lingonberry
Vaccinium vitis-idaea · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (671 studies) · ★★★★★
Lingonberry, scientifically known as Vaccinium vitis-idaea, is a resilient perennial shrub valued for its tart, crimson berries. Rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, and vitamin C, this potent medicinal plant offers significant anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Traditionally used to support urinary tract health, it remains a powerhouse of natural wellness.
Names
Common Names
- dry ground cranberry
- foxberry
- lingberry
- lingonberry
- mountain cranberry
- northern mountain cranberry
- partridgeberry
- rock cranberry
- Cowberry
- alpine cranberry
- lingen
- lingenberry
- partridge-berry
- Lowbush Cranberry
- Redberry
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Vaccinium vitis idaea
- Rhodococcum vitis-idaea
- Vaccinium punctatum var. ellipticum
- Arándano punteado
- Vitis Idaea punctata
- Vitis-Idaea punctata
- Vaccinium rubrum
- Vaccinium punctatum
- Vaccinium punctifolia
- Arandano encarnado
- Vitis Idaea punctifolia
- Vitis-Idaea punctifolia
- Vaccinium nemorosum
- Vaccinium punctatum var ellipticum
- Arándano encarnado
- Vaccinium ellipticum
- Arandano punteado
- Arandano de fruto encarnado
- Arándano de fruto encarnado
- Vaccinium jesoense
- Rhodococcum vitis idaea
- Arándano rojo
German:
- Preiselbeere
- Kronsbeere
- Riffelbeere
- Granten
- Grestling
- Preißelbeere
- Preisselbeere
- Kronsbeeren
- Preiselbeeren
- Preiselbeere
- Kronsbeere
- Preißelbeere
French:
- airelle rouge
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea vitis-idaea
- airelle
- airelle de montagne
- airelle du mont Ida
- airelle ponctuée
- airelle rouge
- airelle vigne d'Ida
- berris
- graines
- graines rouges
- myrtille rouge
- petite airelle
- pommes
- pommes de terre
- airelle vigne-d'Ida
- Vigne du mont Ida
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Vaccinium vitis-idaeaSynonyms
- Vaccinium punctatum var. ellipticum
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea f. minus
- Myrtillus exigua
- Vitis-idaea punctifolia
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea f. pyricarpum
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea var. major
- Vitis-idaea punctata var. minor
- Vaccinium jesoense
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea f. major
- Vaccinium pulchellum
- Vaccinium punctatum
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea var. pumilum
- Vaccinium punctifolium
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea f. microphyllum
- Vaccinium minus
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea var. ovata
- Vaccinium minus
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea subsp. minus
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea var. minus
- Rhodococcum vitis-idaea
- Vitis-idaea punctata
- Rhodococcum minus
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae and order Ericales, it is a member of the Ericaceae family. Specifically, it is identified by the genus Vaccinium.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Ericales | WCVP |
| Family | Ericaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Vaccinium | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant is widely distributed across several regions in Northern Europe. It can be found growing naturally within the territories of Denmark and Finland. Its range also extends to the island of Iceland and the Faroe Islands, known as Føroyar. Additionally, the species is present throughout the landscape of Great Britain. These locations highlight its preference for the specific environmental conditions found in northern latitudes.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | Denmark | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Finland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Føroyar | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Great Britain | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Iceland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Ireland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Norway | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Sweden | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Austria | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Belgium | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as highbush blueberry, is highly valued for its medicinal and nutritional properties, particularly through the consumption of its berries. These small, antioxidant-rich berries are the primary part of the plant used in various health supplements and natural remedies. Often harvested at peak ripeness, the berries are utilized to combat oxidative stress and support overall wellness due to their dense concentration of bioactive compounds.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| fruit | Molecular nutrition & food research (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Vaccinium vitis-idaea has 72 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include arbutin, Epicatechin, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, fructose.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| arbutin | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Epicatechin | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ascorbic acid | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| beta-carotene | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fructose | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| glucose | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| pectin | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| polyphenols | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| quercetin | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| sucrose | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
arbutin
- Dr. Duke
- Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
- Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
Epicatechin
- Dr. Duke
- Frontiers in pharmacology
ascorbic acid
- Dr. Duke
- Voprosy pitaniia
beta-carotene
- Dr. Duke
- Voprosy pitaniia
fructose
- Dr. Duke
- Voprosy pitaniia
glucose
- Dr. Duke
- Voprosy pitaniia
pectin
- Dr. Duke
- Voprosy pitaniia
polyphenols
- Microbiological research
- Frontiers in pharmacology
quercetin
- Dr. Duke
- Molecular nutrition & food research
sucrose
- Dr. Duke
- Voprosy pitaniia
Activities
Vaccinium vitis-idaea has 565 reported activities identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, 11B-HSD-Inhibitor, 5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor, ACE-Inhibitor.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 11B-HSD-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ACE-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AP-1-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ATPase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Acarifuge | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Acetylcholinergic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Acidulant | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Vaccinium vitis-idaea has 12 reported medicinal uses identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include urinary tract infections, Helicobacter pylori, aging, diabetic complications, hepatic steatosis.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| urinary tract infections | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Helicobacter pylori | FEMS microbiology letters (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aging | GeroScience (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diabetic complications | Phytotherapy research : PTR (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hepatic steatosis | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| insulin resistance | Molecular nutrition & food research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| lifespan | GeroScience (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| metabolic diseases | Molecular nutrition & food research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| neurodegenerative diseases | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tick-borne encephalitis virus | Voprosy virusologii (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| extracts | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Rh.v. extract | Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous extracts of berries | Voprosy virusologii (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| water extract | Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| water extracts | Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |