Super Strength Bilberry Extract

Description

Super Strength Holistically Standardized Bilberry Extract

Botanical Name: Vaccinium myrtillus

Synonyms: Airelle, Arándano, Bilberry Fruit, Bilberry Leaf, Black Whortles, Bleaberry, Blueberry, Brimbelle, Burren Myrtle, Dwarf Bilberry, Dyeberry, European Bilberry, Feuille de Myrtille, Fruit de Myrtille, Gueule Noire, Huckleberry, Hurtleberry, Mauret, Myrtille, Myrtille Européenne, Myrtilli Fructus, Raisin des Bois, Swedish Bilberry, Trackleberry, Whortleberry, Wineberry.

Family: Ericaceae

Parts Used: Leaves

Indications:

Bilberry is exceptionally high in antioxidants. These antioxidants (anthocyanins) are medicinally active and were recognized as having great benefit to vision. Bilberry is most often used for improving eyesight, including night vision. During World War II, British pilots in the Royal Air Force ate bilberry jam to improve their night vision. Bilberry is also used for treating eye conditions such as cataracts and disorders of the retina.

Dosage Forms:

Bilberry is available in concentrated, certified Kosher and Pareve, Super Strength Holistically Standardized low alcohol extract packaged in convenient 50ml amber glass bottles with pipette droppers.

Ingredients:

Bilberry Fruit (Vaccinium myrtillus), Pure grain alcohol (20%), Pure filtered water.

Therapeutic Indications:

Bilberry owes its rich medicinal tradition (and deep blue/black colour to its incredibly high antioxidant content. It is one of the richest sources of anthocyanins, the key antioxidant family responsible for the therapeutic effects of berries. As a direct result of its anthocyanin content, Bilberry is widely used to improve night vision and to decrease vascular permeability (flow in and out of vascular walls) and capillary fragility (rupturing of the small blood vessels).

Antioxidant defense: Antioxidant power of bilberry makes it a valuable multipurpose remedy. Bilberry is rich in the anthocyanin antioxidants.  These useful water soluble antioxidants scavenge and counteract  free radicals and the damage they cause. Toxicity of free radicals contributes to proteins and DNA injury, inflammation, tissue damage and subsequent cellular apoptosis. Bilberry’s protective action helps to slow and in some cases prevent the occurrence of many problems and degenerative diseases caused as a consequence of oxidative stress (atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetics, rheumatoid arthritis, post-ischemic perfusion injury, myocardial infarction, cardiovascular diseases, chronic inflammation, stroke and septic shock, aging and other degenerative diseases in humans).

Inflammation: Inflammation is one of our body’s protective mechanisms. Our body’s white blood cells and substances they produce protect us from infection with foreign organisms, such as bacteria and viruses. This is why wounds swell up, turn red and hurts. Your body is actively fighting invaders at the would site, protecting you. This is a very good thing as it keeps us healthy.

In a perfect world your body would get it right every time, but we don’t live in a perfect world.  Sometimes such as in arthritis our immune system dispatches our white blood cells to attack an invader where none exists. These conditions are called autoimmune diseases, your immune system causes the damage to  your body. The body responds as if normal tissues are infected or somehow abnormal when they are not. Chronic (long term) inflammation increases oxidative stress and is a contributing factor behind many age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.  Many studies suggest that anthocyanins, the powerful antioxidants found abundantly in bilberry, have strong anti-inflammatory effects.

Diabetes: Effectiveness of bilberry for preventing and helping diabetes treatment has been appreciated for centuries. Scientists believe the hypoglycemic effect of bilberry may be mediated in part by partially blocking enzymes involved in carbohydrate digestionα and also by effects on insulin secretion and glucose transport. Research has shown that the anthocyanins found in bilberry stimulate insulin secretion. This assists in regulating the blood sugar levels in the body, especially hyperglycemia and insulin sensitivity in people suffering from type 2 diabetes.

Prevention of cancer: One in three people will receive a diagnosis of cancer at some point in their lives. Treatment of cancer is harsh and often unsuccessful. Damage to DNA increases the likelihood of cancer and oxidation-induced damage is thought to be a key factor in cancer. Substances that can protect DNA from damaging agents or increase DNA repair are classified as cancer-preventing agents.

Bilberry extracts have been found to be effective against the development of various cancers including colon cancer, breast cancer and leukemia. Studies on different berries conclude bilberry to be the most potent in inhibition of cancerous cells. Bilberry’s cancer-preventive and suppressive activity is thought to be via its antioxidant activity; antiproliferative, apoptotic, anti-angiogenic, and anti-inflammatory effects.

Other mechanisms of genoprotection may involve direct interaction of anthocyanins with DNA. Anthocyanins have been reported to link together with DNA, forming a DNA antioxidant complex. This demonstrates that anthocyanins could help regulate gene expression in addition to protecting DNA against oxidative damage. Anthocyanins have been shown to protect DNA against oxidative stress induced by various agents including UV radiation.

Protection against eye disorders: Bilberry is used to help slow the progression of disorders of the eye, such as diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy, and macular degeneration. These potential benefits are believed to be due to bilberry’s ability to improve blood vessel health, thereby increasing circulation in the eye. Bilberry may also stop the unwanted development of new blood vessels in the eye that are of part of a disease process. Bilberry is thought to improve night vision by stimulating the production of rhodopsin, also called eye purple, in the retina. The anthocyans are precursors to the rhodopsin, which is an essential element for night vision and can help relieve eye fatigue as well as improve the visual field in those with certain forms of degenerative eye conditions.

Cardiovascular protection: Cardiovascular diseases including heart disease are the leading cause of death worldwide. Traditionally, bilberry extracts have been thought to help relieve symptoms related to non-complicated chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), such as sensation of swelling, heaviness and tingling of the legs. Anthocyanins bind very tightly with collagen resulting in radically strengthened collagen by as much as (10x) tenfold against breakdown. Because of this effect on collagen, bilberry strengthens capillary permeability (flow in and out of vascular walls), preventing leakage. It can therefore dramatically improve circulation. The strengthening of capillaries helps prevent varicose vein inflammation and reduced susceptibility to bruising. Preliminary evidence indicates Bilberry leaf extract provides some protection against the development of atherosclerosis by lowering levels of LDL (the bad) cholesterol, which is largely responsible for the formation of arterial plaque leading to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. These actions when combined with Bilberry’s actions against inflammation make it ideal for heart health!

Diarrhea: Bilberry has been utilized throughout Europe for over a thousand years, mostly to deal with diarrhea. Bilberry contains tannins, compounds which act as both an anti-inflammatory as well as an astringent (reducing the excessive water in diarrhea). In essence Billberry’s tannins “dry up” some of the water in diarrhea.

Storage: Bilberry should be stored tightly sealed in a cool, dry area until it is required.

Usage: Take 1-2 ml up to 3 times daily.

Safety Information: Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you are taking blood thinners. Consult a health care practitioner if symptoms persist or worsen. Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Keep out of the reach of children.