In your day-to-day activities, counting calories can be an easy way to maintain a healthy weight. Of key importance is to incorporate healthy and nutritious foods into your diet that make you feel alive and energetic, for a fulfilling and productive life.
Loaded with antioxidants and minerals, bilberries, also known as northern wild blueberries, are a low-calorie, yet a highly necessary addition to your daily dietary requirements.
Bilberries highly resemble blueberries and are sometimes referred to as European blueberries. Other names used to refer to them are huckleberry and whortleberry.
The bilberry fruit has a sweet, welcoming aroma and delicious taste. It’s mostly red or purple inside the blue skin.
Bilberries are often confused with wild blueberries that grow in Maine and Canada. However, these are completely different fruits with similar characteristics.
At LOOV Food, we believe in using our food as medicine. This is why we’re committed to sharing the natural and unique flavours of the Nordic forests with the world.
We preserve the nutrition of the wild berries so that by the time they get to you, they’re fresh, tasty, and are highly beneficial to your health and wellbeing.
Here we’ll take a close look at Vaccinium myrtillus also known as the bilberry fruit. We’ll examine the calorie content as well as many other health benefits that come with it.
Calories and Nutritional Value of Vaccinium Myrtillus
As weight management options evolve, people are not only observing the calorie content in foods. They’re looking to get complete nutritional benefits to improve their health.
If you’re trying to lose weight, looking at the calorie content is necessary for your weight loss journey.
Checking for other vitamins and minerals in food is highly beneficial to you reaching your daily nutrition targets. It’ll help you live a longer and healthier life.
Wild Nordic bilberries are a low-calorie but highly nutritious food.
A cup of bilberries (148 grams) only contains 85 calories. This means that if you’re on a 1,200, 1500, or even 2,000 calorie diet, you can comfortably have your bilberries and still stick to your caloric intake.
Here’s a cup of Nordic bilberries compared to dried cultivated blueberries and fresh cultivated blueberries.
| One cup | Nordic Bilberries | Dried Cultivated Blueberries | Cultivated Blueberries |
| Calories | 85 | 150 | 100 |
| Fat | Less than a gram | 2 grams | 1 gram |
| Carbohydrates | 21 grams | 80 grams | 30 grams |
The bilberry is low in sugar and high in fiber. As a result, they help to support blood sugar levels already within normal range and promote better digestive health.
Considering the many other benefits you’re set to gain from adding wild bilberries into your diet, this is great news.
Other Minerals in Bilberries
Besides their low caloric content, bilberries are packed with essential vitamins and minerals. The table below shows what percentage of your daily recommendation or grams per 1 cup of bilberries.
| Vitamin or Mineral | Percent RDI or grams | Benefit |
| Vitamin K | 36% | Aids in blood clotting and prevents excessive bleeding |
| Vitamin C | 24% | Necessary for the growth, development and repair of body tissues |
| Vitamin B6 | 5% | Important for brain development and for keeping the nervous and immune systems healthy |
| Potassium | 114 mg | Helps in regulating heartbeat and muscle contraction |
| Phosphorus | 18 mg | Helps in the formation and maintenance of bones and teeth |
| Calcium | 9 mg | Beneficial for the development and strengthening of bones |
| Folate | 9 mg | Beneficial for the development and strengthening of bones |
| Magnesium | 9 mg | Responsible for cell growth, helps speed up metabolism and is given to pregnant women to help in the development of babies in the womb |
| Iron | 0.41 mg | Necessary for body growth and the development of hemoglobin |
The table below shows the contents of a cup of Nordic wild bilberries.
| Protein | 1 gram |
| Fat | 0.1 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 21 grams |
| Fiber | 3 grams |
| Sugar | 15 grams |
What’s in a Nordic Bilberry?
The bilberries of the Nordic forests may look similar to blueberries, but they’re highly unique in their composition and flavour.
The northern climate is cool during the growing season of Vaccinium myrtillus. The days are longer and thus the bilberry enjoys light in abundance.
Bilberries grow naturally which explains their diversity in size and colour. They’re also stronger in flavour and richer in nutrients than Maine cultivated blueberries.
Bilberries contain double the anthocyanin and four times more antioxidants than cultivated blueberries.
Anthocyanins are the compounds that give the bilberry the deep blue colour and they’re responsible for their high doses of antioxidants.
Health Benefits of Organic Bilberries
Due to the diverse genetic and nutritional composition of bilberries, they come with major healing and antioxidant properties.
Wild bilberries are rich in anthocyanins which fight all kinds of inflammation in the body, and are responsible for the following major benefits:
Lowers Blood Sugar
Vaccinium myrtillus contains polyphenols that regulate the absorption and digestion of carbs.
This helps to develop a better response of glucose in people with high blood glucose.
Published reports show that bilberry extract significantly lowers blood sugar.
Patients with high blood glucose should consult their doctor for medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment.
Improve Vision
The bilberry extract has a long history of use in treating eyesight-related problems in Europe. It has been proven to have healing properties and the ability to strengthen the blood vessels in the eyes.
Studies have shown an improvement in night vision, healing of cataracts, and retinopathy.
Cures Inflammation
Bilberries play a role in healing muscle soreness caused by exercise. They’re also used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
Improves Heart Health
Heart and circulatory system disorders are common all over the world and are characterized by adiposity and high blood glucose levels.
Anthocyanins in the European blueberry help strengthen and regulate the heart muscles improving heart functionality.
How to Consume Bilberries
Between harvesting and shipping, berries can lose their natural freshness and taste. This is why all LOOV Food berries are freeze-dried to retain their nutrients, taste, and colour.
When the berries are freeze-dried they remain fresh and taste as good as if they were freshly picked. Therefore you can enjoy the full benefits of this amazing superfood.
There are a number of ways in which you can enjoy the bilberry. Unlike artificial sugars, this is a guilt-free treat that tastes as sweet and has amazing outcomes on your health.
You can add a tablespoon or two into your:
- Yogurt
- Dessert or baked products
- Porridge or oatmeal
- Cereal
- Smoothie
Now that you know the nutritious effects of bilberry in your body. How about you try out this simple smoothie recipe to start your day or as a guilt-free treat.
Blueberry Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
- Two tablespoons of LOOV Food wild blueberry powder
- Squeezed juice of one lemon
- Half a cup of greek yogurt
- One tablespoon of honey
- One tablespoon of pre-soaked chia seeds
- A quarter cup of water
- 4 ice cubes
Blend all the ingredients in a blender and serve—it’s that easy. You can have it in the morning or as a treat during the day. It’s high in protein, loaded with minerals and it’s yummy.
Tess, our customer had this to say about using the bilberry powder in smoothies.
“Great for heavy metal smoothie. Recommended by Medial Medium, Anthony Williams.”
Other customers noted an improvement in night vision and overall body energy. See what our regular customer Eva felt about the wild bilberry powder.
“I have been using this product for eight months. I noticed that my eyesight got better, I have more energy.”
Shop at LOOV Food Now
At LOOV Food, all our foods grow organically in their natural habitat. Due to this, they’re high in minerals and vitamins.
They’re then handpicked carefully and freeze-dried in a clean and healthy environment.
By the time these Nordic berries get to your table, they’re as fresh and nutritious as they would be in the European forests.
We believe in using food as medicine and to enjoy the taste of the bilberry that’s both exotic and nutritious.
You can shop at our website now, and our products are also available on Amazon. We offer worldwide shipping, and you’re guaranteed to receive your product within 7 days.
You can also contact us for more questions or comments on our products.
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Featured Image from: Flickr by Tatiana Bulyonkova
