Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus · European Blueberry · Whortleberry · Anthocyanins

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Eye fatigue¹ Contrast sensitivity¹ Cognitive performance² Mood^{3, 4} Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol⁵	Pregnancy or nursing⁶ Soy allergy⁶ Within two weeks of surgery⁶

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is a European relative of the blueberry whose fruit and leaves have traditionally been used for vision, blood sugar, and cardiovascular conditions⁷. Its anthocyanins are thought to act through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity⁸. Supplementation is used for eye fatigue and visual function, for cognition and mood, and for cardiometabolic risk markers.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) reports that the most rigorous trials found no night vision benefit in healthy people⁷. A systematic review in myopia found anthocyanin-rich extracts improved mesopic contrast sensitivity and eye fatigue but did not consistently slow progression¹. In a 2021 single-arm study of adults with controlled glaucoma, a pine bark and bilberry combination lowered intraocular pressure; no controlled trial has tested it. Products include capsules, liquid extracts, powders, and softgels; see Form comparison.

Bilberry has reported antiplatelet activity, so a bleeding interaction with aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is possible; the support is case reports, animal, and in vitro data⁹. Per NCCIH, people taking any medicine are told to talk with their health care provider before using bilberry⁷.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

44 sources, 39 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources