Bilberry
Research reviewed: Up until 03/2026
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is a dietary supplement with 16 published peer-reviewed studies involving 955 participants, researched for Eye Health & Vision, Antioxidant, Blood Sugar & Cardiovascular, Clinical trials and 1 more areas.
Evidence at a Glance
Strength is scored by study design, sample size, study type, and outcomes
Eye Health & Vision
StrongAntioxidant, Blood Sugar & Cardiovascular
StrongClinical trials
ModerateSystematic reviews
WeakResearch Visualised
Visual breakdown of the clinical data.
Study Quality Breakdown
What types of studies were conducted
Participants Per Study
Larger samples = more reliable results
Research Timeline
When the studies were published
All Studies
Detailed breakdown of each trial. Click to expand.
Eye Health & Vision
12-week bilberry extract supplementation on ciliary muscle function of the eye
Study Type
Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled parallel study
Purpose
12-week bilberry extract supplementation on ciliary muscle function of the eye
Dose
160mg bilberry extract (36% anthocyanins) daily
Participants
56 young adults with computer eye fatigue
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Bilberry extract significantly improved ciliary muscle contraction and reduced objective markers of eye fatigue. Anthocyanins migrate to ocular tissues and protect ciliary function.
How They Measured It
Objective ciliary muscle contractility, accommodation amplitude, eye fatigue
Natural bilberry extract (Mirtoselect) for dry eye disease
Study Type
Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled
Purpose
Natural bilberry extract (Mirtoselect) for dry eye disease
Dose
160mg Mirtoselect bilberry extract (36% anthocyanins)
Participants
52 adults with dry eye disease
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Bilberry extract significantly improved tear film stability and antioxidant capacity. BAP significantly improved indicating improved oxidative balance in tear film.
How They Measured It
Tear film break-up time, Schirmer's test, OSDI symptom score, BAP/d-ROMs ratio
Bilberry extract for preventing eye fatigue in video display terminal workers
Study Type
RCT
Purpose
Bilberry extract for preventing eye fatigue in video display terminal workers
Dose
160mg bilberry extract twice daily
Participants
48 VDT workers
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Bilberry extract supplementation improved objective and subjective parameters of eye fatigue induced by VDT use.
How They Measured It
Critical flicker fusion, accommodative microfluctuation, subjective eye fatigue questionnaire
Antioxidant, Blood Sugar & Cardiovascular
Bioactive constituents and clinical research for bilberries reviewed
Study Type
Comprehensive review
Purpose
Bioactive constituents and clinical research for bilberries reviewed
Dose
Various
Participants
Review
Duration
Various
Results
Bilberry anthocyanins demonstrate antidiabetic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiatherogenic, and vision-protective activities. Cyanidin-3-glucoside primary bioactive.
How They Measured It
Systematic review of clinical evidence
Bilberry-containing supplements on severe dry eye disease
Study Type
Severe dry eye pilot
Purpose
Bilberry-containing supplements on severe dry eye disease
Dose
Bilberry 160mg + lutein 6mg daily
Participants
30 adults with severe dry eye
Duration
3 months
Results
Bilberry supplements significantly improved tear function parameters in severe dry eye. Combination with lutein provided enhanced antioxidant protection of ocular tissue.
How They Measured It
TFBUT, Schirmer's test, OSDI score
Bilberry anthocyanins for blood glucose management in type 2 diabetes
Study Type
Antidiabetic study
Purpose
Bilberry anthocyanins for blood glucose management in type 2 diabetes
Dose
Bilberry extract 300mg daily
Participants
46 type 2 diabetic patients
Duration
3 months
Results
Bilberry extract significantly reduced postprandial glucose, HbA1c, and improved insulin sensitivity. Mechanisms involve alpha-glucosidase inhibition and PPAR activation.
How They Measured It
FBS, HbA1c, insulin sensitivity, postprandial glucose
Bilberry anthocyanins on oxidative stress markers in healthy adults
Study Type
Antioxidant clinical study
Purpose
Bilberry anthocyanins on oxidative stress markers in healthy adults
Dose
600mg bilberry extract daily
Participants
36 healthy adults
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Significantly increased plasma antioxidant capacity and reduced oxidative DNA damage. Dose-dependent effects on antioxidant status confirmed.
How They Measured It
Urinary anthocyanin excretion, plasma antioxidant capacity, 8-OHdG
Bilberry consumption on cardiovascular risk markers
Study Type
Cardiovascular risk study
Purpose
Bilberry consumption on cardiovascular risk markers
Dose
100g fresh bilberries or equivalent extract daily
Participants
40 adults at cardiovascular risk
Duration
4 weeks
Results
Bilberry consumption significantly reduced LDL and platelet aggregation. Blood pressure marginally improved. Atheroprotective effects confirmed.
How They Measured It
Blood pressure, lipid profile, platelet aggregation, endothelial markers
Bilberry anthocyanins for cognitive function and neuroprotection
Study Type
Cognitive function study
Purpose
Bilberry anthocyanins for cognitive function and neuroprotection
Dose
Bilberry extract 600mg daily
Participants
52 healthy older adults
Duration
3 months
Results
Bilberry extract supplementation significantly improved working memory and processing speed. Neuroprotective effects via antioxidant and cerebrovascular mechanisms proposed.
How They Measured It
Working memory, executive function, processing speed
Clinical trials
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in efficacy and safety of anthocyanin-rich extract in patients with ulcerative colitis: a randomized controlled trial.
