BilberriesBilberry / anthocyanins
Anthocyanins from European blueberry. In a Zurich open-label study, six weeks of an anthocyanin-rich bilberry preparation put 63% of mild-to-moderate UC patients into remission and cut fecal calprotectin by more than half; biopsies showed less TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma. A 2024 multicenter RCT of the extract in moderate-to-severe UC missed its clinical endpoint (stopped early, high placebo response) but again lowered calprotectin. Standardized to 25% anthocyanosides.
Andrew's notes
Bilberry is one of my go-to options in my work, and the most potent anthocyanin-containing fruit I know, with pomegranate close behind; pomegranate you can simply drink as juice. The open-label UC data match what I see: this is one of the polyphenols people actually notice. Frozen blueberries cover much of the same ground for far less, and I say so before I mention the capsule.
- SKU
- PUR-BB11
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go.supplementsforibd.com/bilberry
References
- Biedermann L, Mwinyi J, Scharl M, et al. Bilberry ingestion improves disease activity in mild to moderate ulcerative colitis: an open pilot study. J Crohns Colitis 2013;7(4):271–279.
- Roth S, Spalinger MR, Gottier C, et al. Bilberry-derived anthocyanins modulate cytokine expression in the intestine of patients with ulcerative colitis. PLoS One 2016;11(5):e0154817.
- A multi-center randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, phase IIa study to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of an anthocyanin rich extract (ACRE) in patients with ulcerative colitis. medRxiv 2024 (preprint). doi:10.1101/2024.07.19.24310589.
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