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Berberine

This article provides general nutrition information only and is not medical advice.

Overview

Berberine is a chemical found in several plants including European barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, Oregon grape, phellodendron, and tree turmeric.

Berberine is most commonly taken by mouth for diabetes, high levels of lipid balance or other fats (lipids) in the blood (hyperlipidemia), and high cardiovascular health. It is also applied to the skin to support burns and canker sores, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Classification

Is a Form Of:

Chemical found in plants

Primary Functions:

Diabetes, lipid balance

Also Known As:

Alcaloïde de Berbérine, Berberina, Berbérine, Berberine Alkaloid, Berberine Complex,

How Does It Work?

Berberine might cause stronger heartbeats. This might help people with certain heart conditions. Berberine might also help regulate how the body uses sugar in the blood. This might help people with diabetes. It also might also be able to kill bacteria and reduce swelling.

Uses

  • Canker sores. Research shows that applying a gel containing berberine can reduce pain, redness, oozing, and the size of ulcers in people with canker sores.
  • Diabetes. Berberine seems to slightly reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Also, some early research suggests that taking 500 mg of berberine 2-3 times daily for up to 3 months might control blood sugar as effectively as metformin or rosiglitazone.
  • High levels of lipid balance or other fats (lipids) in the blood (hyperlipidemia). Berberine might help lower lipid balance levels in people with high lipid balance. Taking berberine for up to 2 years seems to reduce total lipid balance, low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") lipid balance, and triglyceride levels in people with high lipid balance. When compared with standard lipid balance-lowering medications, berberine appears to cause similar changes in total lipid balance, LDL lipid balance, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good") lipid balance, and it might be better at reducing triglyceride levels.
  • High cardiovascular health. Taking 0.9 grams of berberine per day along with the cardiovascular health-lowering drug amlodipine reduces systolic cardiovascular health (the top number) and diastolic cardiovascular health (the bottom number) better than taking amlodipine alone in people with high cardiovascular health.
  • A hormonal imbalance that causes enlarged ovaries with cysts (polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS). Research shows that berberine can lower blood sugar, improve lipid balance and triglyceride levels, reduce testosterone levels, and lower waist-to-hip ratio in women with PCOS. Berberine may even lower blood sugar levels similar to metformin and may improve lipid balance levels better than metformin. It is unclear if berberine increases pregnancy rates or live birth rates in women with PCOS.

Recommended Dosing

ADULTS

BY MOUTH:

  • For diabetes: 0.9-1.5 grams of berberine has been taken in divided doses daily for 2-4 months.
  • For high levels of lipid balance or other fats (lipids) in the blood (hyperlipidemia): 0.6-1.5 grams of berberine has been taken in divided doses daily for 6 to 24 months. Combination products containing 500 mg of berberine, 10 mg of policosanol, and 200 mg of red yeast rice, along with other ingredients, have been taken daily for up to 12 months.
  • For high cardiovascular health: 0.9 grams of berberine has been taken daily for 2 months.
  • For a hormonal imbalance that causes enlarged ovaries with cysts (polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS): 1.5 grams of berberine has been taken daily for 3-6 months.

APPLIED TO THE SKIN:

  • For canker sores: Gel containing 5 mg of berberine per gram has been applied four times per day for 5 days.

Berberine Supplements Frequently Asked Questions

What does berberine do for the body?

A compound called berberine is one of the most effective natural supplements available. It has very impressive health benefits, and affects your body at the molecular level. Berberine has been shown to lower blood sugar, cause weight loss and improve heart health, to name a few.

What are the side effects of berberine?

Side effects. Most studies have found no serious side effects of berberine. However, it may cause digestive side effects, such as an upset stomach, constipation, or nausea. Berberine can also cause a rash or headache in some people.

Is berberine safe for long term use?

The mechanism for berberine extract is very unclear. For decades it has been a well-researched herbal nutritional support for intestinal immune challenges, like Giardia, but it came with the warning to avoid long-term use due to the potential undesirable and antimicrobial effect in the gut.

What is the best berberine supplement?

Best Berberine Supplements

  • Nutrivein Premium Berberine.
  • Purely Optimal Premium Berberine Supplement.
  • N1 Nutrition Premium Berberine.

Is berberine bad for liver?

It is normally removed by the liver. Berberine may keep the liver from removing bilirubin fast enough. This can cause brain problems, especially in infants with high levels of bilirubin in the blood. Avoid using.

