry, huckleberry Latin Names--Vaccinium myrtillus
- Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) has several active constituents which have been isolated from the berries and leaves of the bilberry plant, including anthocyanoside flavonoids (anthocyanins), vitamins and pectins, which are found in the berries, and quercetin, catechins, tannins, iridoids, and acids, which are found in the leaves. It is traditionally recommended to promote healthy blood sugar levels as well as healthy insulin production. Bilberry also has excellent anti-oxidant properties due to high levels of anthocyanosides, further increasing the supportive health benefits of this remarkable herb. Regular use of Bilberry helps to support healthy vision as well as the health of the tiny blood capillaries which carry oxygen to the eyes (Bone K. "Bilberry-The vision herb". MediHerb Prof Rev . 1997;59:1-4).
Bilberries are distinct from blueberries but closely related to them.
Bilberries are found in very acidic, nutrient-poor soils throughout the temperate and subarctic regions of the world. They are closely related to North American wild and cultivated blueberries and huckleberries in the genus Vaccinium. One characteristic of bilberries is that they produce single or paired berries on the bush instead of clusters, as the blueberry does. Blueberries have more evergreen leaves.
The fruit is smaller than that of the blueberry but with a fuller taste. Bilberries are darker in colour, and usually appear near black with a slight shade of purple. While the blueberry's fruit pulp is light green, the bilberry's are red or purple, heavily staining the fingers, lips, and tongue of consumers eating the raw fruit.
What Bilberry Is Used For
Herbal remedy for scurvy. Bilberry has been used for nearly 1,000 years in traditional European medicine.
Historically, bilberry fruit was used to treat diarrhea, scurvy, and other conditions. Today, the fruit is used to treat diarrhea, menstrual cramps, eye problems, varicose veins, venous insufficiency (poor blood flow to the heart), and other circulatory problems. Bilberry leaf is used for entirely different conditions, including diabetes. How Bilberry Is Used The fruit of the bilberry plant can be eaten or made into extracts. Similarly, the leaves of the bilberry plant can be made into extracts or used to make teas.
Herbal Remedy Products with Bilberry as part of the ingredients
- Insulate Plus™ - Natural remedy to balance blood sugar levels and improve pancreatic health
- Balances blood sugar levels to reduce the need for hypoglycemic medication
- Enlarges the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas
- Improves circulation & blood flow to the extremeties, thereby improving wound healing
- Improves oxygen-rich blood flow to optical fibers
- Reduces the craving for sweet foods
- Fuels the breakdown of fats and balances cholesterol levels
- Helps reduce the risk of heart disease
What the Science Says about Bilberry
Some claim that bilberry fruit improves night vision, but clinical studies have not shown this to be true. There is not enough scientific evidence to support the use of bilberry fruit or leaf for any other health conditions. NCCAM has not yet funded any research on bilberry.
Side Effects and Cautions about Bilberry
Bilberry fruit is considered safe. However, high doses of bilberry leaf or leaf extract are considered unsafe; animal studies have shown high doses to be toxic. Tell your health care providers about any herb or dietary supplement you are using, including bilberry. This helps to ensure safe and coordinated care.
Bilberry, a close relative of blueberry, has a long history of medicinal use. The dried fruit has been popular for the symptomatic treatment of diarrhea, for topical relief of minor mucus membrane inflammation, and for a variety of eye disorders, including poor night vision, eyestrain, and myopia.
Bilberry fruit and its extracts contain a number of biologically active components, including a class of compounds called anthocyanosides. These have been the focus of recent research in Europe.
Bilberry extract has been evaluated for efficacy as an antioxidant, mucostimulant, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, "vasoprotectant," and lipid-lowering agent. Although pre-clinical studies have been promising, human data are limited and largely of poor quality. At this time, there is not sufficient evidence in support of (or against) the use of bilberry for most indications. Notably, the evidence suggests a lack of benefit of bilberry for the improvement of night vision.
Bilberry is commonly used to make jams, pies, cobblers, syrups, and alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages. Fruit extracts are used as a coloring agent in wines.
News About Bilberry
3 Beauty Benefits of Bilberry
- (Sequoia, 3FatChichks)
Bilberry, a member of the berry family, is a shrub that normally grows up to 15 cm in height. It is native to North America, Western Asia, and some parts of Europe. Unlike other species of the berry family, like strawberry and cranberry, bilberry is rarely cultivated. In Scotland, Ireland and Poland, however, bilberry grows in abundance in many publicly accessible lands.
Bilberry has been known for its beauty benefits, making it a valuable natural ingredient for cosmetic products. Here are three of the many beauty benefits that you can get with the use of bilberry. You can enjoy the beauty benefits of bilberry through drinking bilberry juice, eating fresh bilberry fruits, and using cosmetic products that contain bilberry. 1. Helps Protect the Skin
Bilberry can help enhance the look, feel, and overall beauty of your skin. It has been found to contain resveratrol and quercetin, which are great anti-aging agents. It also contains antioxidant properties known to protect the skin against damage from free radicals. It is likewise enriched with vitamins B, C and E, which are nutrients known to help nourish the skin.
Bilberry has also been used as treatment for various skin disorders, such as skin ulcers and varicose veins. Because regularly consuming bilberry helps improve blood circulation, it has also been used to combat venous insufficiency, which causes certain skin problems. 2. Acts as a Natural Cosmetic Ingredient
The extract of the bilberry fruits and leaves is a popular ingredient used for cosmetic products. Bilberry extract acts as a skin-conditioning agent that helps nourish the skin and increases its vitality. The most common cosmetic applications that contain natural bilberry extract include makeup, facial creams, and lotions. 3. Enhances Eye Beauty
Consuming bilberry can enhance the beauty of your eyes, and this is, in fact, one of the most well-known beauty benefits this plant can offer. It has been found scientifically that consuming bilberry can improve vision as well. It contains compounds, including the flavonoids called anthocyanosides, which facilitate blood flow in the tiny vessels surrounding the eyes. In fact, during the Second World War, British pilots would eat bilberry jam to improve their night vision.
As it has been found to improve blood circulation, and maintain healthy eyesight and vitality, it is not surprising why bilberry extract has become a common ingredient in many eye care cosmetic products. In fact, it is also used to treat eye problems, such as diabetic neuropathy, cataracts, and macular degeneration.
Due to the number of health and beauty benefits that the bilberry plant offers, bilberry is now available in different forms, including extracts, tea, and creams. Bilberry tea, which is created from dried bilberry fruit, is also increasingly becoming a popular substitute for coffee. The tea is not only flavorful, but it is also caffeine free. Green tea products with bilberry fruit are also becoming popular. Green tea, which is also known to be rich in antioxidants, when combined with bilberry, makes a very powerful skin care product.
Enhancing the Senses: Seeing clearly for longer
- By Siobhan Moylan (News Corp Australia Network)
SIGHT is typically the sense that many of us hold most dear, as our eyes allow us to capture the beautiful world around us and envision our future selves.
It is also a sense we take for granted until it starts to fade because, like breathing, we do it without conscious thought.
Like all of the primary senses though, it is not immune to deteriorating with age, but luckily, there are things we can do to slow the process of deterioration and even prevent it all together.
Medical Optometrist, Dr Allan Ared says, “Contrast sensitivity is far more perceptive in youth. Ageing induces imperfections in the eyes optical system reducing contrast and ultimately affecting vision.”
“The ocular surface in a young eye is similar in nature to a smooth ice rink but in the elderly, more like a gravel road.”
- Macular Degeneration — who is at risk?
Believe it or not, age-related macula degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that probably wasn’t around over 100 years ago.
The theory is that changes to the biodegradability of our food chain and the subsequent build up of toxins within foods, has led to more impurities in the retina.
Imagine buying a packet of biscuits at the supermarket. The biscuits have been sitting on the shelf for say, six months and may have a further six months of shelf life.
They last this long because they are packed with preservatives. Over time our bodies have trouble breaking these kinds of additives down.
