RAF fighter pilots used bilberry to improve vision. I need verification or refutation. Ideas?

Question

Thank you for the feedback. I did hear any improvement in night vision was more likely to be from carrots than bilberry. I had seen wikipedia but hoped to find something more conclusive.

The story of RAF pilots and bilberry is being used to sell products which is fine if a story is not all it is. Seems, though, this is the case.

Sure did destroy one doctor's credibilty for me.

Answer 1

In WWII you could pick an american pilot out of a crowd by their orange tinted skin due to all the beta carotine in their diet

They were fed carrots at every meal and carrot juce to drink because beta carotine

is proven to increase vision and shortens the time it takes to adjust from light to dark.

this was also used in the navy to help when sailors went below decks

It makes perfect sense that RAF pilots would do the same with whatever source of beta carotine they had on hand-I am not familiar with bilberry but would bet they are loaded with it

Answer 2

Chooesy, I am a military historian, and in all the things I have read, I have never read any mention of pilots using bilberry.

Below is an extract from Wikpedia encyclopedia on bilberry:

Often associated with improvement of night vision, bilberries are mentioned in a popular story of World War II RAF pilots consuming bilberry jam to sharpen vision for night missions. However, a recent study[1] by the U.S. Navy found no such effect and origins of the RAF story cannot be found[2].

Regards,

Dan