The berry of the bilberry plant is often used as an herb; it is also a relative to the blueberry and can be used in similar ways. Bilberries are often used to make jams or pies because of the high sugar content. You can use a dried or tincture form of bilberry to use it as an herb.
Description
Bilberry is also known by the names huckleberry, trackleberry, black whortles, whinberry, bleaberry and hurtleberry. The plant is a perennial shrub native to Barbary, Siberia and Britain. The berry is about the size of a black currant, but wrinkled with a flattened top. You can use both the fruit and leaves of the bilberry as a medicinal herb. The leaves have a leathery texture and are yellowish-green until autumn, when they turn red.
Uses
One of the most common traditional uses of bilberry is to treat diarrhea, according to the University of Michigan. It was believed to improve night vision, but this belief was largely based on the experiences of pilots during World War II who ate the jam before raids. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, studies done with bilberries have not shown enough positive results to support the claim that bilberry helps the eyes. Bilberry leaves and berries have been used for diabetes, kidney stones and urinary tract infections in traditional medicine, but there is a lack of studies to confirm the benefits of these uses, as well.
Precautions
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid using bilberry without the supervision of a doctor, according to the University of Michigan. It is also possible for you to experience an allergic reaction such as hives or swelling of the face, tongue and lips when using bilberry leaf or berries. Bilberry may interfere with blood-thinning medications or medicine for diabetes, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Bilberry may lower blood sugar or increase the effects of drug and other herbs. You should not take bilberry while using aspirin because it is also a blood thinner.
Active Ingredients
Bilberries contain the same flavonoid complex, known as anthocyanosides, that is present in blueberries. Scientific studies have not shown positive results for bilberry to help night vision, but the University of Michigan states that anthocyanosides help to regenerate a pigment used by the eyes for night vision. This flavonoid complex also is considered a potent antioxidant, which may help prevent free radical cell damage that can lead to cancer. Bilberry also contains the antioxidant vitamin C.
Dosage
You can use a tincture of bilberry herb twice a day at a dosage of 1 to 2 ml, according to the University of Michigan. Also, the fruit can be used at up to 60 grams a day. A tea is often used to help diarrhea. The tea is made by boiling 5 to 10 grams of dried bilberries in two-thirds of a cup of water for 10 minutes. The tea can be taken for up to four consecutive days, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. According to the University of Michigan, tablets and capsules of bilberry usually are taken at dosages of 240 to 600 mg per day.
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