Bilberry, the blueberry’s cousin, is a rich source of bioflavonoids that are often praised as being beneficial for eye health and vision support. Regionally, bilberries are also referred to as huckleberries or whortleberries. Whatever you call them, they are a common ingredient in eye supplements for very good reasons. Bilberries and blueberries contain incredibly high amounts of anthocyanins that are powerful antioxidants. Anthocyanins are suggested to help reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration and may help maintain the health of the cornea and blood vessels in various parts of the eye. Join us as we take a closer look at this berry and how it can help support your eye health.
What is a Bilberry?
The bilberry is a close relative of other bark berries including cranberries and blueberries. The bilberry is the English cousin of the American blueberry and is visually indistinguishable to the common person. The bilberry’s plant features bright green leaves and bell-shaped flowers that grow wild in northern Europe. The color of a bilberry is a shade or two darker, taking on more of a purple-crimson color than a blueberry and is much tarter. The bilberry is chock full of anthocyanins including delphinidin and cyanidin glycosides that provide a host of benefits to consumers.
Bilberries and Eye Health
Bilberries are rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C, which help protect the body against infections and disease and help promote optimal blood flow and cellular function. Like other foods rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C, bilberries are reported to support eye structures and reduce the risk for macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts. These conditions are significant contributing factors to declining vision and age-related blindness. Bilberries are praised as containing higher concentrations of antioxidants and Vitamins C and K.
One of the more immediate benefits of bilberry on eyes is the decrease in dry eye and eye fatigue associated with blue light. In fact, one study concluded that bilberry can help reduce dry eye and eye fatigue symptoms by nearly 30%. Another study suggests that bilberry supplementation helped reduce eye fatigue, ocular fatigue sensation, ocular pain, eye heaviness, uncomfortable sensation, and foreign body sensation in office workers when taken daily for eight weeks.
Bilberry can also help promote optimal eye health indirectly by lowering blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation. All of these conditions, when experienced chronically, can have severe negative effects on eye health and vision. Buy Tramadol online
How Viteyes® Helps
At Viteyes® we are well aware that the average American does not have access to bilberries, and blueberries are a seasonal treat. That’s why our eye vitamins and supplements include bilberry as one of the main ingredients. Our Blue Light Defender Plus includes 40 mg of bilberry in each capsule and our Viteyes Complete multivitamin features 60 mg of bilberry in each dose. Visit us online to discover all of our bilberry-containing eye supplements and daily vitamins.
Discover these other online resources:
Effect of a Bilberry Extract-Containing Diet on the Improvement of Eye Fatigue-Related Symptoms
Bilberry Extract Supplementation for Preventing Eye Fatigue in Video Display Terminal Workers