“Over time these impurities clog various chemical pathways in our bodies and cause them to dysfunction. Additives in large amounts, are toxic to the eyes.”
“Those at most risk of AMD are smokers, people who include margarine and canola oil in their diets and people that don’t regularly ‘detox’ by way of green leafy vegetables (kale, broccoli, spinach) and Omega 3s particularly those found in oily fish”.
- Glaucoma — the silent thief
Then there is glaucoma — also known as the silent sneak thief of sight because, during the early to middle stages of the disease, there are usually no noticeable symptoms until irreversible damage has occurred.
Currently AMD affects around 300,000 Australians and, around about that same number of people don’t even know they have it.
Although anyone can get glaucoma, some people have a higher risk; those with a family history of glaucoma, those who have diabetes, migraine, short sightedness (myopia) long sightedness (hyperopia), high blood pressure and those exposed to cortisone drugs (steroids).
Dr Ared recommends that “everyone should have their eyes tested every two years unless there is a family history of eye disease, in that case, annual eye checks are advised as eye disease can move quickly”.
- Eating right is essential for eye health
It is said that the RAF fighter pilots who preferred bilberry jam on their scones during the Second World War were blessed with improved vision on their night-time forays.
Tall tale or not, naturopath Mim Beim says “bilberries are indeed good for eyesight.”
Although studies in to vision have been focused on bilberries, their second cousin, blueberries contain similar antioxidants that have the same effects.”
And what about carrots — are they really good for the eyes? “Yes, that is true, foods rich in vitamins A, C, and E are vital for good vision. Eating plenty of food rich in these three vitamins is a great prevention tool for sharpening your vision.”
“Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that protects the eyes from sun damage”.
- Use the 20 - 20 - 20 rule if you work on a computer
Environmental factors like how close we sit to our computers and how much sun we are exposed to plays a role in our eyes changes over time.
“Excessive exposure to sun is probably the worst thing, so invest in a decent pair of sun glasses, especially if you live here in Australia,” says Dr Ared.
The use of computers and artificial environments can also have a negative impact on our vision.
“It’s a double whammy effect, a reduced blink rate in front of a screen leads to quicker tear film evaporation, plus most offices have air-conditioning which further dries out the eyes, so people should try and use eye drops if they find their eyes have a tendency to dryness.”
Dr Ared advocates the 20 - 20 -20 rule — “Rest the eyes for every 20 minutes of near work by looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.”
How close are you sitting to the computer screen now?
How to Grow Your Own Superfoods
- By Brian Barth
You know that section in the health food store where two-ounce packages of exotic sounding nuts and berries go for upwards of $20? It's the superfood section. I hate to break it to you, but many of those foods can be easily grown in your garden amid your broccoli, petunias, and other more mundane plants. In fact, some of them grow like weeds.
A “superfood” typically gets that moniker when it overflows with more nutrients than most other foods we eat, or if it has some special type of nutrient that’s rare in the modern diet. Whether such claims are primarily marketing hype or have some basis in fact depend on the foods in question. So while the nutritional merits of an ordinary blueberry versus, say, a macqui berry from the pristine slopes of the Chilean Patagonia continue to be debated, eating macqui berries is probably a healthy habit—it’s just a matter of whether they are worth $20 per pound.
But if you had such plants growing in your backyard, they’d be free for the snacking, and you could spend less time researching their health benefits on the Internet and more time out in the sunshine tending to them.
Not all superfoods are easy to grow at home, though. Brazil’s famous acai berries, for example, come from an Amazonian palm, which won’t thrive anywhere without constant humidity and temperatures above 50 degrees. Others—like macqui, a gawky looking shrub that is as common as forsythia in parts of Chile—are simply difficult to find. Currently an Internet search turns up a single nursery that sells macqui seeds and seedlings in the US.
In the name of saving you money—and introducing you to some really fascinating plants—here are five superfoods, unmasked of all their sexy packaging, that are fairly easy to grow in average garden conditions (and to obtain from nurseries). We’ll leave the debate over how nutritionally superior they are to the scientists.
Goji Berries (Lycium barbarum)
You know that section in the health food store where two-ounce packages of exotic sounding nuts and berries go for upwards of $20? It's the superfood section. I hate to break it to you, but many of those foods can be easily grown in your garden amid your broccoli, petunias, and other more mundane plants. In fact, some of them grow like weeds.
A “superfood” typically gets that moniker when it overflows with more nutrients than most other foods we eat, or if it has some special type of nutrient that’s rare in the modern diet. Whether such claims are primarily marketing hype or have some basis in fact depend on the foods in question. So while the nutritional merits of an ordinary blueberry versus, say, a macqui berry from the pristine slopes of the Chilean Patagonia continue to be debated, eating macqui berries is probably a healthy habit—it’s just a matter of whether they are worth $20 per pound.
But if you had such plants growing in your backyard, they’d be free for the snacking, and you could spend less time researching their health benefits on the Internet and more time out in the sunshine tending to them.
Not all superfoods are easy to grow at home, though. Brazil’s famous acai berries, for example, come from an Amazonian palm, which won’t thrive anywhere without constant humidity and temperatures above 50 degrees. Others—like macqui, a gawky looking shrub that is as common as forsythia in parts of Chile—are simply difficult to find. Currently an Internet search turns up a single nursery that sells macqui seeds and seedlings in the US.
In the name of saving you money—and introducing you to some really fascinating plants—here are five superfoods, unmasked of all their sexy packaging, that are fairly easy to grow in average garden conditions (and to obtain from nurseries). We’ll leave the debate over how nutritionally superior they are to the scientists.
- Goji Berries (Lycium barbarum)
For centuries, if not millennia, goji berries were used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a raisin-like snack. Related to tomatoes, these perennials (hardy to USDA zone 5) have tiny red fruits on sprawling nondescript shrubs, which grow to about a head high.
They thrive in full sun with regular water, but have no other special demands. Any soil type that isn’t swampy is fine. Cut them back by two-thirds or so each fall to maintain a compact shape. They start fruiting in early to mid-summer and continue until the first frost of fall.
Scores of mail-order nurseries stock goji berries, and they are increasingly common in retail nurseries, especially those that specialize in herbs and edibles. Goji is also known as wolfberry, the name given by English-speaking people when they “discovered” the species.
- White Mulberries (Morus alba)
They look exotic, but white mulberries are a weedy tree throughout much of China. Historically, the leaves were fed to silkworms, though ancient silk farmers undoubtedly enjoyed the fruit as well. In modern times, white mulberries have naturalized (read: grows like a weed) in the US and many other countries. According to, what some might consider a health guru, Dr. Oz, they’re good for the heart, far lower in sugar than most fruits, and have a host of other health benefits.
Growing up to 30 feet with a slightly drooping shape, white mulberries make an attractive shade tree with the bonus of exquisite fruit. They need full sun, average soil, and regular irrigation to get started, but once established white mulberries are fairly self-sufficient. White mulberry cold hardiness varies from USDA zone 5 to zone 9, depending on the variety.
There are many other types of mulberries with black and reddish fruit, including North American native species, that are just as tasty. But if you really want a white-fruiting mulberry, seek out varieties like ‘Tehama’ or ‘White Pakistan’. Confusingly, not all Morus alba trees have white fruit and some mulberry trees with white fruit may be labeled as Morus nigra, the black mulberry (fruit color is genetically variable in the Morus genus). To simplify that horticultural labyrinth when shopping for white mulberry trees, simply read the description of each variety to make sure it has the fruit color you want. Unlike black and red mulberries, the white ones don’t make permanent stains on clothing, driveways, and lawn furniture.
- Bilberries (Vaccinium spp.)
Bilberries are essentially a wild European blueberry. The name is used in reference to several members of the Vaccinium genus, which have similar fruit. Blueberries, as we know them, are native to North America and have been bred for commercial production, a process which may have diluted the concentration of antioxidants and other health-promoting compounds they are renowned for compared to their wild cousins. Bilberries have higher antioxidant levels than blueberries and virtually any other fruit.
