Bilberry (Vaccinium Myrtillus) (cont'd)
Bilberries are high in flavonoids, which have antioxidant and disease-fighting properties and they help
cells in the body resist and repair damage. |
The flavonoids found in bilberry provide the blue color of
the berry. The bilberry flavonoids are called anthocyanosides, which were found to be the main active
ingredients.
Bilberry flavonoids can increase certain enzymes and
substances in the eyes that are crucial to good vision and eye function. Furthermore, anthocyanosides can increase
circulation in the blood vessels in the eyes, and help these blood vessels repair and protect themselves.
Specifically, research has shown that anthocyanosides help stabilize and protect a protein called collagen, which
is a basic building block of veins, arteries, capillaries, and connective tissue. Particularly, anthocyanosides
seem to work favorably in the tissues found in the retina, the back of the eye where major functions of vision take
place.
|