A kind of polyphenol which helps our eyes function normally

Anthocyanins are blue-violet pigments and are one kind of polyphenols found in blackcurrants and blueberries. They have excellent antioxidant properties, and are the nutrients which attract the most attention among phytochemicals. Research on its properties was inspired by an anecdote from World War II, where reportedly a British pilot attributed his excellent vision, even in the dark, to his love of blueberry jam. Anthocyanins are linked to the re-composition of a plastid called rhodopsin in the retina.

Rhodopsin exists in cells that function in the dark amongst light-responsive cells. When rhodopsin is stimulated by light, it is decomposed and resynthesised again. By this repeated decomposing and resynthesizing, the light stimulus is transmitted to the brain as visual information.