Bilberry – Health Benefits, Uses, Research, Preparation, Precautions

Current research

Research demonstrates that bilberries are well tolerated and safe for several health conditions, including cardiovascular health and vision. Kolehmainen, Mykkӓnen, Kirjavainen, and associates conducted research which reveals that bilberries reduce inflammation in individuals who have metabolic syndrome.

How to Prepare Bilberry for Medicinal Use

Dried berries are useful medicinally. They contain more concentrated levels of the healing properties than the fresh berries. Decoctions, tablets, capsules, extracts and tinctures are available. Some experts recommend the use of standardized extracts that contain twenty five percent anthocyanosides. Personally, I do not believe standardized extracts are superior as they are only standardized for one compound while many compounds in the bilberries are beneficial for health.

Bilberries are prepared as a decoction. To prepare bilberries as a decoction, place one teaspoonful of dried bilberries in a pan. Add one cup of water. Cover the pan. Bring the blend to a boil. Allow it to simmer for twenty minutes. Strain out the solids. Drink 1 cup of the decoction 2-3 times each day.

If using a tincture or extract, consume 1.5 ml twice daily.

If using capsules or tablets, follow label directions. Many practitioners advise taking the higher end of the dose range until symptoms improve and then reducing it to the lower end of the dose range.

Precautions

Bilberries are well-tolerated by people of all ages. It may be used during pregnancy and lactation. Check with your health care provider before using bilberry concurrently with blood thinners. If you consume bilberries or blueberries as food, you may safely consume them while taking blood thinners. Bilberries are safe for long-term use. Do not use the leaves for long-term use as kidney damage and gastritis may result. I recommend using only the berries for all uses.

References

Kolehmainen M, Mykkӓnen O, Kirjavainen PV, et al. Bilberries reduce low-grade inflammation in individuals with features of metabolic syndrome. Mol Nutr Food Res. October 2012; 56(10):1501-1510

Kuhn, M.A. and Winston, D. Herbal Therapy and Supplements. Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.2001

Author

This article was written for Insights-on-Health.com in 2015 by Patricia Bratianu RN PhD RH-AHG. Patricia has been a Registered Nurse for almost forty years in a wide variety of settings. As a Registered Nurse, she realized that conventional healthcare was not meeting the needs of all patients. She became an herbalist and obtained a PhD in Natural Health. Patricia is a professional member of the American Herbalist’s Guild, passing the stringent peer reviewed process to become a Registered Herbalist.

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