Description

Historically, bilberry has been used to support eye health, and reduce eye strain around the world and by the military. One of the first researchers provided bilberry to Royal Air Force pilots during World War II.Bilberry is known in English by a very wide range of local names. As well as "bilberry", these include blaeberry, whortleberry, (ground) hurts, whinberry, winberry, windberry, wimberry, myrtle blueberry and fraughan. The berries were called black-hearts in 19th century south-western England, according to Thomas Hardy's 1878 novel The Return of the Native. In several other languages its name translates as "blueberry", and this may cause confusion with the related plants more usually known as "blueberry" in English, which are in the separate section Cyanococcus of the Vaccinium genus.

The name vaccinium was used in classical Latin for a type of berry (probably the bilberry V. myrtillus), but its ultimate derivation is obscure;it is not the same word as vaccinum "of or pertaining to cows".
Plants of this group typically require acidic soils, and as wild plants they live in habitats such as heath, bog and acidic woodland (for example, blueberries under oaks or pines). The plant structure varies between species. some trail along the ground, some are dwarf shrubs, and some are larger shrubs perhaps 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft) tall. The fruit develops from an inferior ovary, and is a berry; it is usually brightly coloured, often being red or bluish with purple juice.

Bilberries are found in very acidic, nutrient-poor soils throughout the temperate and subarctic regions of the world. They are closely related to North American wild and cultivated blueberries and huckleberries in the genus Vaccinium. One characteristic of bilberries is that they produce single or paired berries on the bush instead of clusters, as the blueberry does. Blueberries have more evergreen leaves.

The fruit is smaller than that of the blueberry but with a fuller taste. Bilberries are darker in colour, and usually appear near black with a slight shade of purple. While the blueberry's fruit pulp is light green, the bilberry's is red or purple, heavily staining the fingers and lips of consumers eating the raw fruit. The red juice is used by European dentists to show children how to brush their teeth correctly, as any improperly brushed areas will be heavily stained.

Bilberries are extremely difficult to grow and are thus seldom cultivated. Fruits are mostly collected from wild plants growing on publicly accessible lands, notably Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, parts of England, Alpine countries, Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine, Belarus, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland and northern parts of Turkey and Russia. Note that in Austria, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, it is an everyman's right to collect bilberries, irrespective of land ownership, with the exception of private gardens and nature reserves. Bilberries can be picked by a berry-picking rake like lingonberries, but are more susceptible to damage. Bilberries are softer and juicier than blueberries, making them difficult to transport. Because of these factors, the bilberry is only available fresh on markets and in gourmet stores, where in the latter they can cost up to 25 Euro per pound. Frozen bilberries however are available all year round in most of Europe

Over 30 years of research have proven the remarkableability of bilberries to support the health of the eyes. In the eyes, bilberry increases the flow of blood, nutrients and oxygen, through the dense network of tiny blood vessels called capillaries. This reduces free radical damage in the eye to protect against degenerative problems such as macular degeneration and cataract formation. The practical result is that bilberry extract improves night vision, visual acuity and helps maintain the health of the eyes under stressful conditions and as we age. In European herbal medicine, bilberry fruit preparations are now used to enhance poor micro-circulation for eye conditions such as night-blindness and diabetic retina.

Billberry Extract supports health and is different because, bilberry contains polyphenols and anthocyanidins, which posess antioxidant properties. It protects against lipid oxidation, and it supports antioxidant enzyme activity. The use of berries in the diet helps to increase quercetin, which is a very powerful antioxidant. Each vegicap contains potent levels of 250mg of high quality bilberry extract, standardized to contain 25% anthocyanins, in a base of 100mg of natural, freeze-dried blueberry powder. Next to bilberries, blueberries are the best food souce of anthocyanins. The naturally occcurring bioflavonoids contain a broad spectrum of anthocyanins, which are potent antioxidants. Also the Bilberry Extract is of the highest quality available and guaranteed to meet your expectaions. It is encapsulated at Flora, using state-of -the-art technology in a controlled envioronment. the natural blueberry base is lyophilized (freeze dried) to preserve the active ingredients and improve shelf life. Easy to digest Vegicaps are used, along with light-resistant, recyclable amber glass bottles. Bilberry Extract is a non-toxic food product with no unwanted side effects. It is produced in accordance with the Canadian government's Good Manufacturing procedures.

In herbal medicine, standardization refers to providing processed plant material that meets a specified concentration of a specific marker constituent. Active constituent concentrations may be misleading measures of potency if cofactors are not present. A further problem is that the important constituent is often unknown. For instance St John's wort is often standardized to the antiviral constituent hypericin which is now known to be the 'active ingredient' for antidepressant use. Other companies standardize to hyperforin or both, although there may be some 24 known possible constituents. Only a minority of chemicals used as standardization markers are known to be active constituents. Standardization has not been standardized yet: different companies use different markers, or different levels of the same markers, or different methods of testing for marker compounds. Herbalist and manufacturer David Winston points out that whenever different compounds are chosen as 'active ingredients' for different herbs, there is a chance that suppliers will get a substandard batch (low on the chemical markers) and mix it with a batch higher in the desired marker to compensate for the difference.

Bilberry Extract contains a full spectrum of bioflavonoid antioxidants and contains 3 to 12 times as much bilberry extract per capsule as most other bilberry products. It is also a powerful antioxidant complex and a non-animal source. Bilberry Extract is standardized to contain the fruit's key flavonoid compounds that disarm damanging free radicals. Flavanoids are believed to be responsible for the herb's beneficial properties in promoting overall eye health. These flavanols contain potent antioxidant properties. In addition, they play a key role in building healthy connective tissue, improving circulation and maintaining normal night time vision. It also helped with adjustment to darkness, and quick response after exposure to glare.

Directions

Product Highlights

• Helpful for diabetics wanting to treat or prevent retinopathy.
  
• Used to treat or prevent poor night vision.
  
• Insurance for people with a history of eye disease in their family.
  
• Aids people with lower limb venous insufficiency and conditions of capillary fragility.
  
• Helpful for those wishing to reduce itching, inflammation and swelling following surgical removal of hemorrhoids.
  
• Reduces eye strain caused by computers.
  
• Beneficial for the elderly.
  
• Strengthens capillaries.
  
• Improves skin tonicity.
  
• Increases the production and integrity of collagen

Warning

Store in a cool, dry place.
Security sealed for your protection. Do not use if seal is missing or damage

Supplement Facts