Bilberries are generally low-growing groundcovers found in bogs and heaths. They look like a dwarf blueberry plant and respond well to similar garden conditions: full or part sun, ample moisture, and rich acidic soil with a pH of 5.5 or below. Add shredded peat moss or sulfur to the soil to lower the pH, if needed. Bilberries are extremely cold hardy, surviving down to USDA zone 3.
Vaccinium myrtillus is the plant most commonly sold as bilberry. But there are many other plants that produce a nearly identical fruit that are also available in nurseries, such as huckleberry (a North American native shrub) and lingonberry (what that red sauce at Ikea is made of).
- Golden Berries (Physalis peruviana)
In superfood parlance, these are also known as Inca Berries, after the ancient Peruvians who first cultivated them. But before they attained superfood status for their high levels of vitamins, A, B, C, iron, and other nutrients, North Americans referred to them as cape gooseberries or ground cherries—they are all the same plant, a species in the Nightshade family that looks and tastes like a cross between a tomatillo and a cherry tomato.
Grow golden berries exactly as you would a tomato, except don’t bother with a trellis as they grow happily along the ground. Fortunately, they are resistant to most of the insidious diseases that plague tomato plants, like late blight and Fusarium. Golden berries are perennials in frost-free climates (as are tomatoes), but are generally grown as annuals.
You may be able to locate golden berry seedlings in spring and summer, but most gardeners grow them by seed. These are easily germinated indoors and transplanted after all danger of frost has passed. Like cherry tomatoes, golden berries sometime “volunteer” in the garden—meaning seeds from unharvested fruit sprout on their own each year.
- Seaberry (Hippophae rhamnoides)
This thorny shrub is native to mountain cliffs and sand dunes throughout Europe and Central Asia. Prior to being marketed as a superfood for its high levels of folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, omega-3s, and an impressive list of other health attributes, seaberry was more commonly referred to as sea buckthorn.
Growing 8 to 12 feet tall, seaberry makes an impenetrable hedge that becomes laden with orange fruit in fall. It thrives on neglect: poor soil, minimal irrigation, high winds, blazing sun, and Arctic temperatures are the norm in its native habitats. These shrubs are hardy to USDA zone 3.
Seaberry only produces fruit when both male and female varieties are present—this is known as cross-pollination. Most named cultivars are female, while males are usually labeled “male” and sold alongside the females. You can also purchase unnamed seedlings, which are essentially wild plants that will be a 50-50 mix and males and females, ensuring pollination.
Herbs for Health: Benefits of Bilberry
- Source:http://www.motherearthliving.com/health-and-wellness/herbs-for-health-benefits-of-bilberry.aspx
- By Steven Foster
If you grew up among the heaths, moors, and woodlands of northern Europe or are a wild-foods enthusiast in the Rocky Mountain region, you might be familiar with bilberries, fruits of a member of the heath family (Ericaceae) that are much like blueberries. Most Americans, however, are more likely to encounter them in the form of purple gelatin capsules in health-food stores.
The genus Vaccinium includes nearly 450 species that occur in cool, temperate flatlands and mountains of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Many are deciduous or evergreen shrubs with edible fruits, including blueberry, huckleberry, cranberry, whortleberry, and lingonberry.
Bilberry (V. myrtillus) is a foot-tall deciduous shrub with ovate leaves that bears globular pinkish bell-like flowers in spring. It covers vast areas of high mountains in Europe, thriving in damp, acid soils, damp woods, and sandy and rocky soils. From Europe, it ranges eastward to western Mongolia, and in North America, it is found from British Columbia southward to Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. In Europe, the sweet, plump blue-black fruits are harvested commercially from the wild in July through September.
- Bilberry Through History
Bilberry fruits have been valued for centuries as a nutritious food. In England and Scotland, they are eaten with milk and used in pies, tarts, syrups, jellies, and wine. They were also esteemed by Native Americans living in the Rockies.
The first record of bilberry fruits as an herbal medicine is Hildegard of Bingen’s recommendation in the twelfth century to use them to induce menstruation. In the sixteenth century, other German herbalists were prescribing bilberries for bladder stones and liver disorders and bilberry syrups for coughs and lung ailments.
By the eighteenth century, European herbalists and physicians had added intestinal disorders, typhoid fever, gout, rheumatism, and infections of the mouth, skin, and urinary tract to the list of ailments that they believed bilberry would cure. Two hundred years later, people were drinking a tea of the dried berries as a tonic and to stop diarrhea and bleeding, promote urination, and prevent scurvy (vitamin C deficiency); it was also used as an astringent and disinfectant mouthwash for mouth inflammations.
- Modern Research
Interest in bilberry’s potential as an herbal medicine was renewed during World War II when British Royal Air Force pilots reported an improvement in night vision during night bombing missions after eating bilberry jam. These observations led to laboratory tests in the 1960s and later clinical studies on the effects of bilberry fruit extracts on the eyes and vascular system.
Among the constituents of the extracts are at least fifteen anthocyanosides, flavonoids that are derivatives of anthocyanins, the pigments responsible for the red, blue, or violet colors of flowers and fruits and the red in autumn leaves. Most studies have involved extracts that contain 25 to 36 percent anthocyanosides; most standardized bilberry extracts available to U.S. consumers contain 25 percent anthocyanosides.
Bilberry fruits contain up to 7 percent tannins as well as several alkaloids, including myrtine and epimyrtine. At least twelve different phenolic acids have been identified from the fruits as well as three glycosides of quercetin. All of these components could contribute to bilberry’s effectiveness as an herbal medicine.
The vascular system. Bilberry extracts have been shown to be effective in relieving disorders of the peripheral blood vessels, especially the capillary fragility associated with aging. Studies in the 1960s showed that extracts reduced bruising, blood in the stool, and tiny bleeding spots on the skin. Patients suffering from water retention in the lower limbs and varicose veins experienced relief from feelings of heaviness, pain in the legs and ankles, and sensations of burning, prickling, or numbness of the skin. One double-blind, placebo-controlled study of forty-seven patients with various peripheral vascular disorders reported improvement in the symptoms described above as well as a reduction in swelling due to water retention. Other clinical studies involving more than 47 patients with atherosclerosis, a tendency to bruising, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins—all conditions related to poor microcirculation—have shown that the extracts reduce damage from free radicals and promote healthy circulation to the extremities. In other studies, the tea has proven useful for relieving diarrhea and inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat.
Bilberry anthocyanosides are believed to strengthen capillaries by protecting them from free-radical damage, stimulating the formation of healthy connective tissue, and promoting the formation of new capillaries. Bilberry fruit may reduce blood platelet stickiness, which can lead to heart attacks or stroke.
Eye disorders. When French researchers in the 1960s fed a mixture of bilberry anthocyanosides to rabbits, the animals’ ability to adapt to darkness increased, an effect attributed to an increase in the regeneration rate of the purple pigment rhodopsin in the retina. In laboratory and animal experiments, bilberry anthocyanosides have also been shown to deter enzyme reactions that damage the retina.
Researchers have examined the effect of bilberry fruit extracts (either alone or in combination with beta-carotene and vitamin E) on disorders related to impaired photosensitivity or poor microcirculation to the retina. Four Italian studies published during the 1960s showed that both healthy individuals and patients with visual disorders had significantly improved night vision and adapted more rapidly to both darkness and light after taking a bilberry extract. Additional studies on air-traffic controllers, airplane pilots, and truck drivers confirmed that a standardized extract of bilberry fruits improved their night vision and enhanced their adjustment to darkness.
In two clinical trials, Italian researchers found that 76 percent of nearsighted subjects showed a marked improvement in retinal sensitivity after taking 150 mg per day of a bilberry fruit extract for fifteen days, along with vitamin A.
