Bilberry has been used as a traditional medicine in Europe for almost 1,000 years. They are very closely related to the wild blueberries in markets of North America. One distinguishing difference is that the fruit is found singularly or in pairs on the bushes while wild blueberries usually grow in clusters. Bilberries are also smaller in size and darker in color.
Bilberries are now widely grown not only in Europe, but also in North America and Nothern Asia. They thrive in very acidic, nutrient-poor soil. They are, however, difficult to harvest and cultivate. Fresh bilberries are not easy to preserve and are susceptible to damage. For this reason, most bilberries are available only in the frozen form or processed into extracts. Both the berries and the leaves are used to treat different conditions. Berries can be ingested directly, leaves can be used to make tea, and both parts can be made into extracts.
Historically, the bilberry fruit has been mainly used to treat diarrhea and scurvy. Today, it has been found effective to treat many other conditions including menstrual cramps, eye discomfort, venous deficiency (inefficiency in transporting blood from legs to the heart), and other circulatory problems. Currently, bilberry is only used as a dietary supplement. There is not enough scientific evidence to support the use of bilberry medicinally to treat health conditions.
One popular belief is that bilberry can improve night vision. Although scientific results have not been conclusive, preliminery research does suggest that certain compounds in bilberries can reverse or inhibit eye disorders such as mascular degeneration. Bilberries also contain high levels of anthocyanin pigment, which give rise to their dark blue color. Anhocyamin has been experimentally linked to reduced risk of several cardivascular and eye cancers. On the other hand, some people have claimed that bilberry leaves are effective for the prevention of diabetes.
References:(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actaea_racemosa (2) http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/BlackCohosh.asp
