BILBERRY VACCINIUM MYRTILLUS

BILBERRY (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) +++

Activities (Bilberry):
- Antiaggregant (1; APA; BGB; MAB; PED; PH2); Anticapillary Fragility (2; BGB; MAB; PED; PH2); Antiedemic (1; BGB; HH2; MAB; PH2); Antiexudative (1; HH2; PH2); Antiherpetic (f; HH2); Antiinflammatory (1; MAB; PED); Antiischemic (1; MAB; PH2); Antioxidant (1; FNF; SKY); Antiplaque (1; HH2); Antipyretic (1; PNC); Antiretinohemorrhagic (1; PH2); Antiseptic (1; APA; FNF; MAD); Antispasmodic (1; PED); Antiulcer (1; APA; MAB; PH2); Antiviral (1; APA; HH2); Astringent (1; APA; MAB; PH2; PNC); Bitter (1; PED); Circulostimulant (1; SKY); Collagen-Protectant (1; PED; PH2); Diuretic (1; PNC); Fungicide (1; HH2); Immunostimulant (1; MAB); Lipolytic (1; PH2); Myorelaxant (f; APA); Phagocytotic (1; MAB); Vasodilator (1; PNC); Vasoprotective (1; BGB; MAB; PH2); Vulnerary (1; PH2).

Indications (Bilberry):
- Angina (1; APA; BGB); Anorexia (f; MAD); Aphtha (f; MAD); Arthrosis (1; PED; PHR; PH2); Atherosclerosis (2; APA; SKY); Bleeding (f; MAD; PH2); Bruise (1; PED); Burn (f; PH2); Capillary Fragility (2; BGB; MAB; PED; PH2); Cardiopathy (1; BGB; MAB); Cataract (1; APA; SKY); Catarrh (f; MAD); Circulosis (1; SKY); Colitis (1; BGB; MAD); Conjunctivosis (1; PH2); Constipation (3; APA); Cramp (1; PED); CVI (2; APA; MAB); Cystosis (f; MAD); Debility (f; MAD); Dermatosis (f; HH2; MAD; PHR; PH2); Diabetes (1; APA; MAD; PHR; PH2); Diabetic Hypoglycemia (1; TMA); Diabetic Retinopathy (2; MAB; SKY); Diarrhea (3; APA; KOM; MAD; MAM; PH2; SHT); Dropsy (f; MAD); Dysentery (1; MAB; MAD);
Dysmenorrhea (2; APA; MAB); Dyspepsia (1; APA; MAB); Eczema (f; MAD); Edema (1; PH2); ncephalosis (1; APA); Enterosis (1; MAD; MAM; PHR; PH2); Epistaxis (2; MAB); Esophagosis (1; MAB); Fever (1; PNC); Flu (1; HH2); Fungus (1; HH2); Gallstone (f; MAD); Gastrosis (f; PHR; PH2); Gingivosis (1; APA; MAD); Glaucoma (2; APA; MAB; PED); Gonorrhea (f; MAD); Gout (f; HH2; PHR; PH2); Hemeralopia (2; MAB); Hemorrhoid (2; BGB; HH2; MAB; PH2); Hepatosis (1; APA); Herpes (f; HH2); High Cholesterol (1; APA); Hyperglycemia (f; APA); Hyperlipidemia (1; PH2); Immunodepression (1; MAB); Impaired Vision (especially at night) (1; PED); Infection (1; HH2; MAB); Inflammation (1; APA; MAB; PED; PH2); schemia (1; MAB); Laryngosis (f; MAD); Leukoplakia (f; MAD); Leukorrhea (f; MAD); Maculosis (1; SKY); ucososis (2; KOM; MAB; PH2; PIP); Mycosis (1; HH2); Myopia (2; FNF; MAB); Nephrosis (f; PHR; PH2); Nyctalopia (2; MAB; PED; PH2); Odontosis (f; MAD); Ophthalmia (1; PH2); Pain (1; MAB); Paraesthesia (1; MAB); Periodontosis (1; PED); Peritonosis (f; MAD); Pharyngosis (2; MAB; PHR; PH2; PIP); Plaque (1; HH2; MAD); Psoriasis (f; MAD); Raynauds (1; MAB; PED); Respirosis (f; HH2); Retinosis (2; BGB; MAB); Sore (f; PH2); Sore Throat (2; KOM; PIP; PH2); Stomatosis (2; MAB; MAD; PHR; PH2; PIP); Swelling (1; BGB; HH2; MAB; PH2); Thick Blood (1; APA; BGB; PED); Typhus (f; MAD); Ulcer (1; APA; MAB; PH2); rethrosis (f; PHR; PH2); Varicosis (1; MAB; PED; SKY); Virus (1; APA; HH2); Vomiting (f; PH2); Water Retention (1; PNC); Wound (1; MAB).

