It lowers blood sugar levels
Many studies show that berberine can significantly lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes (1).
It seems to work via multiple mechanisms and may help (2, 3):
decrease insulin resistance, making the blood sugar-lowering hormone insulin more effective increase glycolysis, helping your body break down sugars inside cells
decrease sugar production in your liver slow the breakdown of carbohydrates in your gut increase the number of beneficial bacteria in your gut
In a 2008 study of 116 people with diabetes, taking 1 gram of berberine per day lowered fasting blood sugar by 20% (4).
It also lowered hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a marker of long-term blood sugar regulation, by 12% and improved levels of blood lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides (4).
According to an older review of 14 studies, berberine may be as effective as certain oral diabetes drugs, including metformin, glipizide, and rosiglitazone (5).
It works very well in combination with lifestyle changes and has additive effects when used with other blood sugar-lowering drugs (6).
SUMMARY
Berberine has been shown to help lower blood sugar and HbA1c. It may be as effective as some diabetes medications.
Berberine may help you lose weight
Berberine may also be effective as a weight loss supplement.
In one older 12-week study in people with obesity, taking 500 milligrams (mg) of berberine three times per day caused about 5 pounds of weight loss, on average. The participants also lost 3.6% of their body fat (7).
Additionally, a review of 12 studies found that supplementing with berberine led to significant reductions in body weight, body mass index, and belly fat. It also decreased levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation (8).
Berberine also appears to inhibit the growth of fat cells at the molecular level, which could help promote weight loss (9).
However, more research is needed on the potential weight loss effects of berberine.
SUMMARY
Some studies suggest that berberine can contribute to significant weight loss while improving many other health markers.
It lowers cholesterol and may reduce your risk of heart disease
Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death around the globe (10).
Many factors that can be measured in your 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 16 studies, it could help (11):
decrease total cholesterol
decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol
decrease blood triglycerides
increase HDL (good) cholesterol
It has also been shown to lower apolipoprotein B by 13–15% in some older studies, which is an important risk factor for heart disease (12 13).
According to some research, berberine works by inhibiting an enzyme called PCSK9. This leads to more LDL cholesterol being removed from your bloodstream (14).
Diabetes, high blood sugar levels, and obesity are also major risk factors for heart disease, and this supplement seems to help improve all of these conditions (15).
Given the beneficial effects on all these risk factors, it seems likely that berberine could reduce the risk of heart disease, though more research is needed.
SUMMARY
Studies suggest that berberine reduces cholesterol and triglyceride levels while raising HDL (good) cholesterol levels. While more research is needed, it may lower the risk of heart disease in the long term.
Other health benefits
Berberine may have numerous other health benefits:
Depression: Animal studies suggest that it may help reduce symptoms of depression (16, 17).
Cancer: Test-tube and animal studies suggest that it can reduce the growth and spread of various types of cancer (18).
Oxidative stress and inflammation: It has been shown to have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in some test-tube and animal studies (25, 26, 27).
Infections: Test-tube studies suggest that it can reduce the growth of harmful microorganisms, including certain types of bacteria, viruses, and fungi (28, 29, 30).
Fatty liver: It may reduce fat buildup in the liver, which could theoretically help protect against NAFLD (31).
Heart failure: One older study showed that it improved symptoms and reduced the risk of death in people with heart failure (32).
More research on many of these benefits is necessary before firm recommendations can be made, but the current evidence is promising.
SUMMARY
Preliminary studies suggest that berberine may have benefits against depression, cancer, infections, fatty liver, and heart failure. It also has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
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