Barbary

A compound known as berberine is one of the most effective natural supplements available on the market. Berberine has very impressive health benefits and affects your body on a molecular level. Berberine has been shown to lower blood sugar levels, induce weight loss and improve heart health, to name just a few of its many benefits. It is one of the few supplements that has been shown to be as effective as pharmaceutical agents. This article provides a detailed overview of berberine and its health benefits.

What is berberine?

Berberine is a bioactive compound that can be extracted from a variety of plants, including a group of shrubs known as barberry. Technically speaking, berberine belongs to a class of compounds known as alkaloids. Berberine has a yellow color and was often used as a dye in the past. Berberine has a long history of use in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, where it is used to treat a whole range of ailments. Modern science has now confirmed that berberine has impressive benefits for numerous diseases and health problems (1).

Conclusion: Berberine is a compound that can be extracted from various plants and has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine.

Benefits of berberine

Berberine causes a significant reduction in blood sugar levels

Type 2 diabetes is a serious disease that has become increasingly prevalent in recent decades and is responsible for millions of deaths each year. This disease is characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by either insulin resistance or a lack of insulin. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage the body's tissues and organs, leading to various health problems and a shortened lifespan. Many studies have shown that berberine can lower blood sugar levels in people suffering from type 2 diabetes (9). In fact, the effectiveness of berberine in this regard is comparable to that of the widely used diabetes drug metformin (10).

Berberine appears to act via different mechanisms (11):

• It reduces existing insulin resistance, enhancing the effects of the blood sugar-lowering hormone insulin.
• It increases glycolysis and thus helps the body to break down sugar within the cells.
• It reduces sugar production in the liver.
• It slows down the breakdown of complex carbohydrates in the digestive tract
• It increases the amount of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

In a study of 116 diabetic patients, 1 gram of berberine per day reduced fasting blood glucose levels by 20% from 7.0 to 5.6 mmol/L (126 to 101 mg/dL), which was equivalent to a reduction to non-diabetic levels (12). In the same study, berberine also reduced hemoglobin A1c levels by 12% (a marker of long-term blood glucose levels) and also improved blood lipid levels including cholesterol and triglycerides. According to a study review that looked at 14 individual studies, berberine is as effective as oral diabetes medications including metformin, glipizide and rosiglitazone (13). It works very well in combination with lifestyle changes and has additional effects when given in combination with other blood glucose-lowering drugs (1). If you look at testimonials on the internet, you often hear that berberine was able to completely normalize high blood sugar levels, which suggests that it works not only in theory but also in real life.

• Conclusion: Berberine is very effective when it comes to lowering blood sugar levels and BbA1c levels, both of which are elevated in diabetics. In this respect, it works just as well as some diabetes medications.

Berberine can help with weight loss

Berberine may also be an effective weight loss supplement. So far, two studies have investigated its effects on body weight (14). In a 12-week study of overweight subjects who took 500 mg of berberine three times a day, an average weight loss of 5 pounds was observed. The subjects lost 3.6% of their body fat (15). A slightly more impressive study was conducted with 37 men and women suffering from metabolic syndrome. This study lasted 3 months and the subjects took 300 mg of berberine three times a day. In these subjects, the Body Mass Index (BMI) decreased from 31.5 to 27.4 over the course of the study, which corresponded to a reduction in weight from "obese" to merely "overweight" within just 3 months. These subjects also lost significant amounts of abdominal fat and improved many other health markers (16). The scientists believe that the weight loss induced by berberine is due to improved function of fat-regulating hormones such as insulin, adiponectin and leptin. In addition, berberine also appears to inhibit fat cell growth at the molecular level (17, 18).

However, further studies are needed to fully explore the overall fat loss effects of berberine.

• Conclusion: Two studies have shown that berberine can induce significant weight loss while improving all types of health markers.

Berberine lowers cholesterol levels and may reduce the risk of heart disease Heart disease is the leading cause of death today. Many factors that can be measured in the blood are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Berberine has been shown in studies to improve many of these factors.

According to a review that looked at 11 studies (19), berberine can:

• Lower total cholesterol levels by 0.61 mmol/L (24 mg/dL).
• Reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 0.65 mmol/L (25 mg/dL).
• Reduce blood triglyceride levels by 0.50 mmol/L (44 mg/dL).
• Increase levels of good HDL cholesterol by 0.05 mmol/L (2 mg/dL).

Berberine has also been shown to reduce apolipoprotein B levels by 13-15%, which is a very important risk factor (20, 21). According to some studies, berberine works by inhibiting an enzyme called PCSK9. This results in more LDL cholesterol being removed from the bloodstream (22, 23).

Keep in mind that diabetes, high blood sugar levels and obesity are other risk factors for heart disease, all of which are also reduced by this supplement. Considering the positive effects on all of these risk factors, berberine should drastically reduce the risk of heart disease.

• Conclusion: Studies have shown that berberine lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels while increasing levels of the "good" HDL cholesterol. This could reduce the risk of heart disease in the long term.

Other health benefits

Berberine may have numerous other health benefits:

• Depression: Research conducted with rats shows that berberine may help fight depression (24, 25, 26).
• Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects: Berberine has been shown to have pronounced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects (27, 28, 29)
• Infections: Berberine has been shown to fight harmful microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites (30, 31, 32, 33).
• Fatty liver: Berberine can reduce fat build-up in the liver, which should help protect against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (34, 35).
• Heart failure: One study showed that berberine may reduce symptoms and the risk of death in patients suffering from heart failure (36).

Many of these benefits require further investigation before definitive recommendations can be made, but the evidence to date is very promising.

• Conclusion: Preliminary studies show that berberine may have benefits for depression, infections, fatty liver and heart failure. It also has pronounced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

The benefits of berberine for bodybuilders

Berberine is thought to exert most of its effects through its ability to influence a molecule in our body called AMPK or adenosine monophosphate kinase. This molecule is useful in increasing the uptake of glucose into the muscles for increased endurance performance and it has the potential to aid weight loss and appetite suppression. Berberine also has benefits when it comes to improving the function of the immune system, which is useful for bodybuilders and other athletes undergoing intense workouts.

Dosage and side effects

Many of the studies cited in this article used dosages in the range of 900 to 1500 mg per day. Often 500 mg three times a day before meals is used, which corresponds to a daily dose of 1500 mg. Berberine has a half-life of several hours, which is why it is necessary to spread the daily dose over several doses in order to achieve stable blood levels. If you have a medical condition or are taking any medication, you should speak to your doctor before taking berberine. This is particularly important if you are taking blood sugar-lowering medication.

All in all, Berberine has an exceptionally good safety profile. The primary side effects have to do with digestion and there are isolated reports of cramping, diarrhea, bloating, constipation and stomach pain.

• Conclusion: A widely recommended dosage is 500 mg three times a day, half an hour before a meal. Berberine can cause digestive problems in some people.

Berberine supplements

Berberine is a relatively new ingredient in the supplement industry, primarily available in the form of mono-preparations. However, berberine may also have benefits in pre-workout and post-workout supplements due to its ability to increase glucose uptake into the muscles.

Possible combinations of berberine with other supplements

Berberine is best combined with protein to help stimulate muscle protein synthesis. It can also be combined with products containing milk thistle, coconut oil and schizandra chinensis to help improve absorption.

The bottom line

Berberine is one of the few supplements that can be as effective as medication. It has powerful effects on various aspects of health, including blood sugar control.

People suffering from type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome can benefit most from berberine. However, it can also be used as a general protection against chronic diseases, as well as an anti-aging supplement.

References

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