Diabetic retinopathy (a noninflammatory degeneration of the retina) occurs in many people with diabetes mellitus. At least three double-blind, placebo- controlled studies during the 1980s, in which participants were given 320 to 480 mg per day of a high-anthocyanoside extract of bilberry for thirty days to twelve months, showed significant reduction or disappearance of hemorrhages in the retina.
Bilberry anthocyanosides are believed to strengthen capillaries by protecting them from free-radical damage, stimulating the formation of healthy connective tissue, and promoting the formation of new capillaries.
- The Future
Most studies on bilberry were conducted by French or Italian researchers during the 1960s and 1970s and published in foreign scientific journals. That the results are dated, not widely publicized, and not available in English has made some scientists here slow to accept the generally positive results. Additional, and more rigorous, studies are needed if we are to accept the claims made for bilberry fruit extracts.
The safety of bilberry, however, is well established. One study of 2295 subjects taking a 36 percent anthocyanoside-standardized bilberry fruit extract showed positive results with no adverse effects, even after prolonged use. There are no reported contraindications, interactions with other drugs, or side effects.
In the United States, bilberry dietary supplements, including extracts standardized to 25 percent anthocyanosides and tablets and capsules of the dried fruits, are readily available. A tea made from 20 to 60 g of the dried ripe berries is taken daily in three doses. The usual dosage of standardized products is 340 mg per day, divided into two or three doses.
Bilberry for Better Eyes?
- By Cathy Wong, ND (Reviewed by a board-certified physician)
A relative of the blueberry, bilberry is purported to improve the health of the eyes. Bilberry is rich in antioxidants, natural substances thought to protect against eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Research on bilberry's health effects is limited, but some studies suggest that bilberry supplements may be of some benefit to the eyes.
- The Science Behind Bilberry's Benefits for the Eyes
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) classifies bilberry as "possibly effective" for treatment of eye problems linked to diabetes and high blood pressure (also known as hypertension).
In particular, bilberry may help prevent diabetes- and hypertension-related blood vessel damage known to impair the retina (a nerve layer involved in sensing light).
On the other hand, NIH deems bilberry "possibly ineffective" for improving night vision. Indeed, a 2004 review from the journal Survey of Ophthalmology found little scientific support for the theory that bilberry can sharpen night vision in healthy eyes. In their analysis of 30 clinical trials, the review's authors also found "a complete absence of rigorous research" on bilberry's effects on night vision in people with diseases of the eyes.
- More Research on Bilberry and the Eyes
For a 2001 report in Alternative Medicine Review, investigators sized up the available research on natural therapies for diseases of the eyes. Results revealed that bilberry shows promise in the treatment of glaucoma, although the report's authors caution that the evidence for this use is "very preliminary." The report also indicates that bilberry may help treat cataracts, a condition linked to free-radical-induced damage.
According to the report's authors, bilberry contains potent antioxidant compounds "with a particular affinity for the eye."
- Using Bilberry for Eye Health
Due to the lack of scientific support, bilberry cannot be recommended to improve the health of the eyes. Although bilberry is generally considered safe for most when consumed in regular amounts in food, little is known about the safety of long-term or regular use of bilberry supplements.
If you're considering the use bilberry to treat any disease of the eyes, make sure to consult your physician before starting your supplement regimen. Self-treating and avoiding or delaying standard care may have serious consequences.
Bilberry Extract Improves Eye Conditions and Circulation
- (Best Health)
Bomber pilots claim bilberry jam gave them night vision. Learn more about the benefits of bilberry, including how it helps eye and circulation issues
Eye conditions and circulation issues can be improved with bilberry extract Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is used in jam and baking, but also has over a 1000-year-old legacy for its medicinal properties. It’the dried fruit and leaves, specifically’has been used in European herbal medicine for that long to treat diarrhea, mouth and throat irritations, coughs and tuberculosis. Bilberry-leaf tea is a widely used folk medicine for diabetes and for urinary tract infections, too. British World War II pilots reportedly credited their pinpoint accuracy during night bombing raids to the bilberry jam they’d enjoyed at teatime. Though never confirmed, the story highlights the potential health bonuses of this dainty fruit.
These days, bilberry is most commonly used medicinally as supplementary treatment for circulation issues, glaucoma, cataracts and retinopathy. It is this midnight-blue berry’s storehouse of powerful anthocyanins’chemical compounds with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions’that have been the subject of recent scientific research.
- How it works
Anthocyanins give bilberries their deep blue-red tint. In the body, these compounds have been shown in numerous studies to improve circulation in the tiny blood vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to individual cells. As antioxidants, they also protect cells from damage.
- If you want to try bilberry extract
Fresh bilberries can be hard to find; frozen ones may be more readily available. Juices and extracts are sold in health food stores. Do not use bilberry in place of medications recommended by your doctor for eye or circulation conditions.
If you’d like to try bilberry as an add-on therapy, look for an extract standardized to contain 25 percent anthocyanins. Follow package directions for dosage.Talk with your doctor before using bilberry if you take medications for diabetes or to discourage clotting.
- Modern research and studies on bilberry
In a widely cited Italian study published in 1989, 50 elderly people with early stage cataracts who took a combination of bilberry extract and vitamin E saw cataract progression slow by 97 percent.
Antioxidant power may explain the results of another Italian study from 1987, of 14 people with damage to their retinas and to tiny blood vessels in their eyes, due to diabetes or high blood pressure. They received bilberry extracts containing 115 milligrams of anthocyanins or a placebo daily. After a month, tests showed their retinas and the blood vessels had improved.
Glaucoma patients also experienced improvements in a small Korean study. Researchers gave anthocyanins from bilberry to 132 study volunteers at a dose of 60 milligrams twice daily for 2 years; another 103 received a gingko supplement and 97 others received neither. Eye tests showed that vision improved in those who took the anthocyanins; these volunteers also had fewer ‘weak spots’ in their field of vision. Lead researcher Seong Hee Shim noted that bilberry anthocyanins may help eyes by improving circulation, which could in turn help control dangerously high fluid pressure in the eye that in glaucoma can damage the optic nerve.
That circulation boost has body-wide benefits. In a 2010 lab study by Slovenia’s University of Ljubljana, a bilberry extract increased blood flow and helped stabilize heart rhythm after heart attack in rats. A 1995 lab study at Italy’s CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology found that bilberry extract restored blood flow to injured hamster tissue. Several Italian studies from the 1980s found that people with various circulation problems saw blood flow improve upon taking bilberry extract daily.
Meanwhile, bilberry anthocyanins improved symptoms in people with a bowel disease called ulcerative colitis, in a preliminary 2012 study at University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
Glaucoma patients experienced improvements in a small Korean study. Researchers gave anthocyanins from bilberry to 132 study volunteers at a dose of 60 milligrams twice daily for 2 years; another 103 received a gingko supplement and 97 others received neither. Eye tests showed that vision improved in those who took might still improve night vision in people with impaired eyesight due to diseases such as diabetes or glaucoma.
- Night vision
If bilberry jam boosted the prowess of British bomber pilots in World War II, could it help the US Navy? In 2000, Eric R Muth of the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory in Pensacola, Florida, set out to answer that question after several European studies suggested that bilberry had night vision-sharpening powers. Fifteen Navy SEAL personnel took 160 milligrams of a bilberry extract 3 times a day for 3 weeks. But tests showed no improvements. And a 2004 review of bilberry studies by the Peninsula Medical School of the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth in England came to the same conclusion; however, researchers noted that further study is needed to find out if bilberry vessels in their eyes, due to diabetes or high blood pressure. They received bilberry extracts containing 115 milligrams of anthocyanins or a placebo daily. After a month, tests showed their retinas and the blood vessels had improved.
What Are the Benefits of Bilberry Supplements?
