2007 Volume 16 Issue 2 Pages 44-48
Bilberry, Vaccinium myrtillus, has been reported to improve night vision. Some clinical trials have shown the positive effects of bilberry on improving the eye functions while other studies did not. Blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum, is a berry related to the bilberry. Many Japanese people are unable to distinguish bilberry from blueberry and therefore imagine that blueberry, too, must have a good effect on the eye functions. However, there have so far been few reliable scientific trials made on the blueberry. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the blueberry on eye functions in humans. Seven healthy volunteers consumed 10 g of dried blueberry. Four hours later, all 7 demonstrated no improvement in their dark adaptation, visual field, tearing by Schirmer-1 test, blinking, or subjective symptoms. Another healthy 10 volunteers took 7 g of dried blueberry for 21 days. However, again no improvement was observed in their dark adaptation, visual field, tearing, blinking, or subjective symptoms. As a result, we could not find any clear proof that blueberries actually improve the eye functions, including night vision and dry eye, in humans, based on the findings of the abovel7 subjects.
