75 Percent of Bilberry Extracts Fit the Bill, CL Finds

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.ConsumerLab.com recently put bilberry extracts to the test, finding one-quarter of products failed quality standards. In the Bilberry Supplements Review , the independent third-party company tested nine products. One bilberry product contained only 62 percent of the advertised bilberry compounds and was not authentic. The second product failing testing standards did not disintegrate in proper time.

Bilberry, a cousin of the blueberry, offers health benefits such as vision protection often associated with antioxidant-rich berries. However, not all bilberry supplements are authentic, warned Tod Cooperman, M.D., president of consumerlab.com

"Consumers can be easily fooled when buying bilberry supplements," Cooperman said."Only a lab report can tell you what's really in the bottle, but, at a minimum, you should check the label for the correct species --Vaccinium myrtillus (fruit) -- standardized to 36 percent anthocyanosides, which is about 100 times more concentrated than raw bilberry."

ConsumerLab recently tackled protein products, noting one-third of them did not meet quality standards. Learn more about the company's third-party testing in the ConsumerLab Topic Feed.