- By Tracey Roizman, D.C., (Demand Media)
Bilberrry, a relative of the North American blueberry, is a group of European shrubs in the genus Vaccinium. Similar in appearance to blueberries, bilberries are slightly smaller and darker, with a red or purple inner coloration. Notoriously difficult to grow, bilberries are usually harvested in the wild, according to Breanne FIndlay, author of "The Celtic Diet: Let History Shape Your Future." Supplements derived from bilberry offer potential health benefits.
- Retinal Health
Bilberry antioxidant supplements support healthy vision by helping to regenerate light-sensitive pigments in cells of the retina, according to a study published in the September 2010 issue of the journal "Vestnik Oftalmologii." Anthocyanidin compounds in bilberry protect and improve nutrient status of the retina. Bilberry extract protected the retina from damage in an animal study published in the July 2009 issue of the journal "Molecular Nutrition and Food Research." In the tissue culture study, bilberry antioxidant extract prevented oxidation of lipids and inhibited nerve damage to the retina in response to a toxin.
- Glaucoma Improvement
A combination of bilberry extract and ginkgo biloba improved vision in patients with normal-pressure glaucoma -- a condition characterized by damage to the optic nerve that can lead to a narrowing of the visual field and eventual total blindness. Participants with normal-pressure glaucoma consumed the combination supplement daily for an average of two years. Results showed a 31 percent in visual acuity, according to one rating scale, while visual field improved by 17 percent.
- Blood Sugar Management
Bilberry supplements may help lower your blood sugar, according to an animal study published in the March 2010 "Journal of Nutrition." Diets supplemented with bilberry extract decreased blood sugar levels and improved insulin sensitivity -- the appropriate response of cells to insulin -- in mice with Type 2 diabetes. Bilberry extract activated an enzyme that stimulates fat burning and inhibits cholesterol production, leading to improved glucose absorption in muscles and lower levels of glucose and fat in the liver. Some evidence shows that retinal damage due to diabetes or high blood sugar may improve with bilberry supplementation, notes New York University's Langone Medical Center.
- Circulatory Health
Your circulation may receive a boost from bilberry supplementation, according to a study published in the November 2011 issue of the journal "Clinical Chemistry." Participants with elevated cholesterol consumed 320 milligrams of bilberry antioxidants per day for 12 weeks. Measurements of blood flow showed 28.4 percent improvement in the supplemented group compared to baseline blood flow measurements of the same group taken before starting the bilberry supplement. Additionally, levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, the good form of cholesterol, increased significantly with bilberry supplementation, while levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, the bad form of cholesterol, decreased.
Natural Tips For Fantastic Vision
- By Anthia Koullouros
Great vision and healthy eyes are an important aspect of our health and wellbeing. There are some fantastic natural remedies, nutrients and lifestyle tips that can help improve the health of your eyes and prevent eye disease such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and itchy eyes. There are also some nutrient rich foods that we can incorporate into our diets to help promote eye health and great vision. Below are my top naturopathic recommendations to help keep your eyes healthy and your vision sharp.
1. Protect your eyes
The most important tip that I can provide you with it is to take great care of your eyes and protect them from UV exposure. Simple as it may sound, excessive sun exposure can cause eye strain, macular degeneration and cataracts. Protect your eyes from UV damage by wearing quality UV blocking sunglasses and broad-brimmed hats. It is also vital to take regular breaks from looking at your computer screen and smart phone devices. Take regular intervals looking away from your bright screens to rest your eyes and prevent eye strain. Establish these habits of wearing sunglasses and resting your eyes to optimise your eye health.
2. Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for the normal functioning of the visual system. It is an antioxidant that reduces free radical damage and oxidation of tissue. Ensuring you have adequate levels of vitamin A in your diet can help reduce the risk of developing cataracts and prevent macular degeneration and night blindness. Preformed vitamin A is found almost exclusively in animal products, such as milk, meats, liver, fish, and egg yolk.
3. Lutein + zeaxanthin
Lutein and zeaxanthin are the two major components found in the macular pigment of the retina. They have antioxidant qualities that protect the eyes against excessive UV light exposure, and play a preventative role in age related vision conditions such as macular degeneration. Enjoy foods such as dark leafy greens and egg yolk as a food source of lutein and citrus, orange and peppers as a food source of zeaxanthin.
4. Omega-3
Omega-3 essential fatty acids may help protect the eyes from macular degeneration and dryness. Essential fatty acids are naturally found in the retina and are thought to promote healthy retinal function and can help reduce inflammation in the blood vessels of the eye. The body does not naturally create essential fatty acids so they must be derived from our diet. Food sources of omega-3 to incorporate into your diet include deep-sea, cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel and nuts such as walnuts.
5. Bilberry + Eyebright
The plant world offers some fantastic herbs to help improve eye health with my top two being Bilberry and Eyebright. Bilberry has been traditionally used to help prevent eye strain and eye fatigue. It contains anthocyanosides, which are antioxidants that may prevent macular degeneration, improve night vision and support healthy function of the retina. Enjoy Bilberry in a herbal tea or take as a herbal tincture as prescribed by your herbalist or naturopath. Eyebright is another herb that has an affinity towards the eyes. It has astringent, anti-inflammatory therapeutic actions and makes a fantastic eye bath for those suffering from conjunctivitis or any eye inflammation. To make an eye bath simply buy organic eyebright in a tea form, steep 1 teaspoon per cup of boiled water. Fill an eyecup halfway with the eye bath tea and bend your head down. Press the eyecup gently to your closed eye. Tilt your head back by slowly opening your eye. Blink the eye several times. Throw away the used solution and fill with fresh one and repeat the same procedure with the other eye. Lastly wash the eye cup to prevent possible contamination.
NB: Herbal tinctures are only available with a prescription from your Naturopath or Herbalist. A qualified practitioner will ensure your medication, supplements or disease state does not interact with the herbs. When an herbalist prescribes herbal medicine they consider one’s constitution: age, allergies, sensitiveness, robustness, size, temperature, current status of health and personality. Always remember to tell your practitioner if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding.
Foods, supplements & herbs for eye health
- By Michelle Misiaszek
CHICOPEE, Mass. (Mass Appeal) – Certain foods, supplements and herbs can actually help keep your eyes healthy as you age! Herbal Information Specialist Jonathan Evans, from The Herbarium in Chicopee shared more about these foods, supplements and herbs.
Foods for Eye Health
Leafy greens (Kale, collard greens, spinach) – Good source of Lutein, which is found in the yellow spot of the eye part of the macular region in the retina, which is responsible for central vision
Eggs – Yolk also contains Lutein
Dried peas and beans, yellow vegetables – Carotenes, antioxidants, free radical scavengers, helping general eye health
Blackberries, Cherries, Raspberries – Antioxidants, free radical scavengers, help to protect against age related Macular Degeneration and helps with lens opacity (Cataracts) as well as strengthening blood vessels
Herbs / Supplements for Eye Health
Lutein – Helps filter out harmful radiation and helps maintain proper lens density. Important for a healthy retina and protects macula from free radical damage.
Bilberry – Improves night vision, and helps support healthy circulation in the eye. Bilberry has been shown to build up the macula.
Ginkgo biloba – Promotes better circulation in the eye and strengthens blood vessels.
Eyebright herb – Antibacterial, astringent. Used for conjunctivitis, cataract formation, glaucoma, general eye health
Astaxanthin – Another carotenoid for retinal health, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and eye strain and fatigue.
Zeaxanthin – Protects cortex of the lens rom free radical damage.
Quercetin – Helps maintain lens transparency
Vitamins good for eyes – Vitamin A, beta carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, Selenium and several amino acids are all very helpful for eye health
Feast on a very berry Christmas! Counter festive eating with fat-burning bilberries
- (Express)
TOO much high-fat, rich food over the festive period can take its toll on even the most health conscious of us.
But help could be at hand from a popular Nordic foodstuff.
Bilberries appear to counter the adverse effects of a high-fat diet, researchers have found.
The berries also offer benefits for controlling blood pressure and inflammatory responses, according to the study by scientists at the University of Eastern Finland.
Inflammation and high blood pressure are often associated with obesity-related diseases.
