May improve heart health

Your heart health may benefit from bilberries. This may be partially due to their high vitamin K content, which lowers your risk of heart attack and stroke by assisting in the prevention of blood clot formation. The unique combination of anthocyanins found in bilberries may also help decrease blood pressure, according to a test-tube study. In one 8-week trial, 35 participants who consumed a variety of berries, including bilberries, daily saw improvements in their blood pressure, HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and platelet function—all indicators of a healthier heart.

In a different 12-week research, participants who consumed 320 mg per day of anthocyanins from blackcurrant and bilberries saw an 11% increase in HDL (good) cholesterol and a 14% decrease in LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, compared to less than 1% decrease in the placebo group.