What does it help with
- Vision disorders, night blindness, eye fatigue
- Blood vessel strengthening, varicose veins
- Diarrhoea and intestinal inflammation
- Antioxidant protection
Active compounds
Anthokyany (myrtillin), tannins, flavonoids, pectin, vitamin C.
Anthocyanins stimulate rhodopsin regeneration — the visual pigment. RAF pilots ate bilberry jam for better night vision.
How and when to harvest
Harvest periodJuly – August
Plant partsripe fruit
Dryingdry slowly or freeze
Shelf life1–2 years dried
Preparation methods
TeaJamTinctureCapsulesFresh fruit
Pro tip: Drink bilberry tea for diarrhoea concentrated and without sugar — tannins stop diarrhoea quickly.
Recipes
1 Bilberry tea for diarrhoea ▾
Boil 2 tbsp dried bilberries in 300 ml water for 15 min. Strain. Drink 3× daily.
2 Bilberry tea for vision ▾
Pour 250 ml water over dried bilberries, steep 10 min. Drink 2× daily for eye health.
3 Bilberry tincture ▾
Pour 40% vodka over fresh bilberries, strain after 4 weeks. 30 drops 2× daily.
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6 more recipes in the Herbarium
Bilberry jam (no cooking) · Milk thistle combo · Bilberry cure · Bilberries in yoghurt · Bilberry vinegar · Bilberries for circulatory system
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