“blueberries improve sight”

SupplementsNutritionAgingMetabolism

2/5 evidence score8 peer-reviewed studies

What the science says

Evidence suggests that blueberry and bilberry extracts may offer modest benefits for specific aspects of vision, such as alleviating eye fatigue and hastening visual recovery after bright light exposure. However, claims of general sight improvement or enhanced night vision are not strongly supported by rigorous clinical trials.

Full analysis

While some randomized controlled trials indicate that bilberry or blueberry anthocyanins can reduce eye fatigue and improve recovery from photobleaching, and mixed berry extracts show potential for near visual acuity in presbyopia, the broader claim of 'blueberries improve sight' lacks robust support. Systematic reviews highlight that rigorous studies do not consistently demonstrate benefits for normal night vision, and many claims originate from less rigorous research. Most positive findings are specific, modest, and often involve bilberry or multi-ingredient supplements rather than blueberries alone. Further large-scale, high-quality human trials are needed to clarify the clinical relevance and mechanisms of action for general vision improvement.

Key studies

Blueberry effects on dark vision and recovery after photobleaching: placebo-controlled crossover studies.

Kalt W et al. · Journal of agricultural and food chemistry · 2014

Blueberry anthocyanins did not improve dark adaptation or night vision but hastened the recovery of visual acuity after photobleaching.

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Bilberry extract supplementation for preventing eye fatigue in video display terminal workers.

Ozawa Y et al. · The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2015

Bilberry extract supplementation improved some objective and subjective parameters of eye fatigue induced by video display terminal loads.

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Anthocyanosides of Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) for night vision--a systematic review of placebo-controlled trials.

Canter PH et al. · Survey of ophthalmology · 2004

The hypothesis that bilberry anthocyanosides improve normal night vision is not supported by evidence from rigorous clinical studies, with negative outcomes associated with more rigorous methodology.

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“blueberries improve sight”

What the science says

Full analysis

Key studies

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