The Health Benefits Of The Bilberry
Bilberry, known to science as actinium myrtillus,
is a member of the blueberry family, and it is known for producing
sweet blue colored berries. The bilberry bush is found both in
North America and Europe, and it grows best in damp, acidic soils.
The blue to black bilberries are used for many medicinal purposes,
while the leaves have additional healing properties.
Bilberry and vision
One of the most significant properties of
the bilberry is its ability to enhance night vision. From at least
as far back as the sixteenth century, the bilberry was mixed with
honey in order to create a syrup known as rob. This syrup was
traditionally used to treat diarrhea, but today the fruits of
the bilberry bush are being used to promote good vision, particularly
night vision. In World War II, those pilots who ate large quantities
of bilberries claimed to enjoy more accurate night vision, and
many scientific studies have shown that bilberry is able to slow
down the degeneration of sight, and may even improve visual acuity.
In addition, bilberry has been used in traditional medicine for
treatment of indigestion and diabetes, among other conditions.
Bilberry and nutrition
The bilberry contains large numbers of phytochemicals, which are
thought to help lower blood pressure, inhibit the formation of clots
and enhance the supply of blood to the nervous system. Some studies
have shown that the antioxidants found in the fruit of the bilberry
bush are up to fifty times as powerful as vitamin E and ten times
as powerful as vitamin C.
Bilberry also seems to show great effectiveness
at reducing vascular insufficiency and other related conditions.
Bilberry seems to work in much the same way as ginkgo biloba and
horse chestnut, and the circulatory effects it produces are thought
to be quite effective at increasing circulation and the health
of the eyes and organs.
What to look for
Bilberry is available in a wide variety of
sources, including fresh bilberry and a number of extract and
capsule forms. When shopping for bilberry, either the fresh or
the supplement variety, it is important to buy only the highest
quality products.
That is because how the fruit of the bilberry
tree is harvested can make a lot of difference in its effectiveness
as a health booster. It is important for the bilberry to be harvested
at the peak of ripeness, and it is just as important that it be
processed into supplements and capsules in facilities that use
the best manufacturing equipment. Problems can be caused by contaminated
manufacturing equipment, and buying bilberry from the most highly
respected sources is the best way to ensure you get all the important
benefits of the bilberry bush in your daily diet.
The bilberry, like the blueberry and other
related berries, is among the best and highest quality foods on
the market. Whether you buy your bilberry fresh at the supermarket
or health food store, or opt for the stability and ease of bilberry
supplements, it is important to incorporate this valuable food
into a healthy diet, for the health of your eyes, circulatory
system and nervous system.