Bearberry Nutrition Facts and 7 Health Benefits

82 / 100

About Bearberry – The Perfect Remedy! If you have heard of the fruit bearberry in a list of different names, do not be confused! The fruit probably carries as many names as it does cures! Bearberries are also commonly known as Arberry, Bear’s Grape, Crowberry, Foxberry, Hog Cranberry, Kinnikinnick, Mealberry, Mountain Box, Mountain Cranberry, Mountain Tobacco, Sandberry, Upland Cranberry, Uva-ursi.

About Bearberry

This miracle fruit has derived its name for the indiscriminant liking bears carry for it, not too big a shock! We must praise the bears for their clever choice of food, because this fruit happens to be a blessing in disguise! The fruit of the native Americans, bearberries are of three kinds; the alpine bearberry, the red bearberry and the common bearberry.

Ranging from beautiful hues of dark purple, to light blossoming pink, to blood red deepness, this wild shrub has been infamous historically for treating arthritis, back pain, bladder infections, diabetes and indigestion!

Bearberry Nutritional Information

Bearberries are constituent of arbutin around 17%, ursolic acid, tannic acid, gallic acid, some essential oil and resin, hydroquinones, tannins up to 15%, phenolic glycosides, and flavonoids.

Health Benefits of Bearberry

The nutritional value of this fruit makes it an incomparable remedy to a number of infections and illnesses, being the best warrior at fighting them among its kind.

1. Treatment of Renal Illnesses!

Historically, bearberry earned its popularity not only as of the food of the bears but also for its wondrous benefits of being a miracle treatment of urinary tract infection, kidney stones, crystitis etc. Bearberry is the traditional European folk medicine treatment for the bladder when consumed in the form of tea. 

2. The Snowhite Effect!

We all want flawless, glowing, radiant, blemish free, porcelain skin! Bearberry is the call to that prayer! Bearberry consists of a hypopigmenting component which is the secret to whiter skin. 

Bearberry is perfect for those who are seeking riddance from freckles, age spots, scars, blemishes, and the much-concerned vitiligo when you start losing the color pigment from your body. More and more cosmetics brands are incorporating the use of bearberry in their skin care products to provide for a safer, more natural cure to skin troubles.

3. Amazing Antioxidant and Sunscreen!

Bearberries are an amazing antioxidant in that they help fight against free radical damage, acting as a natural sunblock and stampeding any added skin conditions that are looming towards you!

Its sunscreen quality makes it an amazing catch as the use of sunscreens along with blocking the sun’s rays also blocks the intake of vitamin D, which is very important for preventing breast and other cancers. Bearberry is a natural sunscreen and helps us attain our purpose without any opportunity cost by simply working its magic!

4. Disinfectant!

Bearberries consist of arbutin which is easily absorbed by the digestive system and acts as an antibacterial, antimicrobial agent and cleanses the body thoroughly. While cleansing the body, the herb not only soothes any irritation arising on the membranes of the urinary tract, but also eliminates infections!

5. Headache Relief!

Smoking the leaves of the bearberry shrub has historically been known as the perfect cure to a throbbing headache. However, this from of use is either illegal or carefully monitored in most countries because of its narcotic effects.

6. Therapeutic Gains!

A decoction made from the leaves of the bearberry shrub can be used to cure wounds, cuts, canker sores, sore gums and burn.

7. The Ultimate Cure Berry!

Bearberries have been documented to treat a number of illnesses. These can be listed as the following:

  • arthritis,
  • back pain,
  • bed wetting,
  • bile problems,
  • bladder infections,
  • bloating,
  • bright’s disease,
  • bronchitis,
  • cararrh of the bladder,
  • cystitis,
  • diabetes (by removing excessive sugar from the blood),
  • diarrhea,
  • fevers,
  • fluid retention,
  • gallstones,
  • gonorrhea,
  • headache (smoked),
  • haemorrhoids,
  • indigestion,
  • kidney stones, kidney infections,
  • liver problems,
  • lung congestion,
  • excessive menstruation,
  • nephritis,
  • obesity,
  • pancreatitis,
  • prostate gland weakness,
  • rheumatism,
  • chronic urethritis,
  • vaginal discharge, vaginal diseases,
  • water retention and hence urinary tract infection

Scientific proof over the efficacy of bearberries as treatment to all the above stated ailments has not yet been gathered. However, research is being extensively performed on this matter to test whether history’s claims on this fruit being a miracle bearer can be ascertained or not.

Possible Ways To Enjoy Bearberry

Bearberries can be used with dishes as a garnish, for they are beautiful and vibrant in appearance and can perk up the aesthetic beauty of any dish almost instantaneously!
The leaves of this evergreen shrub can be used in making herbal tea that is detoxing, healthy and tasty!

Possible Health Concerns

One of the major ingredients in bearberries is that of the chemical ‘hydroquinone’, a toxic chemical that should be taken with care. Long term consumption of this chemical is prohibited, and short term effects include nausea, dizziness, severe backache and headaches.

Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and individuals with high blood pressure concerns are not to consume bearberries as it can lead to unforeseen consequences. Furthermore, individuals who are seeking to cure ailments with the help of this fruit should consult a practitioner before doing so in order to get proper guidance about what drugs they can and cannot consume alongside bearberries.