Blueberry is a plant. The fruit is commonly eaten as a food.

Some people also use

the fruit and leaves to make medicine.

Be careful not to confuse blueberry with bilberry. Outside of the United States, the
name "blueberry" may be used for a plant called "bilberry" in the U.S.

Blueberry is used for aging, memory and thinking skills (cognitive function), and
many other conditions, but there is limited scientific evidence to support any of
these uses.

How does it work ?

Blueberry, like its relative the cranberry, might help prevent bladder infections by
stopping bacteria from attaching to the walls of the bladder. Blueberry fruit is high
in fiber which could help normal digestive function. It also contains vitamin C and
other antioxidants. Blueberry also contains chemicals that might reduce swelling
and destroy cancer cells.

Uses & Effectiveness  ?

Possibly Ineffective for

 High blood pressure. Most research shows that taking blueberry does not
reduce blood pressure.

Insufficient Evidence for

 Decline in memory and thinking skills that occurs normally with age. Some
research shows that taking blueberry daily for 3-6 months might help
improve some thinking and memory tests in adults over 60 years of age.
However, most tests for thinking and memory do not change. If there is a
benefit, it is probably small.
 Aging. Some research shows that eating frozen blueberries can improve foot
placement and balance in elderly people. However, other research shows
that eating blueberries does not help with these things. Also, eating
 blueberries doesn't seem to improve strength or walking speed in elderly
people.
 Athletic performance. Early research shows that taking dried blueberries
doesn't help people run faster or make running feel easier. But it might help
maintain strength 30 minutes after the run.
 Memory and thinking skills (cognitive function). Early research shows that
taking a single dose of blueberry may improve some types of learning in
children ages 7-10 years. But it doesn't help with most types of learning and
it doesn't help children read better.
 Depression. Some people that have a clot in one of the vessels in the brain
may experience depression. In those people with depression, they may be
more likely to have infections in the GI tract. Some research suggests that
taking blueberry extract daily for 90 days can reduce symptoms of
depression and also reduce infections in this group of people.
 High levels of fats called triglycerides in the blood (hypertriglyceridemia).
Early research shows that taking a single dose of blueberry leaf extract might
help to reduce levels of fats in the blood after a meal in people with this
condition.
 Arthritis in children (juvenile idiopathic arthritis). Early research shows that
drinking blueberry juice daily while using the medicationetanercept reduces
symptoms of arthritis in children better than the medication alone. Drinking
blueberry juice might also reduce side effects caused by etanercept.
 A grouping of symptoms that increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease,
and stroke (metabolic syndrome). Taking dried blueberries does not help
improve most symptoms of metabolic syndrome. But it might help to
improve blood flow in some people.
 Bad circulation.
 Cancer.
 Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
 Constipation.
 Diarrhea.
 Fever.
 Hemorrhoids.
 Labor pains.
 Multiple sclerosis (MS).
 Peyronie disease (build-up of scar tissue in the penis).
 Preventing cataracts and glaucoma.
 Sore throat.
  Ulcers.
 Urinary tract infections (UTIs).
 Varicose veins.
 Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of blueberry for these uses.

Side Effects
When taken by mouth: Blueberry fruit is LIKELY SAFE for most people when
consumed in the amounts found in food. There isn't enough reliable information to
know if taking blueberry leaf is safe or what the side effects might be.

When applied to the skin: There isn't enough reliable information to know if
blueberry is safe or what the side effects might be.

Special Precautions and Warnings

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Blueberry fruit is LIKELY SAFE when used in
amounts commonly found in foods. But not enough is known about the safety of
the larger amounts used for medicine. Stick to normal food amounts if you are
pregnant or breast-feeding.

Diabetes: Blueberry might lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Watch
for signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and monitor your blood sugar carefully
if you have diabetes and use blueberry products. The dose of your diabetes
medications may need to be adjusted by your healthcare provider.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency: G6PD is a genetic

disorder. People with this disorder have problems breaking down some chemicals
in food and drugs. One or more of these chemicals are found in blueberries. If you
have G6PD, only eat blueberries if you get approval from your healthcare provider.

Surgery: Blueberry might affect blood glucose levels and could interfere with
blood sugar control during and after surgery. Stop using blueberry at least 2 weeks
before a scheduled surgery.
 Interactions  ?

Minor Interaction

Be watchful with this combination

 Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs)

interacts with BLUEBERRY
Blueberry leaves and fruit might decrease blood sugar. Diabetes medications
are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking blueberry leaves or fruit along
with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to go too low.
Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication
might need to be changed.

Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide

(DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos),
rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol),
tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.

 Buspirone (BuSpar) interacts with BLUEBERRY

The body breaks down buspirone (BuSpar) to get rid of it. Blueberry might
decrease how fast the body gets rid of buspirone (BuSpar). However, this
does not seem to be a concern in humans.

 Flurbiprofen (Ansaid, others) interacts with

BLUEBERRY
The body breaks down flurbiprofen (Froben) to get rid of it. Blueberry might
decrease how fast the body gets rid of flurbiprofen (Froben). However, this
does not seem to be a concern in humans.

Dosing
The appropriate dose of blueberry depends on several factors such as the user's
age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific
information to determine an appropriate range of doses for blueberry. Keep in
mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be
important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your
pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.