BILBERRY A POWERFULL ALLY

BILBERRY

Bilberry  ( Vaccinium ) has been used by herbalists
for Centuries, it grows in  Northern Europe and North America it's a plant that likes poor acidic soils, and grows
best in light shade, favours old wooded areas and heath and moorland.
A map of Bilberry around the UK

WINTER RAVAGED BILBERRY

 Looking battered by the winter, my containers of
Bilberry's have suffered. Grown from seed
picked on the Long mynd (only pick the seed NOT the plants), it's taken over five years to grow to a mature
size, I'm hoping they will produce fruits this Year?.

Update July 2013 ; Half my Bilberry plants have died but travelling up to the Peak district
we found a large area of wild Bilberry berries, ready for harvesting. I will be planting seeds
from them to see if they are more successful, than the seeds from the Long Mynd. 

  wild Bilberry © John Arrowsuch

Medicinally Bilberry has some very interesting
history, used for centuries to treat eye problems.
Native American Indians have used Bilberry to treat 
cataracts, diabetes and diarrhea the latter with dried berries, a comprehensive list of proven benefits are;

• Antioxidant properties...............................
• Anti-inflammatory...................................... 
• Protective effects on blood vessels...........
• Increased blood flow in eyes..................  
• Repairs blood vessels........................
• Regulate blood glucose levels............
• Reduce bad cholesterol............

The component responsible for Bilberries legendary
status, are called anthocyanins, compared to their
close relatives Blueberries, Bilberries have four times
 the amount of anthocyanin.
Cell damage caused by oxidative stress, is prevented
by the large amount of anthocyanins  within the bilberry.
 At the same time protecting cardiovascular function, and possessing anti-inflammatory properties.
For eye health, bilberry offers protection against cataracts, macular degeneration and glaucoma.  
I have read that after three months of consuming Bilberries, your large and fine vascular system, becomes coated with a non-stick coating, this would account 
for the vascular protective nature of this little berry.
   
  Bilberries also help keep platelets from clumping together, which, helps thin the blood preventing clotting, and improves circulation.
Why this is not prescribed by Doctors, to prevent illness
is a mystery ?, but Doctors are there to prescribe, to people who are sick, they rarely recommend herbs and berries, that prevent illness. Unfortunately drug companies would not be able to make vast amounts, of money out of what
is a common widely grown, wild plant.    

A very interesting and more detailed read here, NCBI    
  
I will update the above information as it develops?