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.
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.
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.
Bilberry can be consumed in several forms, including fresh bilberry, extract and capsule forms. When shopping for bilberry, either the fresh bilberry or the bilberry supplement, it is important to buy only the highest quality products.
The manner in which the fruit of the bilberry tree is harvested can make significant 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.