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New Nordic Supplements has been selling “Blue Berry™ – The essence of eye health” since 1997. According to their website:

The secret of wild low bush blueberries began with the most traditionally used berry in Sweden. Years of research and cooperation with world renowned ophthalmologists resulted in the world’s first lutein enriched blue berry eye care tablet. Since its creation in 1997, the factory in Sweden has increased its output of Blue Berry tablets every year, and with loyal consumers in 30 countries from China in East to the US in west, the demand is still growing. It is one of the fundamental products of New Nordic, and is definitely here to stay.

They say Blue Berry has been the number one eye supplement in Scandinavia for two decades. It is based on blueberries and lutein. They have plenty of testimonials, but nothing in the way of scientific evidence of efficacy.

They also sell products to increase hair volume and to activate collagen in the skin, as well as a variety of products for detox, weight loss, immune support, beauty, and vitality. They sell ashwagandha vegan gummies, apple cider vinegar, a “clear brain” memory supplement, a “strong legs” supplement, and other questionable products. They don’t offer any scientific evidence of efficacy for any of them.

I have written about this before. No treatment will reverse the changes of macular degeneration. The AREDS2 formula has been shown to slow the rate of progression of moderate to severe AMD (age-related macular degeneration) but there is no evidence that it is effective for milder disease or for prevention.

I did learn something about blueberries from their website. Swedish blueberries, more properly known as bilberries, have flesh that is blue throughout. Swedish blueberries are bluer than American blueberries, whose flesh is a lighter, greenish, almost white color. Does bluer mean better? Maybe, maybe not. The company hopes we will assume their berries must be better, but it is dangerous to assume. It can make an ASS out of U and ME. Science could test Swedish vs American blueberries to find out if the bluer berry is more effective for macular degeneration.

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  • Harriet Hall, MD also known as The SkepDoc, is a retired family physician who writes about pseudoscience and questionable medical practices. She received her BA and MD from the University of Washington, did her internship in the Air Force (the second female ever to do so),  and was the first female graduate of the Air Force family practice residency at Eglin Air Force Base. During a long career as an Air Force physician, she held various positions from flight surgeon to DBMS (Director of Base Medical Services) and did everything from delivering babies to taking the controls of a B-52. She retired with the rank of Colonel.  In 2008 she published her memoirs, Women Aren't Supposed to Fly.

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Posted by Harriet Hall

Harriet Hall, MD also known as The SkepDoc, is a retired family physician who writes about pseudoscience and questionable medical practices. She received her BA and MD from the University of Washington, did her internship in the Air Force (the second female ever to do so),  and was the first female graduate of the Air Force family practice residency at Eglin Air Force Base. During a long career as an Air Force physician, she held various positions from flight surgeon to DBMS (Director of Base Medical Services) and did everything from delivering babies to taking the controls of a B-52. She retired with the rank of Colonel.  In 2008 she published her memoirs, Women Aren't Supposed to Fly.

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