Bilberry, a wild European berry sold mainly as a concentrated extract for eye comfort, shows its most consistent signals for less screen-related eye strain, more tear production in dry eye, better walking capacity after a heart attack and less gum bleeding, each from small trials, several run by extract makers. Cholesterol, blood sugar and inflammation effects are mixed. Side effects are mild and uncommon; product quality is a practical risk. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| LDL cholesterol | <100 mg/dL (<70 mg/dL with existing heart disease) | Main lipid claim |
| ApoB | <80 mg/dL | Particle-based lipid risk |
| Triglycerides | <100 mg/dL | Most responsive lipid in blend trials |
| HDL cholesterol | >50 mg/dL (men), >60 mg/dL (women) | CETP-related rise |
| HbA1c | 4.8–5.4% | Long-term glucose effect |
| Fasting glucose | 75–90 mg/dL | Glucose response and hypoglycemia check |
| Fasting insulin | 2–6 µIU/mL | Insulin resistance |
| hs-CRP | <1.0 mg/L (ideally <0.5 mg/L) | Inflammation claim |
| ALT | 10–25 U/L | Liver-fat claim and liver safety |
| Ferritin | 50–150 ng/mL | Iron-absorption concern |
| Home blood pressure | <120/80 mmHg | Vascular effect |
| INR (warfarin users only) | No functional target; prescriber's range (commonly 2.0–3.0) | Bleeding interaction |
| Fecal calprotectin (colitis only) | <50 µg/g | Gut-inflammation response |
| Schirmer test (dry eye only) | ≥10 mm in 5 minutes | Tear production |
Cadence: Baseline before starting; INR at 1–2 weeks after starting (warfarin users only); glucose checks during the first 2 weeks (insulin or sulfonylurea users); symptom review at 4 and 8 weeks for eye goals; repeat blood tests at 12 weeks, then every 6–12 months while bilberry is continued. No change after 12–24 weeks suggests non-response.