Each capsule contains: Bilberry fruit extract (vaccinium myrtillus, standardized to 25% anthocyanidins) 80 mg • Bilberry leaf (vaccinium myrtillus) 320 mg. Other Ingredients: Vegetable Capsule.
Brand name products often contain multiple ingredients. To read detailed information about each ingredient, click on the link for the individual ingredient shown above.
Below is general information about the effectiveness of the known ingredients contained in the product Bilberry Plus. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE
Below is general information about the safety of the known ingredients contained in the product Bilberry Plus. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
LIKELY SAFE ...when used orally and appropriately in amounts commonly found in foods. Bilberry has Generally Recognized As Safe status (GRAS) for use in foods in the US (4912).
POSSIBLY SAFE ...when used orally and appropriately for medicinal purposes. Bilberry fruit extracts have been used with apparent safety in clinical trials at a dose of up to 160 mg daily for up to 6 months (39,40,8139,9739,14280,35472,35510,35512,103190,104192,104195). A higher bilberry extract dose of 1.4 grams daily has been used with apparent safety for up to 4 weeks (104194). Whole bilberries or bilberry juice have also been consumed with apparent safety in quantities of 100-160 grams daily for up to 35 days (35463,91506).
POSSIBLY UNSAFE ...when the leaves are used orally in high doses or for a prolonged period. Death can occur with chronic use of 1.5 gram/kg daily (2).
PREGNANCY AND LACTATION: LIKELY SAFE
when used orally in the amounts commonly found in foods.
However, there is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of bilberry when used in medicinal amounts during pregnancy and lactation; avoid using.
Below is general information about the interactions of the known ingredients contained in the product Bilberry Plus. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
Theoretically, bilberry fruit extract might increase the risk of bleeding when taken with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
 Details
|
Theoretically, bilberry leaf or fruit extract may increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
Details
Animal research suggests that bilberry leaf extract might have blood glucose-lowering activity (1264). Also, one small clinical trial in patients with type 2 diabetes shows that taking bilberry fruit extract 470 mg as a single dose prior to an oral glucose tolerance test lowers plasma glucose levels when compared with placebo (91507).
|
Theoretically, bilberry fruit extract might decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2E1.
Details
Animal research shows that exposure to small concentrations of bilberry extract in drinking water for around one month increased CYP2E1 activity by 31%. However, exposure over a 2-month period did not increase CYP2E1 activity (103191). This effect has not been reported in humans.
|
Theoretically, bilberry fruit extract might reduce the efficacy of erlotinib.
Details
In vitro research suggests that bilberry fruit extract and its constituents, delphinidin and delphinidin-3-O-glucoside, inhibit the activity of erlotinib (97031). This interaction has not been reported in humans.
|
Below is general information about the adverse effects of the known ingredients contained in the product Bilberry Plus. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
General
...Orally, bilberry fruit, juice, and extracts seem to be well tolerated.
Most Common Adverse Effects:
Orally: Dark-colored stools, flatulence, and gastrointestinal discomfort.
Gastrointestinal
...In one small clinical trial, mild-to-moderate flatulence was reported in 33% of patients taking sieved bilberries and concentrated bilberry juice (91506).
However, the patients in this study had ulcerative colitis, and the study lacked a control group, limiting the validity of this finding. In another small clinical study of males with age-related cognitive impairment, temporary adverse gastrointestinal (GI) effects were reported in 13% of patients drinking a combination of bilberry and grape juice. However, the adverse GI effect rate was identical in patients drinking a placebo juice (110641). A post-marketing surveillance report of 2295 patients using bilberry extract (Tegens) found that 1% of patients complained of GI discomfort and less than 1% experienced nausea or heartburn (35500).
Theoretically, fresh bilberry fruit may have laxative effects. One clinical trial noted an increased frequency of bowel movements following the administration of a combination formulation containing aerial agrimony parts, cinnamon quills, powdered bilberry fruit, and slippery elm bark (35462). It is unclear if these effects were due to bilberry, other ingredients, or the combination.
Other ...Orally, bilberry may cause discoloration of feces and the tongue. In one study, a dark-bluish to black discoloration of both the feces and the tongue was observed following consumption of sieved bilberries and concentrated bilberry juice. In one patient, a slight discoloration of the teeth has also been observed (91506). In another study, 50% of patients reported dark green stools after taking bilberry extract 700 mg twice daily for 4 weeks (104194).
