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Bilberry

aka Vaccinium myrtillus

Anthocyanin-rich berry traditionally used for night vision and vascular support.

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Overview

Anthocyanin-rich berry traditionally used for night vision and vascular support.

Natural sources
  • Vaccinium myrtillus
Common forms
  • Standardized anthocyanins 25%

Mechanism of action

Anthocyanins regenerate rhodopsin and strengthen capillary integrity.

Pathways
  • · Anthocyanin antioxidant

Effects on the body

Supports
Vascular integrity

Organ system effects

Eye

Mild improvement in night vision claimed; data limited.

Evidence-based benefits

Improves capillary fragility

Moderate evidence

Night vision claims weakly supported

Limited evidence

Potential side effects

Common
  • · Bilberry is generally well-tolerated at evidence-based doses
  • · Mild GI discomfort (nausea, loose stools, or bloating) possible at higher intakes
  • · Headache or transient fatigue reported by a small fraction of users
Rare
  • · Allergic or hypersensitivity reaction (rash, itching, swelling)
  • · Sleep disturbance if taken late in the day
Serious
  • · Discontinue and seek medical advice if symptoms are severe, persistent, or include difficulty breathing

Drug interactions

Anticoagulants
Mild antiplatelet.
minor

Safety & non-supplemental interactions

Educational summary — always confirm with your clinician or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or combining with prescription therapy.

Avoid if you are
  • ·Pregnant or breastfeeding (insufficient safety data)
  • ·Children under 18 (unless directed by a clinician)
Avoid with these conditions
  • ·Bleeding disorders
Avoid / monitor with these medications
  • ·Warfarin, DOACs, antiplatelets, NSAIDs (additive bleeding risk)
Before surgery
  • ·Discuss stopping ≥2 weeks before scheduled surgery.

Supplement interactions

Pairs well with
  • Omega-3
    Anti-inflammatory cardiovascular synergy.
  • CoQ10
    Supports mitochondrial energetics in cardiac tissue.
Avoid combining with

No specific avoidances listed.

Dosing & bioavailability

Typical dose
120–240 mg standardized
Best form
Most evidence is based on the standardized anthocyanins 25% form.
Timing
Consistent daily timing recommended; split larger doses if GI tolerance is a concern.
With food?
Either with or without food.

Where to buy

Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Amazon code supplementsch-20 is auto-applied at checkout. We don't endorse specific brands; verify third-party testing (USP, NSF, Informed Sport) before purchase.

Scientific evidence9Show studies
RCTNutrients · 2020

Bilberry anthocyanins and vision/eye fatigue

Kosehira M, et al.

8-week RCT of bilberry extract in VDT users.

Key findings

Reduced eye-fatigue scores vs placebo.

Open study
Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Bilberry — Improves capillary fragility

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Bilberry Improves capillary fragility" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Bilberry and "Improves capillary fragility". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study
Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Bilberry — Night vision claims weakly supported

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Bilberry Night vision claims weakly supported" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Bilberry and "Night vision claims weakly supported". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study
Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Bilberry — randomized controlled trial

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Bilberry randomized controlled trial" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Bilberry and "randomized controlled trial". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study
Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Bilberry — meta-analysis

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Bilberry meta-analysis" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Bilberry and "meta-analysis". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study
Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Bilberry — pharmacokinetics

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Bilberry pharmacokinetics" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Bilberry and "pharmacokinetics". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study
Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Bilberry — safety adverse events

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Bilberry safety adverse events" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Bilberry and "safety adverse events". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study
Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Bilberry — dose response

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Bilberry dose response" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Bilberry and "dose response". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study
Systematic reviewGoogle Scholar · 1970

Google Scholar: Bilberry — clinical evidence

Live Scholar search

Cross-database citation index for Bilberry as it relates to "clinical evidence".

Key findings

Includes preprints, theses, and journal articles. Useful for tracking citation counts and follow-on work.

Open study
Educational use only. This profile is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement, especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic condition.

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