Berberine

Overview:

Berberine is an alkaloid constituent active in a number of plant species including barberry (Berberis vulgaris), Chinese goldthread (Coptis chinensis), goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), tree turmeric (Berberis aristata), and Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium) (1). It has a deep yellow color with fluorescent properties and has long been used as a dye.

Overview of Benefits:

Berberine is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and other medicinal traditions to treat infections, diarrhea, and inflammatory disorders. In China, it is frequently used for the adjuvant treatment of type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. As a supplement, it is marketed to support already normal glucose and lipid metabolism. Preclinical studies suggest antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and atheroprotective properties, as well as potential antitumor effects

Potential Health Benefits:

Cardiovascular Health

Recent studies on the potential health effects of berberine have caught the attention of health care professionals and people looking for natural ways to treat diabetes.

“It seems that berberine may slightly reduce blood glucose levels and may be as effective as [the diabetes drug] metformin,” says Dana Hunnes, a senior dietitian at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and professor at the Fielding School of Public Health in Los Angeles.

In a 2018 Oncotarget review, researchers found berberine could be an effective treatment for people with type 2 diabetes. Its blood sugar-lowering effects, they wrote, were comparable to metformin, a common drug prescribed to regulate high blood sugar.

An earlier meta-analysis found berberine to be just as potent a glucose-lowering therapy as prescription meds like Avandia and Glucotrol.

Weight Management

Maintaining a healthy weight protects us from heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, osteoarthritis, and certain types of cancer. Berberine may help with weight loss and assist in shrinking belly fat.

In a small study published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 37 men and women with metabolic syndrome took 300 milligrams of berberine three times a day for three months.

At the end of the study, their body mass indexes (BMIs) dropped from an obese range to an overweight range. They also lost an average of two inches around their waists.

Again, this study had limitations, including its small sample size. Further research is needed, particiularly with larger groups, to validate the findings.

Cholesterol

Studies have shown that berberine can help reduce cholesterol levels in some individuals.

In a study in Phytomedicine, obese participants were given 500 milligrams of berberine three times a day for 12 weeks. The results revealed a reduction in blood lipid levels and mild weight loss.

This is just one study, of course. Researchers will need to conduct more human studies to determine whether the supplement can really lower cholesterol. But it’s a promising sign that berberine may help you keep your ticker healthy.

Several studies and meta-analyses suggest benefit with berberine, but more well-designed studies are needed and the effect may be small. An expert panel suggests it may be most helpful in patients with mild cases of high cholesterol who do not tolerate statin drugs or who have metabolic syndrome.

Digestion

The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial aspects of berberine may support the gut microbiome of people with gastrointestinal ailments, diarrhea, and bacterial overgrowth due to irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and other inflammatory bowel diseases.

In a randomized, placebo-controlled study published in Phytotherapy Research, patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome took 400 milligrams of berberine a day for eight weeks, resulting in improvements in diarrhea frequency and urgency, and abdominal pain.

Parrish says she prescribes berberine for digestive microbial imbalances when treating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or pathogenic digestive bacteria.

Recommendation not to take Berberine if:

You are taking bosutinib: Models predict that berberine can affect systemic concentrations of this oral chemotherapy.
You are taking immunosuppressive drugs (tacrolimus, cyclosporin): Berberine may increase blood levels of these drugs or cause kidney toxicity.
You are taking sulfonylureas (a type of diabetes drug): Lab studies suggest that taking berberine at the same time may affect the metabolism of these drugs, or that the metabolism of both compounds may be mutually affected. Clinical relevance has yet to be determined.
You are taking CYP2D6, 2C9, or 3A4 substrate drugs: Berberine may decrease their effectiveness.
You are pregnant or breastfeeding: Berberine may worsen jaundice in infants or cause a more severe condition that can lead to brain disorders.

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