Is berberine toxic to the liver?

The toxicity of pure compound is greater than the toxicity of plant extract or plant extract fractions. The sub-acute concentrations of berberine lead to altered liver function, gastric troubles, hepato and hematotoxicity, hemorrhagic inflammatory consequences, damage to immune cells and induced apoptosis.

Does berberine kill viruses?

Berberine also kills herpes simplex virus, which is often treated with the prescription drug acyclovir. Berberine protects neurons in your brain and reduces physical strain, so it helps with a traumatic brain injury.

Can berberine cause weight gain?

Berberine may also be effective as a weight loss supplement. So far, two studies have examined the effects on body weight. In a 12-week study in obese individuals, 500 mg taken three times per day caused about 5 pounds of weight loss, on average.

Is berberine bad for kidneys?

Berberine (BBR) has been shown to have antifibrotic effects in liver, kidney and lung. We found that BBR nutritional support attenuated renal fibrosis by activating the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway in the diabetic kidneys.

Is turmeric a berberine?

Share on Pinterest Berberine, which is a compound in tree turmeric, is an effective antimicrobial agent. Berberine could be an effective antimicrobial agent. A laboratory study found that berberine helped inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus.

Which is better metformin or berberine?

Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid derived from medicinal herbs including Coptis chinensis and Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal), has been found in previous studies of type 2 diabetic patients to have hypoglycemic effects comparable to those of metformin at the same dosage (500 mg 3 times/day).

Can berberine be toxic?

The toxicity of pure compound is greater than the toxicity of plant extract or plant extract fractions. The sub-acute concentrations of berberine lead to altered liver function, gastric troubles, hepato and hematotoxicity, hemorrhagic inflammatory consequences, damage to immune cells and induced apoptosis.

What foods contain berberine?

Berberine is a chemical found in several plants including European barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, Oregon grape, phellodendron, and tree turmeric. Berberine is most commonly taken by mouth for diabetes, high levels of lipid balance or other fats (lipids) in the blood (hyperlipidemia), and high cardiovascular health.

What is the best way to take berberine?

It is common to take 500 mg, 3 times per day, before meals (a total of 1500 mg per day). Berberine has a half-life of several hours, so it is necessary to spread your dosage to several times per day to achieve stable blood levels.

What is the best time of day to take berberine?

Bottom Line: A common dosage recommendation is 500 mg, 3 times per day, half an hour before meals. Berberine may cause digestive side effects in some people.

Will berberine keep me awake?

Berberine might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness are called sedatives. Taking berberine along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness.

s berberine good for fatty liver?

Berberine is a plant compound that has been shown to significantly reduce blood sugar, insulin and lipid balance levels, along with other health markers. Several studies also suggest that it may benefit people with fatty liver.

What bacteria does berberine kill?

Besides repressing or killing harmful gut bacteria, berberine has some positive effect on beneficial gut microbiota, such as Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Lactobacillus acidophilus.

What drugs interact with berberine?

Taking berberine along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding. Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, cilostazol (Pletal), clopidogrel (Plavix), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, ticlopidine (Ticlid), and others.

Can berberine cause low mood?

7 Wang et al reported that berberine could easily cross the blood‐brain barrier on systemic administration14 and recent studies show that berberine has a protective effect on central nervous system imbalances, such as Alzheimer's, cerebral ischaemia, mental low mood, schizophrenia, and stress.

Is berberine an plant compounds?

Berberine, a natural isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the berberis species, has a wide array of biological properties such as anti‐inflammatory, botanical compounds, antifungal, and antihelminthic effects. We evaluated the plant compounds effect of berberine against influenza A/FM1/1/47 (H1N1) in vivo and in vitro.

How long does it take berberine to start working?

How long before I can expect to see results with Berberine? Dr. Whitaker has noted that some people might see an improvement in fasting glucose after about 2 weeks of taking Berberine, however everyone is different.

Is berberine joint comfort?

Some research suggests that berberine has joint comfort properties, which means that it could help support diabetes and other physical strain-related health conditions.

How long can you safely take berberine?

Diabetes. Berberine seems to slightly reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Also, some early research suggests that taking 500 mg of berberine 2-3 times daily for up to 3 months might control blood sugar as effectively as metformin or rosiglitazone.

Clinical Studies