Study Type
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in efficacy and safety of anthocyanin-rich extract in patients with ulcerative colitis: a randomized controlled trial.
Dose
Bilberry (dose not specified)
Participants
100 participants
Duration
Duration not specified
Results
ACRE treatment did not yield significant superiority to the placebo. Furthermore, the placebo response was unusually high. Moreover, there was a significant calprotectin decrease at the end of treatment, indicative of ACRE efficacy in UC.
How They Measured It
See study for outcome measures
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in antiaging, brightening, and antioxidant efficacy of fermented bilberry extract (vaccinium myrtillus): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled t
Study Type
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in antiaging, brightening, and antioxidant efficacy of fermented bilberry extract (vaccinium myrtillus): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled t
Dose
Bilberry (dose not specified)
Participants
66 participants
Duration
Duration not specified
Results
dant capacity had increased by 20.8%. ITA° increased by 20.8% and was accompanied by a decrease in the skin's redness component by 16.8% and an increase in the lightness component by 2.2%. The variation of all the above-mentioned parameters was statistically significant between the FBE and PL groups. Our findings demonstrate the efficacy of FBE in improving skin aging and complexion evenness.
How They Measured It
See study for outcome measures
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in no effect of isolated anthocyanins from bilberry fruit and black rice on ldl cholesterol or other biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in adults with
Study Type
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in no effect of isolated anthocyanins from bilberry fruit and black rice on ldl cholesterol or other biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in adults with
Dose
Bilberry (dose not specified)
Participants
Participants not specified
Duration
Duration not specified
Results
n hyperlipidemic participants. The major anthocyanins in human diets are glycosides of cyanidin and delphinidin, and structure can influence both absorption and bioactivity. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of two major types of anthocyanins on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and other cardiometabolic markers for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in hyperlipidemic individuals.
How They Measured It
See study for outcome measures
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in comparison of chemometric strategies for potential exposure marker discovery and false-positive reduction in untargeted metabolomics: application to t
Study Type
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in comparison of chemometric strategies for potential exposure marker discovery and false-positive reduction in untargeted metabolomics: application to t
Dose
Bilberry (dose not specified)
Participants
20 participants
Duration
Duration not specified
Results
significant PEMs discriminating the two interventions, including four intra-intervention relevant metabolites (i.e. abscisic acid glucuronide, catechol sulphate, methyl-catechol sulphate, and α-hydroxy-hippuric acid). Principal component analysis and sample classification through linear discriminant analysis performed on PEM maximum intensity confirmed the discriminating role of these PEMs.
How They Measured It
See study for outcome measures
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in extract from aronia melanocarpa, lonicera caerulea, and vaccinium myrtillus improves near visual acuity in people with presbyopia.
Study Type
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in extract from aronia melanocarpa, lonicera caerulea, and vaccinium myrtillus improves near visual acuity in people with presbyopia.
Dose
1.3 billion
Participants
Participants not specified
Duration
17 weeks
Results
st shows the potential beneficial effect of the AKB formulation in a group of patients with dry eye syndrome. This is the first study of a preparation based on natural, standardized extracts of chokeberry, honeysuckle berry, and bilberry. Preliminary studies show an improvement in near visual acuity and conjunctival hydration on the Schirmer test, but this needs to be confirmed in further studies.
How They Measured It
See study for outcome measures
Systematic reviews
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in the effects of berry polyphenols on the gut microbiota and blood pressure: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials in humans.
Study Type
Systematic review
Purpose
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in the effects of berry polyphenols on the gut microbiota and blood pressure: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials in humans.
Dose
Bilberry (dose not specified)
Participants
Participants not specified
Duration
12 weeks
Results
clear risk of bias. Together the randomized clinical trials showed that berry consumption (Aronia berry, strawberries, raspberries, cloudberries and bilberries) for 8-12 weeks had no significant effect on both blood pressure and the gut microbiota. More randomized clinical trials are needed to determine the effects of berry consumption on the profile of gut microbiota and blood pressure in humans.
How They Measured It
See study for outcome measures
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in investigating the effects of vaccinium myrtillus supplementation on cardiometabolic indices: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Study Type
Systematic review and meta-analysis
Purpose
To investigate the effects of Bilberry in investigating the effects of vaccinium myrtillus supplementation on cardiometabolic indices: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Dose
Bilberry (dose not specified)
Participants
409 participants
Duration
1 weeks
Results
.01%, p = 0.36), and FRAP (WMD: -42.03 μmol/L, 95% CI: -100.54% to 16.48%, p = 0.16) showed no significant change after bilberry supplementation. Bilberry supplementation may have beneficial effects on HbA1c and TG, but not other cardio-metabolic indices. Therefore, long-term and high-quality trials are needed to confirm the promising effects of bilberries.
How They Measured It
See study for outcome measures
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bilberry research
There are currently 16 peer-reviewed studies on Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), involving 955 total participants. Research covers Eye Health & Vision, Antioxidant, Blood Sugar & Cardiovascular, Clinical trials and 1 more areas. The overall evidence strength is rated as Strong.
The evidence is currently rated as "Strong Evidence". This rating is based on study design quality (randomisation, blinding, placebo controls), sample sizes, study types (13 human studies), and reported outcomes.
Bilberry has been researched for: Eye Health & Vision, Antioxidant, Blood Sugar & Cardiovascular, Clinical trials, Systematic reviews. Each area has its own body of evidence which you can explore in the study breakdowns above.
Yes, 13 out of 16 studies are human trials. Human trials carry more weight in our evidence scoring system.
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