The study, published in PLOS ONE, focused on the health effects of bilberries on mice fed a high-fat diet over a three-month period.
Bilberries have long been a staple of the Nordic diet and traditional folk wisdom endows them with several health benefits.
The positive impact of the fruits is thought to be explained by polyphenols, especially anthocyanins, the levels of which are significantly higher in bilberries than in commercially cultivated blueberries.
Study Shows Bilberries (Wild Blueberries) May Prevent Harmful Effects of a High-Fat Diet
- By Heather Suhr
Bilberries are a plant with bright green leaves and bell-shaped flowers grown in the wild primarily in northern Europe. It looks like blueberries, but has a darker color, and the flavor is more tart than the American blueberry. The deeper color is a result of anthocyanosides, which are typically found in darker colored berries.
While blueberries already provides many health benefits including polyphenols and anthocyanins, bilberries have significantly higher levels of anthocyanins than blueberries. Bilberries are effective in helping a wide variety of diseases due to its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.
- New study shows bilberries can fight harmful effects of a high-fat diet
A new study published in PLOS One is the first study to prove the beneficial effects on both blood pressure and nutrition-derived inflammatory responses.
The study focused on the health effects of bilberries on mice when fed a high-fat diet for three months. Some of the mice were fed either 5% or 10% of bilberries and the researchers measured inflammatory cell and cytokine levels, systolic blood pressure, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and weight gain.
The team did note that the high-fat diet did cause the mice to gain a significant amount of weight and experienced adverse changes in glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammation factors, and blood pressure.
- Bilberries lessened the pro-inflammatory effects resulting from a high-fat diet
Researchers noticed the mice that were fed bilberries experienced an altered cytokine profile and lower prevalence of inflammation-supporting T-cells compared to the mice that did not eat bilberries. In addition bilberries help prevent elevated blood pressure caused by the high-fat diet.
The University of Leicester in the UK led a study in 2007 to determine whether bilberry extract could prevent or delay some cancers. They found that it slowed some effects of cancers, such as colorectal cancer in the laboratory model. They followed it into human clinical trials and reported tumor proliferation by 7%.
- Things to keep in mind
Bilberries are generally considered safe for consumption, however people taking anticoagulant and anti-platelet drugs should be cautious when using bilberry extracts as they can alter the medicine’s effectiveness and act detrimentally. In addition, using bilberry extracts in high concentrations as excessive consumption can cause toxicity and result in complication for some people.
6 Little-Known Nutrients that Build Better Vision
- By Dr. Michelle Schoffro Cook (PhD, DNM)
An old adage says that eyes are the windows of the soul, but we also rely on them for just about everything we do in life. It’s important to take good care of our eyes and vision through a largely or entirely plant-based diet.
While there are many vitamins and minerals needed for healthy eyes and vision, it’s also important to get enough of the lesser-known nutrients that help in this area.
Here are some of critical vision nutrients and the foods in which they are found: Alpha carotene—This type of carotenoid, which is in the group of about 700 different yellow-orange-red pigments found in many fruits and vegetables, tends to take a back seat to beta carotene, but is equally important to eye health. This nutrient is found in apricots, broccoli, carrots, collards, leafy greens, kale, mangoes, papayas, peaches, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, squash and tomatoes.
Beta carotene—Okay, most people have heard of beta carotene, but no article on nutrients for better vision would be complete without mentioning this essential eyesight-protecting nutrient. It’s found in many of the same foods as alpha carotene, including: apricots, broccoli, carrots, collards, leafy greens, kale, mangoes, papayas, peaches, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, squash and tomatoes.
Lutein—This fat-soluble nutrient is normally present in healthy eyes, but can become depleted over time. It acts as an antioxidant within the eyes to protect them from free radical damage. Lutein is a yellow-colored pigment found in many foods, including: apricots, avocados, broccoli, carrots, collards, eggs, leafy greens, kale, leeks, mangoes, papayas, peaches, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, squash and tomatoes.
Naringin—If you’ve ever bit into a grapefruit and tasted their signature bitter-sour flavor, you’ve tasted naringin. This bitter-tasting plant nutrient is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the retina in the eyes. It is mainly found in grapefruit.
Rutin—Without rutin, your body cannot properly absorb vitamin C. Rutin is a powerful nutrient that improves overall eye health and strengthens blood vessels, especially the small capillaries. Because it also improves circulation and acts as an antioxidant against free radical damage, it’s especially helpful for diabetic retinopathy. It is found in citrus fruits, red apples, apricots, bilberry fruit, blackberries, broccoli, buckwheat, cherries, black currants, grapes, nuts, onions, peppers, plums, prunes, rose hips and tea.
Zeaxanthin—This nutrient shares some of the same effects of lutein. It helps prevent against age-related macular degeneration of the eyes, which is a cause of blindness in the elderly. This important eye-protecting agent is found in apricots, broccoli, carrots, collards, eggs, leafy greens, kale, leeks, mangoes, papayas, peaches, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, squash and tomatoes.
When it comes to nutrients for eye health, seeing is believing. The best way to see well for life is to see a wide range of yellow, orange, red, and green foods on your plate every day.
VTT: Bilberries to increase our dietary fiber intake
- (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland)
Bilberries -- a unique part of the Nordic diet -- could be utilised in higher amounts in food products to increase our dietary fibre intake. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd took an interest in bilberry press cake and developed methods to use it as a dietary fibre source in tasty snacks.
VTT studied the dietary fibre content, carbohydrate composition, and non-carbohydrate fibre content of Finnish bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) and bilberry press cake -- a side product from juice processing. The results indicate that bilberries contain plenty of dietary fibre: fresh bilberries 3%, freeze-dried bilberries 24% and dry bilberry press cake 59%. The content can be explained by the high relative proportion of peels and seeds in the berries due to their small size. The dietary fibre was mostly insoluble, which means it has excellent bulking effects and therefore increases intestinal mobility and removal of digestion residue from the body.
- Press cake in snacks and muffins
The berry juice industry produces large amounts of press cake, which is currently under-utilised. It is a low-cost raw material with a healthy status and it can be used to substitute all or part of whole berries in health-promoting products.
Bilberry press cake can be used as a substitute for whole berries in berry-striped muffins when it is milled according to VTT's patented wet milling method. Thanks to bilberry press cake, a fibre content of over 6% in the muffins can be easily achieved without compromising the sensory quality.
It is possible to add bilberry press cake also to extruded snacks. Extrusion processing is a high temperature short time process, where both expanded puffs and flakes can be produced. A nice flavour and crispy texture can be obtained by adding dried and milled press cake of up to 30% to the flour mix used during the extruded snack production.
- High content of anthocyanins
Bilberries and blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are known for their high content of anthocyanins. In contrast to cultivated blueberries, the anthocyanin content in wild bilberries is also high in the flesh part and is therefore more bioavailable than in blueberries or their peels. Anthocyanins have anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activity, and they have the potential to reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Climb steps to keep yourself smart
- Source:http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/vA8wl7R7RJa5U0Azi95TPI/Climb-steps-to-keep-yourself-smart.html
- Compiled by Abhijit Ahaskar
Attitude of co-workers can affect a mother’s decision to breastfeed her child and adding bilberries to daily diet improves fibre intake of body—studies and research tips for a healthier you
- Taking stairs can keep brain young
Using stairs more often not just makes body strong but improves brain’s health too, a Canadian study suggests. Researchers from Concordia University enlisted 331 healthy people in the age group of 19 to 79 years. They used MRI to measure the volume of grey matter found in their brains because its decline is a sign of aging. When they compared the brain volume of the participants with the number of flight of stairs climbed, they found that brain age decreases by 0.58 years for every daily flight of stairs climbed. The study was published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging. Read more here.
