Bilberry Herb - History and Information

The bilberry herb has been a food plant as well as a medicinal herb in Europe since ancient times.

However, due to the many bilberry health benefits, the bilberry plant emerged as a powerful medicinal herb in sixteenth century Europe.

Bilberry fruits and leaves are used to this day as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and astringent tonic to treat a variety of health conditions related to the eyes, digestive system, nervous system, circulatory system including heart function, organ health, and overall health improvement.

The botanical Latin name for bilberry plants is Vaccinium myrtillus and it belongs to the Ericaceae family. The other common names for this medicinal plant are huckleberry, European blueberry, whortleberry, bogberry and hurtleberry.

The bilberry plant is a relatively short and stubby shrub, growing to a height of about 50 cm with ovate leaves and ovoid petals.

The plant bears flowers that are typically pink or red and they bloom in spring. The shrubby herb bears fruit called bilberry - which is used for medicinal purposes when it dries, and so are the leaves.

This perennial plant prefers filtered shade and moist fertile soil that is acidic and non calcareous.

This ornamental shrub grows best in damp moorlands in the United States, Europe and Asia. It is called whortleberry in England, and blueberries in Scotland.

Besides the bilberry fruit, the leaves of bilberry are thought to have their own unique healing properties. One of the most vital benefits of bilberry herb intake is the ability to improve vision and also prevent other eye conditions as well.

An oft-quoted folk tale regarding bilberry herbs is the story of World War II fighter pilots, who took bilberry preserves prior to night missions, which greatly improved their vision and helped them hit targets accurately. This has not been proved conclusively.

Quite similar to the healing properties associated with their botanically close relatives, blueberries and cranberries, bilberries are known to have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities.

Bilberries, from ancient times have also been used in the effective treatment of diarrhea, circulatory conditions like varicose veins, mucous membrane inflammation, and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), a condition in which plaque builds up on the artery walls and blocks the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart.

Also, as cited above, the bilberry herb has also been shown to be particularly beneficial to the health of the eyes, such as vision improvement, and prevention of eye conditions.

More information regarding how bilberry benefits health is discussed in the other related bilberry articles.

Bilberry Pages | Bilberry Herb - History and Information | Bilberry Health Benefits | Health Benefits of Bilberry - Research and Studies, Usage and Dosage | Bilberry Eye Health Effects | Possible Side Effects, Contraindications and Drug Interactions of Bilberry

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