Bilberries

I learned on the phytocourse that what we swedes call blueberries are actually what americans call bilberries and that blueberries are what we call american blueberries. So this post will be about bilberries which are the ones we have here in Sweden. But then bilberries and blueberries are pretty similar even though bilberries are healthier.

There are three main components in bilberries. They are anthocyanins, flavonoids and tannins and they are all antioxidants.

It is the anthocyanins that gives the blue colour. Flavonoids are also giving colour and they make your immune system stronger and reduces inflammation (and much more). Tannins are antiseptics which means that they inhibits bacteria. There is a lot more you could say about these three and maybe I'll blog seperatly about them later.

Bilberries has a lot of antioxidants (as I mentioned), improves the vision, inhibits platelet collection and inhibits inflammation and allergies etc. They can help with allergies, bleedings due to weak blood vessels, painful menstrations, stomach problems etc.. However, fresh berries can irritate the intestinal mucosa. Bilberries also increases the dopamine levels in the brain.

I'm to lazy right now to look through my papers from school but they showed us a study that I think was about that bilberries and probiotics together lowers inflammation in the stomach.. I should look it up, it was really interesting!

Now to something that has nothing to do with bilberries - if you have time, you should watch this program that is about cancer and sugar (it's only the first 20ish minutes). VERY interesting!
http://svtplay.se/v/2773069/vetenskapens_varld/ig_nobel?cb,a1364145,1,f,-1/pb,a1364142,1,f,-1/pl,v,,2781791/sb,p102815,1,f,-1

Otherwise, I got my exam result back yesterday and even though it was my worst result personally, it still went good so now all exams for this year are done, passed and now it's only 3 different projects left to do :) I hardly have any time left in school so the most of the time I'll be able to study from home which I'm happy about because I always learn more that way. And it gives more time over to do other things like working out, working and hanging out with friends.. I'm really considering doing most of what I have left on my education through distance courses. I found several courses I really want to take that are distance about physiology and other course that has to do with how the body works. Anyways, now I gotta go back to studying and read an article about obese kids :)