To improve vision, many pick bilberry

Bilberries mixed with honey served as a diarrhea remedy in Elizabethan England, and British bomber pilots ate bilberry jam in an effort to improve their night vision during World War II. A European cousin of the blueberry, bilberry is one of the top-selling herbal supplements in the United States today. The berry contains high levels of anthocyanidins, the strong antioxidants abundant in blueberries, and also acts as an astringent, or tissue-binding compound.

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Uses: Doctors in Germany sometimes recommend bilberry to treat diarrhea and mucous-membrane swelling in the mouth and throat. Here, extracts of the dried ripe berry are marketed to improve vascular health and treat eye conditions, such as retinopathy, cataracts, macular degeneration and night blindness. Bilberry leaf extract was used to treat diabetes before insulin treatment became common.

Dose: About 150 to 500 milligrams a day taken in two or three doses. Dried bilberry fruit is available in pill form. Tea or mouthwashes can be made from the dried berries or leaves.

Precautions: Very high doses taken over a long period of time may interact with warfarin or other blood-thinning drugs. Diabetics taking insulin should avoid bilberry leaf extracts.

Research: In animal studies, anthocyanidins have lowered blood sugar levels, reduced swelling and increased the eye pigment necessary for night vision. Most human studies on bilberry have shown that the herb has a positive effect on eye and vascular conditions, including night blindness, retinopathy, vascular weakness and poor blood circulation, but many of these studies have been small, and the most recent of them produced negative results.

Dietary supplement makers are not required by the U.S. government to demonstrate that their products are safe or effective. Ask your health-care provider for advice on selecting a brand.

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-- Elena Conis