Bilberry Research Paper

Type 2 diabetes is slowly progressing as one of the more prevalent diseases within the United States, commonly due to socioeconomic problems. Type 2 diabetes can be controlled with insulin injections as well as exercise to control weight loss. An herbal remedy known as bilberry has been used to control blood sugar levels. Bilberry is also known as; European blueberry, huckleberry, vaccimium myrtillus, and vaccinium corymbosum.¹ Bilberry ranked fourth as the most common remedy to improve glycaemic control in hyperglycaemic subjects with or without a diagnosis consisting of impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes.² Bilberry is more commonly known for improving vision in individuals with diabetes but has also been researched to improve blood glucose and controlling type 2 diabetes; due to its anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering effects.³ In regards to diabetes and insulin control, bilberry has been used to control blood sugar levels because they contribute to lowering glucose response after the consumption of a high sugar meal. Research is currently being done to study the effects of taking bilberry with other herbs that lower blood sugar to see if it could potentially result in hypoglycemia.¹ In one study, scientists claim that a bilberry drink with fermented …show more content…
Further research of this herbal remedy could be highly beneficial given the socioeconomic problem that is posed by this prevalent disease of type 2 diabetes. As in most, if not all studies that have been conducted on bilberry, scientists believe that bilberry supplementation has positive effects resulting in reduction of glucose levels on metabolic abnormalities, reversing hyperglycemic effects, as well as treatment of diabetic retinopathy.6 Due to the lack of experiments and definitive results in humans, bilberry should not be the primary source used for insulin control in individuals who are