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Bilberry

Supplement botanical general nutrition
Aka: Vaccinium myrtillus, European blueberry, anthocyanosides
Brands seen in Singapore: Life Extension, Swanson Vitamins, Nutricost, Nature's Way, Natural Factors
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Traditional eye herb · no condition is clearly helped
When to take
Daily
Studied for
Fruit-extract studies ran up to 6 months
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Fruit is safe in food amounts, per NCCIH
  • Extracts to 160 mg/day for 6 months were tolerated
Cons
  • Not clearly shown to help any health condition
  • The most rigorous night-vision trials were negative
  • Leaves may be unsafe in high doses or long-term
Sources
  1. NIH NCCIH — Bilberry (last updated November 2024): what it is and traditional uses · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The berries and leaves of the bilberry plant have been used as medicine … conditions related to vision, elevated blood sugar levels, and several cardiovascular disorders.”
  2. NIH NCCIH — Bilberry: What Have We Learned? · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Bilberry has not been clearly shown to be helpful for any health condition.”
  3. NIH NCCIH — Bilberry: night vision research · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Studies of the effects of bilberry on night vision have had conflicting results. Much of the research was of poor quality. The most rigorous studies have not found bilberry to be effective in improving night vision in healthy people.”
  4. NIH NCCIH — Bilberry: safety of the fruit in food amounts · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Bilberry fruit is considered safe when consumed in amounts typically found in foods.”
  5. NIH NCCIH — Bilberry: doses used in research studies · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “used safely in research studies at doses of up to 160 mg/day for up to 6 months and appear to be well tolerated”
  6. NIH NCCIH — Bilberry: leaves · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Bilberry leaves may be unsafe when consumed in high doses or for long periods of time.”
  7. NIH NCCIH — Bilberry: pregnancy and breastfeeding · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Little is known about whether it is safe to use bilberry in amounts greater than those found in foods during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.”
  8. Anthocyanosides of Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) for night vision — a systematic review of placebo-controlled trials (Canter & Ernst, Surv Ophthalmol 2004;49:38-50; PMID 14711439) — conclusions · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The hypothesis that V. myrtillus anthocyanosides improves normal night vision is not supported by evidence from rigorous clinical studies. There is a complete absence of rigorous research into the effects of the extract on subjects suffering impaired night vision”
  9. Canter & Ernst, Surv Ophthalmol 2004 — trials identified and their outcomes · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “identified 30 trials with outcome measures relevant to vision in reduced light. Of these, 12 were placebo-controlled. The 4 most recent trials were all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and were negative in outcome.”
  10. HSA — Health Supplements Guidelines GL-CHPB-3-001 Rev. 020 (January 2026), s3.1 working definition + clause 4.8 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Substances derived from natural sources, including animal, mineral and botanical materials in the forms of extracts, isolates, concentrates … HS … should not contain vitamins and minerals exceeding the stipulated limits stated in Tables 4 and 5.”
  11. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in HS and TM, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev. 001 (Oct 2025), clause 1.3 + Annex A/B — searched, no row for bilberry, Vaccinium or anthocyanosides · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.”
  12. iHerb Singapore — 'Bilberry' category page, default order, 1 - 38 of 38 results · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Life Extension, Standardized European Bilberry Extract, 100 mg … Swanson Vitamins, Lutein & Bilberry … Nutricost, Bilberry, 90 Capsules (300 mg per Capsule) … Nature's Way, Bilberry … Natural Factors, Bilberry … Swanson Vitamins, Bilberry Fruit, 470 mg”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.