- Indian parents worry more about their child’s online safety
Indian parents worry more compared to their global counterparts when their children spend more time online. According to Norton Cybersecurity Insights Report, 57% of Indian parents worried that their children would end up being bullied by cyber predators. The report found that more than 50% of parents believe that their children are safer from bullies on a playground than on the internet and that what a child posts will come back to haunt the whole family sometime later.
- Workplace environment linked to working mother’s decision to breastfeed
Attitude of co-workers, superiors and comments at work place can affect a mother’s decision to breastfeed her child, a US study suggests. Researchers from University of Houston did a survey involving 859 women who went to work soon after conceiving their child. Only 300 women continued to breastfeed for a year while only seven continued breastfeeding exclusively for six months. The researchers found that women with supportive co-workers and bosses were eight times more likely to continue exclusive breastfeeding than women with non-supportive co-workers. The study was published in the Journal of Organizational Behaviour.
- Yoga can help but it is not enough
Yoga intervention can be beneficial in depression but it alone can’t be relied upon to treat trauma, a study claims. Researchers from North Carolina examined 13 previous reviews and found that yoga can help in anxiety, depression and trauma but only in the short term. “As a stand-alone treatment right now, Yoga alone is just not viable. However, I think with more education, more research, and more experienced instructors, it will be,” said co-author and Yoga instructor Leslie Roach. Researches feel yoga intervention should be recommended but only with scientifically verified treatments such as psychotherapy and medication.
- Bilberries can improve fibre intake
Adding bilberries to daily diet can increase fibre intake which increases intestinal mobility and improves the digestive process, a Finnish study claims. Researchers from VTT Technical Research Centre examined the amount of fibre and carbohydrate composition content in bilberries. They found that fresh bilberries contain 3% fibre, freeze-dried bilberries 24% and dry bilberry press cake 59%. They also found that bilberries contain anthocyanins, a water soluble flavonid with anti-carcinogenic capabilities. It can also reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
In the News: Bilberry for Healthy Eyes
- By Lindsay Cleek
If you have a family history of vision problems or just want to maintain good eyesight as you age, there could be an herbal aid to go along with your routine of regular visits to the eye doctor. A recent study found that a combination of bilberry extract (Vaccinium myrtillus) and Pycnogenol® (French maritime pine bark extract) helped improved blood flow to the eye and reduced intraocular pressure associated with disorders such as glaucoma.
The study was conducted at Italy’s University of Chieti-Pescara in San Valentino, Italy. Approximately 80 subjects in their late 40s, all void of prior vision problems, completed the clinical trial. Participants took the supplement Mirtogenol®, 80 mg of bilberry extract and 40 mg of Pycnogel, in varied combination with latanoprost, a topical eye medication used to reduce eye pressure. Intraocular pressure and retinal blood flow were measured periodically throughout the 24-week trial. Researchers concluded that Mirtogenol® lowers intraocular pressure in those with previously elevated pressure. They also found that it could be helpful in reducing the risk of glaucoma because it prevents an increase in ocular hypertension.
Bilberry aids in this process by modifying the capillaries in the ciliary body, which releases fluid within the eye. Bilberry has long been thought to be beneficial for eye health, with World War II British Royal Air Force pilots eating bilberry jam to sharpen their vision for night missions. However, a recent study disproved a link between bilberry and improved night vision.
Bilberry extract is taken from dried, ripe bilberry fruit and leaves and is used by herbalists to treat a variety of other health conditions as well. Bilberry plants contain tannins, which are most commonly used to treat diarrhea, and can reduce inflammation due to mouth and throat irritation. Flavonoids in bilberry leaf have been studied to improve circulation, which leads it to be used to treat conditions like diabetes and varicose veins as well.
Always consult your physician before starting any new health supplements to avoid possible medication interactions.
Bilberries can be utilised in food products to boost dietary fibre intake
- (News Medical, VTT)
Bilberries - a unique part of the Nordic diet - could be utilised in higher amounts in food products to increase our dietary fibre intake. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd took an interest in bilberry press cake and developed methods to use it as a dietary fibre source in tasty snacks.
VTT studied the dietary fibre content, carbohydrate composition, and non-carbohydrate fibre content of Finnish bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) and bilberry press cake - a side product from juice processing. The results indicate that bilberries contain plenty of dietary fibre: fresh bilberries 3%, freeze-dried bilberries 24% and dry bilberry press cake 59%. The content can be explained by the high relative proportion of peels and seeds in the berries due to their small size. The dietary fibre was mostly insoluble, which means it has excellent bulking effects and therefore increases intestinal mobility and removal of digestion residue from the body.
- Press cake in snacks and muffins
The berry juice industry produces large amounts of press cake, which is currently under-utilised. It is a low-cost raw material with a healthy status and it can be used to substitute all or part of whole berries in health-promoting products.
Bilberry press cake can be used as a substitute for whole berries in berry-striped muffins when it is milled according to VTT's patented wet milling method. Thanks to bilberry press cake, a fibre content of over 6% in the muffins can be easily achieved without compromising the sensory quality.
It is possible to add bilberry press cake also to extruded snacks. Extrusion processing is a high temperature short time process, where both expanded puffs and flakes can be produced. A nice flavour and crispy texture can be obtained by adding dried and milled press cake of up to 30% to the flour mix used during the extruded snack production.
- High content of anthocyanins
Bilberries and blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are known for their high content of anthocyanins. In contrast to cultivated blueberries, the anthocyanin content in wild bilberries is also high in the flesh part and is therefore more bioavailable than in blueberries or their peels. Anthocyanins have anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activity, and they have the potential to reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Bilberries And Obesity: How Wild Blueberries Offset Negative Effects Of A High-Fat Diet
- By Lecia Bushak
Various studies have pointed to the huge health benefits of eating blueberries, from reducing the risk of heart disease, to improving your metabolism and providing you with plenty of antioxidants to fight cancer, diabetes, and even Alzheimer’s disease. A new study just adds one more benefit to that already lengthy list: Eating wild blueberries in particular, known as “bilberries,” can help reduce the negative effects of a high-fat diet and fight obesity.The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland, and found that bilberries were beneficial for improving blood pressure and nutrition-derived inflammatory responses. Low-grade inflammation as well as high blood pressure are often linked to obesity and obesity-related diseases such as diabetes. “Low-grade metabolic inflammation and hypertension are primary mechanisms involved in obesity-associated adverse health effects,” the authors wrote in the abstract. “Berries, especially Nordic wild blueberries (bilberries), represent an important source of dietary anthocyanins, a group of polyphenols with potential beneficial effects to combat obesity-associated metabolic disturbances.”
For the study, the researchers fed mice a high-fat diet for three months. Different groups of mice had diets containing either five percent or 10 percent of freeze-dried bilberries, and the researchers examined the effects, focusing particularly on inflammatory cell and cytokine levels, systolic blood pressure, glucose tolerance, insulin, and weight gain. They found that the mice placed on a high-fat diet gained more weight, and experienced negative changes in glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as higher blood pressure — of course. But the bilberries actually lowered the inflammation associated with a high-fat diet and improved their outlooks.“Bilberries constitute an integral part of the Nordic diet and they could be better utilized also elsewhere in the world,” the University of Eastern Finland press release said. “Bilberries are associated with several beneficial health effects and their use involves plenty of traditional wisdom.”Bilberries aren’t quite the same as blueberries. They’re native to Northern Europe and are relatives of blueberries. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, bilberries have been used for hundreds of years in both jams and pies, and in medicine. Because they contain plant pigments called anthocyanosides, which serve as antioxidants, bilberries offset free radicals in the body and prevent damage to cells.
While the study doesn’t give you a green light to go ahead and eat a fatty diet filled with mac and cheese and hamburgers, just to devour several cups of bilberries right after, it’s comforting to know that eating certain fruits can help you out after a night of cheating on your diet.Source: Mykkänen OT, Huotari A, Herzig K-H, et al. Wild Blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) Alleviate Inflammation and Hypertension Associated with Developing Obesity in Mice Fed with a High-Fat Diet. PLOS One. 2014.
