Berberine: The Most Powerful Natural Supplement

Berberine is a yellow-colored alkaloid compound found in several different plants, including European barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, Oregon grape, phellodendron, and tree turmeric.

Berberine has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immune-enhancing properties. It’s effective against a wide range of bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. It can be used topically on cuts and other wounds, and it’s perhaps most commonly used to treat gastrointestinal issues, including traveller’s diarrhea and that from food poisoning.

Berberine Causes a Major Reduction in Blood Sugar Levels, Comparable to Drugs

Type 2 diabetes is a serious disease that has become incredibly common in recent decades, causing millions of deaths every year.

Many studies show that berberine can significantly reduce blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes .

In fact, its effectiveness is comparable to the popular diabetes drug metformin (Glucophage).

Berberine seems to work via multiple different mechanisms :

• Decreases insulin resistance, making the blood sugar lowering hormone insulin more effective.
• Increases glycolysis, helping the body break down sugars inside cells.
• Decrease sugar production in the liver.
• Slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in the gut.
• Increases the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut.
• This is just the tip of the iceberg. Berberine may also affect various other enzymes, molecules and genes related to blood sugar control.

Berberine May Help You Lose Weight

Berberine may also be effective as a weight loss supplement.

Because of berberine’s ability to inhibit fat storage and improve the function of hormones such as insulin, leptin, and adiponectin, separate research concluded, “berberine has potential clinical application in reducing visceral fat and controlling central obesity.”

Berberine also plays a role in enhancing brown fat activity. Brown fat is a heat-generating type of fat that burns energy instead of storing it, and this may have important implications when it comes to weight loss. It is colored brown because it is loaded with mitochondria that convert the fat directly to energy to produce heat. An animal study revealed:

“BBR [berberine] increases energy expenditure, limits weight gain, improves cold tolerance and enhances brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity in obese… mice… Our findings establish a role for BBR in regulating organismal energy balance, which may have potential therapeutic implications for the treatment of obesity.”

Berberine Lowers Cholesterol and May Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease

Heart disease is currently the world’s most common cause of premature death.

Many factors that can be measured in the blood are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

As it turns out, berberine has been shown to improve many of these factors.

According to a review of 11 studies, berberine can:

• Lower total cholesterol by 0.61 mmol/L (24 mg/dL).
• Lower LDL cholesterol by 0.65 mmol/L (25 mg/dL).
• Lower blood triglycerides by 0.50 mmol/L (44 mg/dL).
• Raise HDL cholesterol by 0.05 mmol/L (2 mg/dL).

Berberine has also been shown to lower apolipoprotein B by 13-15%, which is a very important risk factor.

According to some studies, berberine works by inhibiting an enzyme called PCSK9. This leads to more LDL being removed from the bloodstream.

Other Health Benefits of Berberine

Berberine may also have numerous other health benefits:

• Depression: Rat studies show that it may help fight depression.
• Cancer: Test tube and animal studies have shown that berberine can reduce the growth and spread of various different types of cancer .
• Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory: Berberine has been shown to have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in some studies.
• Infections: Berberine has been shown to fight harmful microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites .
• Fatty Liver: Berberine can reduce fat build-up in the liver, which should help protect against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
• Heart Failure: One study showed that berberine drastically improved symptoms and reduced risk of death in heart failure patients.