Tranont Reviews: Blueberries vs. Bilberries

Blueberries and bilberries are so similar looking that they’re often confused. Chances are, if you’re in the U.S. you probably haven’t even heard of bilberries. So what’s the difference, and what are the health benefits of both berries?

In this Tranont Reviews blog post, we are going to take a quick look at blueberries and bilberries.

What Is a Blueberry?

Blueberries are native to the United States and have been a staple fruit in the American diet since at least the 1920s. Turns out, this small roundish fruit is packed full of healthy nutrients.

Blueberries contain anthocyanin, a flavonoid pigment that can appear as blue, violet, or red. Anthocyanin has been used in herbal medicine for years due to its antioxidant effects. In fact, Anthocyanins found in blueberries contain two to six times the amount of antioxidants found in other fruits.

Excessive free radicals form when we’re exposed to the dangers of modern living, such as fatty acids in food, air pollution, sunbathing, environmental toxins, smoke, and alcohol.

Prolonged oxidative stress leads to problems such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and accelerated aging. Antioxidants can help eliminate these free radicals from your system.

There have been multiple studies showing that blueberries are a great source of antioxidants, making them a fantastic choice if you are worried about free radicals in your body. Blueberries have also been shown to help with chronic diseases.

Learn more about antioxidants in our “Guide to Antioxidants” blog post.

What Is a Bilberry?

Bilberries are native to Northern Europe but are closely related to American blueberries. They even look similar, possessing the same basic shape and size. However, the can have a purplish hue.

One of the main purposes of eating bilberries is that it can help improve your eyesight. During World War II, British pilots experienced a surprising improvement in night vision after eating bilberry jam before night bombing raids. The heightened night vision the British pilots experienced led to an interest in the impact of anthocyanidins on eye conditions.

Bilberries, like their blueberry cousins, contain anthocyanidin, which relates to visual purple which is known as rhodopsin. Rhodopsin is a biological pigment found in the rods of the retina which is extremely sensitive to light and enables vision in low-light settings. 

Bilberries contain four times the amount of anthocyanidin content as blueberries. The anthocyanidins found in bilberries may provide support for night vision by helping to nourish the visual purple in the retina, improving your eyesight.

Bilberries are used for nutritional eye care in Europe and have been used in herbal medicine for many years.

Why do I Need Blueberries and Bilberries?

So why should you incorporate these small berries into your diet? Because they both can help different aspects of your overall health.

Blueberries can protect against:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Cancer
• Accelerated aging

Bilberries may help prevent:

• Cancer
• Macular degeneration
• Heart disease

Both berries are low in sugar, packed full of antioxidants, taste great, and can be easily incorporated into your diet. There’s virtually no downside to eating them!

Where can I Find Blueberries and Bilberries?

You can find blueberries in just about any grocery store in America. Bilberries, on the other hand,  are not so common as they are mostly found in Europe. They aren’t as commonly found fresh because they tend to squish easily.

However, if you want to obtain the health benefits of both berries, Tranont Health’s ICARIA Glow contains both blueberry and bilberry extract, so you can get the benefits of both berries.

Learn More

The best way to learn more about your health is by following our blog. Tranont reviews other foods and supplements regularly so you can get the inside scoop on how to construct a healthy diet!