Bilberries can help those with varicose veins
- Source:http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/bilberries-can-help-those-with-varicose-veins-1.1268454
- (The Irish Times)
DOES IT WORK? Bilberry extract is said to improve eyesight, but this has not been proven
THE BILBERRY fruit is also called the European blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). The bush is commonly found in northern and central Europe, where the fruit has been a popular food.
More recently, bilberry extracts have become popular in treating a variety of eye problems. This reputation developed among RAF pilots during the second World War. Some pilots appeared to be able to see better when flying night bombing raids.
The only thing that seemed to explain the differences was that those with better night vision used bilberry jam. Soon, bilberries had a reputation for curing all sorts of eye problems, along with heart disease, varicose veins and several other conditions.
- Evidence from studies
Bilberries contain a group of potent antioxidants called anthocyanins. Antioxidants are important nutrients that everyone needs.
The body normally produces waste compounds that need to be neutralised by antioxidants. Reduced intake of antioxidants is associated with an increased risk of several illnesses.
The best source is the recommended daily intake of a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Nonetheless, supplementation with additional antioxidants is commonly advocated.
In the case of bilberry, animal studies have found that the extracts positively affect blood flow in various tissues. They also make blood vessels less porous, which could reduce swelling and help with varicose veins. But such uses have not been confirmed in human studies.
The use of bilberry for night vision was supported by some studies carried out in the 1960s. However, since then, several larger and better-designed trials have found no benefit from bilberry.
A review of these and subsequent studies found that only one of the five high-quality trials found bilberry better than placebo for night vision.
Some benefit was found for people taking bilberry for retinopathy. This eye problem can develop in people with diabetes or high blood pressure. Further research is needed to confirm these preliminary findings.
- Problematic aspects
Adverse reactions have not been reported in the studies of bilberry extracts. Given that the extracts may affect blood flow, anyone taking blood-thinning medications should be alert to possible bleeding problems.
Toxic reactions have been noted when people eat large amounts of the berries or consume them for long periods.
Up to 500mg of extract are recommended daily. Most studies used extracts containing 25 per cent anthocyanins, although the commercially available products vary in strength and quality.
- Recommendations
Reports of bilberry helping with night vision point to the limitations of anecdotal reports and testimonials. The differences in night vision among the pilots could have been due to any number of factors.
Although the bilberry jam got the credit, controlled trials have shown that something else must have been the cause of any benefits.
However, by initiating research into bilberries, some potential uses for the extracts have been identified.
One of the most interesting of these is as a treatment for varicose veins. However, further studies are needed to verify whether such uses are valid.
Meanwhile, we know that bilberries are a good source of antioxidants, and can, therefore, be useful for general health as part of a balanced diet that is rich in plant foods.
Problems with vision or circulation can be due to even more serious underlying conditions. Therefore, anyone with symptoms of these problems should seek a medical evaluation and not try to self-medicate with bilberry.
Effective treatments for many of these conditions are readily available.
Bilberries May Help Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients
- By Deborah Mitchell G
If you have inflammatory bowel disease and you are not familiar with bilberries, it may be time to make their acquaintance. Researchers in Europe report that animal models of colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, responded well to bilberry extract. Bilberries are rich in anthocyanins
A number of natural substances and supplements have been proposed to help inflammatory bowel disease; among them, olive oil, probiotics, resveratrol, curcumin, and even marijuana compounds. Now a new study suggests that bilberries may be an addition to this growing list.
Bilberries, which are a close relative to blueberries, contain anthocyanins, pigments that have antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. Previous studies show bilberries are effective in the management of diarrhea, which is one of the main characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease.
The new study involved a mouse model of colitis, one of the two primary types of inflammatory bowel disease (Crohns disease is the other). The mice were exposed to a chemical to induce colitis and then divided into three groups: one group was given a diet in which 20% of their food was bilberry supplement; the other two were given either 1% or 10% anthocyanins as part of their normal diet.
In the mice that received the bilberry supplement, the symptoms of colitis improved; specifically, intestinal inflammation and disease severity were reduced. The bilberry extract and anthocyanins both prevented self-destruction (apoptosis) colonic epithelial cells induced by inflammation in the other groups of mice. Overall, the results indicate that a clinical trial of the effects of bilberries on patients who have inflammatory bowel disease is warranted.
Inflammatory bowel disease affects more than 1 million individuals in the United States. While both ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease are characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract, abdominal cramps, fever, and bloody diarrhea, the main difference between is that ulcerative colitis can be cured by surgery, while Crohns disease cannot.
Experts are still searching for the causes of inflammatory bowel disease, although environmental and genetic factors are involved. On the environmental side, bacteria, diet, or stress are believed to be triggers for inflammation and an abnormal dysfunctional immune response.
Bilberries, which are also known as huckleberries and whortleberries, traditionally have been used to treat diarrhea, menstrual cramps, eye problems varicose veins, and circulatory problems. The anthocyanins are credited with improving circulation, preventing blood clots, and building strong blood vessels, while the tannins found in the berries have anti-inflammatory properties and may help control diarrhea.
Overall, the investigators concluded that dried bilberries improved chronic colitis, and that their results “justify a clinical study on the therapeutic effect in inflammatory bowel disease patients.”
Herbs Help Treat Diabetes: Bilberry, Gymnema, Ginkgo and Salt Bush
- By Melanie Grimes
(NaturalNews) Many herbal remedies are used to treat symptoms of diabetes and have shown results in naturally lowering blood sugar levels. Scientific research is now shedding new light on the mechanisms used since ancient times to treat diabetes with herbs and nutrition.
Diabetes was noted as far back as Ancient Greece. The name comes from two Greek words meaning the siphon and to run through, which describes the diabetic symptom of excess urine. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, where over twenty three million, almost eight percent of the population, have been diagnosed with the disorder. The number of cases of diabetes doubled from 1990 to 2005 and is expected to double again by 2050. Side effects of diabetes include kidney disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, blindness and hearing loss.
The cause of diabetes is not known but 90% of those with Type 2 diabetes are obese. Most consider that diabetes is triggered by numerous factors, including inheritance, nutrition, obesity, infection, hormonal imbalances, and stress.
- Bilberry
One of the commonly used herbs to treat diabetes is Bilberry, or European Blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). The leaves of this plant have been shown to lower blood sugar. Traditional usage was a few handfuls of leaves in three to four cups of water simmered for a half hour. A few cups of Bilberry tea lower blood sugar. Extracts of Bilberry are now available and a dosage is between 80 to 160 mg three times a day to treat diabetes.
- Gymnema sylvestre
The Indian plant, Gymnema is part of the milkweed family. It is known as Gurmar in Hindi, meaning "Sugar Destroyer," and has been used in Ayurvedic, or Indian, Medicine for centuries. Research has shown that 400 mg a day of Gymnema will help glucose to be reabsorbed into the blood, thereby lowering blood sugar.
- Salt Bush
Israeli research on the Salt Bush plant, or Atriplex halim, has demonstrated its ability to improve blood sugar regulation. The study used 3 grams a day of the herb to treat diabetes.
- Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba is used by herbalists to treat the side effects of diabetes, particularly by increasing blood flow to the limbs and the eyes. Because of Ginkgo's effect on blood vessels, it is used to prevent diabetic retinopathy. Research has also confirmed Ginkgo's effect on depression in diabetes and non-diabetes sufferers. The active ingredient is called ginkgo flavoglycoside, and the daily dosage is 0 to 80 mg three times a day to treat diabetes symptoms.
Diabetes symptoms can be treated with herbs, as has been shown since ancient times and by modern research. Using plants as integrative medicine, diabetics can enjoy the symptom-reducing effects of botanical medicine.
Photo Gallery of Bilberry Plants, Bushes and fruits
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Blueberry flowers in Sunset
Blueberry leaves in Autumn
Fresh Blueberries
couple of blueberries
Blueberry Bush
Blueberry Bush
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