Bilberries (Billberry) - European Blueberries

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Clipart

If you translate the name several countries call bilberries, you'd get the word, blueberries. That makes identifying this close relative of the blueberry, cranberry and huckleberry and contains many of the same health benefits. In fact, sometimes people call the bilberry a wild blueberry. However, if you look at the meat of the berry, you can tell the difference. While blueberries insides are light green, the bilberry has purple or red pulp.

Nutritional Benefits of Bilberries

The bilberry grows on a perennial shrub that is a native to Europe and some regions in North America. It loves moist lightly wooded area and grows well in meadows and on the moors as well. Both the leaves and the berries contain properties useful to improving health. In addition to phytonutrients, the bilberry is also a good source of vitamin C. Vitamin C boosts the immune system and aids in tissue repair.

Health Benefits

One of the health-giving phytonutrients in bilberries comes from the color pigment. These deep purple and red pigments called anthocyanins are both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. The anthocyanins also improve circulation, prevent blood clots and increase the production of rhodopsin. Rhodopsin is a pigment in the eye that aids the eye in adapting to changes in light and prevents night blindness. It also prevents damage to the eye's blood vessel collagen structures. The belief in the berry's ability to aid night vision is not new. During World War II before pilots flew night missions, they'd eat a snack of bilberry jam and toast to boost their performance.

People also use bilberries to treat varicose veins. Eating the berries, drinking bilberry tea or taking a food supplement of bilberry are the most common methods used for this treatment. The anthocyanins in the bilberry help improve the vein walls to make the veins stronger and increase circulation. In fact, because of the increased circulation, bilberries are a treatment for Reynaud's disease, a painful condition that numbs and prickles extremities during exposure to the cold.

Anti-inflammatory, Antiseptic Effects

Other uses throughout history for bilberry are treatment of diarrhea, gum disease and gastrointestinal problems. The anti-inflammatory ability of the berry and the vitamin C levels make it for gum problems. It also has antiseptic properties to aid in the fight.

The antioxidant properties of bilberries also make it a benefit in treating and preventing other diseases. Several studies show that bilberries can aid in preventing cancer, glaucoma, hemorrhoid, cataracts, circulatory problems and macular degeneration. Part of the improvement comes from the tannin content in bilberries.

A Two-Month Study

In February of 2008, a representative from the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki, Finland, Iris Erlund conducted a two-month study on the effects of eating bilberries daily. At the end of the two months, Erlund concluded that the berries did help improve the functioning of the platelets, aid in the control of blood pressure and lowered the HDL cholesterol levels.

According to a study from Chubu University in Japan published in "The Journal of Nutrition," bilberries also may have a role in both preventing and treating type-2 diabetes. The study was regarding a project using lab mice that had a predisposition to developing diabetes. The lab mice benefited from scientists including bilberries in their diet.