According to the latest British Journal of Nutrition (2005;93:8959), supplementing with an extract of bilberry fruit (Vaccinium myrtillus) may improve night vision in nearsighted people. Thats good news for those of you who may have to cope with bothersome night blindness!

Bilberry, a close relative of the blueberry, is a small shrub that grows throughout central and northern Europe, northern Asia, and North America. Traditionally, due to its powerful tannin content, bilberry has been used to treat diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and urinary tract infections. Others preliminary studies have indicated bilberrys effectiveness in addressing microcirculatory conditions, such as macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and other retinal disorders. The active compounds of bilberry, Anthocyanosides, are potent antioxidants which have been noted to promote and strengthen capillaries and blood vessels.

While the majority of bilberrys research has been conducted in vitro, there has been a close correlation between bilberry and its ability to regenerate a compound in the eye (rhodopsin) that is responsible for night vision. Specifically, rhodopsin, also known as visual purple, lies within the rod cells of your eye, and is extremely sensitive to low levels of light. In fact, when exposed to white light, rhodopsin is immediately bleached and takes approximately 30 minutes to regenerate in humans.

Nearsightedness, or myopia, affects up to one quarter of Americans. Those afflicted with myopia often describe distant objects as being blurry, yet most with myopia are able to see nearby objects quite clearly. This condition occurs from the eye being longer than the focal point, and is shaped much like a football. Individuals with nearsightedness are also at greater risk for acute eye problems such as glaucoma or retinal detachment, and often experience floaters, dryness, tearing, and of course, poor night vision.

The new study from the Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University in Seoul Korea was aimed at determining the effects of bilberry extract on night vision and other symptoms associated with nearsightedness. The study examined 60 individuals with mild to moderate myopia. Thirty of the participants received 100mg of bilberry extract (containing 85% anthocyanosides) two times per day, and the remaining thirty received a placebo pill. Contrast sensitivity, a measure of nocturnal vision, was tested before and after treatment. The participants also answered questions regarding the frequency and severity of their eye symptoms including eye strain, dryness, tearing, blurry vision, and decreased vision in dark places.

Twenty-two (73%) of the 30 participants receiving the bilberry supplement showed significantly greater improvement in eye symptoms and contrast sensitivity, suggesting an improvement in night vision. In contrast, only 1 of the 30 participants in the placebo group showed any signs of improvement. Additionally, no side effects were associated with use of the bilberry supplement.

This study provides good evidence that bilberry may help to improve night vision in those afflicted with myopia. Previous studies on healthy individuals indicated that bilberry has no effect on night vision, however, these studies utilized bilberry preparations with much lower concentrations of anthocyanosides (5 to 30%), and they were administered for shorter periods of time.