Dosages (Bilberry):
- 1 - 2 tbsp crushed fruit/cup water; or 3 tbsp (ca 30 g) dried berries (APA); 20 - 60 g dry fruit (KOM); 12 - 24 g dry fruit (PED); 20 - 60 g dry fruit/day (SF); 1/2 - 1 cup fresh fruit (PED); 100 - 300 g fresh berry (SHT); 1 - 1.5 tsp fruit (= ~7 - 10.5 g) cold infusion (MAD); 2 - 8 ml liquid fruit extract (PNC); 3 - 6 ml/day fluid extract (1:1) (MAB); 1 g leaf/cup tea (HH2); tablets with 50 - 120 mg (= 20 - 50 g fruit) (MAB); 2 (470 mg) capsules (StX to contain at least 10 mg anthocyanosides (25% anthocyanosides)) 2 ×/day (NH); 240 - 480 mg StX/day (25% anthocyanosides) (SF; SKY); 500 mg StX (25% anthocyanosides) (PED). Interpretations of Commission E approvals vary slightly: Blumenthal et al. (1998) approve 20 - 60 g fruit for nonspecific acute diarrhea and local therapy of mild inflammation of the mucous membranes of mouth and throat. Gruenwald et al. (1998) approve the fruits (not leaves) for diarrhea, pharyngosis, and stomatosis. Neither apparently approve for the indications for which I take bilberry, preventing further deterioration of the eyesight (e.g. maculitis, poor night vision, (nyctalopia)). Since bilberry is a healthy food pharmaceutical Ill take the good old bilberry in spite of its disapproval by these scholastic tomes.
Its even richer in eye-preserving anthocyanosides than our native blueberries.

Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Bilberry):
- Fruits, Class 1; Leaf, Class 4 (AHP). Leaves can be poisonous consumed over a long period of time (TMA, 1996). Com-mission E reports leaf not permitted for therapeutic use; higher doses or prolonged use can produce chronic poisoning; chronic administration of 1.5 g/kg/day is lethal in some animals
(AEH). For fruits, none reported (PIP). Bilberry does not interact with commonly prescribed drugs; no known contraindications in use during pregnancy or lactation; no known side effects with bilberry extracts (SKY). Berries contain anthocyanosides, said to be helpful in treating eye problems, diarrhea, reducing arterial deposits, and lowering blood sugar in diabetics. Fresh berries may cause diarrhea.

Extracts (Bilberry):
- Flavonoids antiaggregant, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antispasmodic, preserve capillaries and collagen (PED). Anthocyanosides inhibited barium-induced contraction of isolated thoracic vein and coronary artery smooth muscle, in vitro, possibly by vasodilatory prostaglandin production (PNC). Chromium content (of the leaves) may underlie antidiabetic activity (PHR). Anthocyanins and polyphenols in berries of several Ribes, Rubus, and Vaccinium spp. have in vitro antiradical activity on chemically generated superoxide radicals. The extracts also inhibit xanthine oxidase. All crude extracts were highly active toward chemically generated superoxide radicals. Ribes nigrum extracts exhibited most activity, being the richest in both anthocyanins and polyphenols. But Ribes rubrum extracts seem to contain more active substances (X1332092). Bilberry extracts (equivalent to 9 - 72 mg/kg anthocyanins) sometimes exceeded carbenoxolone or cimetidine in antiulcer activity (MAB).