Berberine 97%

It lowers blood sugar levels

Many studies show that berberine can significantly lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes (8Trusted Source).

It seems to work via multiple mechanisms and may help (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source):

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% (11Trusted Source).

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 (11Trusted Source).

According to an older review of 14 studies, berberine may be as effective as certain oral diabetes drugs, including metformin, glipizide, and rosiglitazone (12Trusted Source).

It works very well in combination with lifestyle changes and has additive effects when used with other blood sugar-lowering drugs (13Trusted Source).

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 (14).

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 (15Trusted Source).

Berberine also appears to inhibit the growth of fat cells at the molecular level, which could help promote weight loss (16Trusted Source).

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 (17Trusted Source).

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 (18Trusted Source):

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 (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).

According to some research, berberine works by inhibiting an enzyme called PCSK9. This leads to more LDL cholesterol being removed from your bloodstream (21Trusted Source).

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 (7Trusted Source).

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 (22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).
Cancer: Test-tube and animal studies suggest that it can reduce the growth and spread of various types of cancer (24Trusted Source).
Oxidative stress and inflammation: It has been shown to have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in some test-tube and animal studies (25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).
Infections: Test-tube studies suggest that it can reduce the growth of harmful microorganisms, including certain types of bacteria, viruses, and fungi (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source).
Fatty liver: It may reduce fat buildup in the liver, which could theoretically help protect against NAFLD (31Trusted Source).
Heart failure: One older study showed that it improved symptoms and reduced the risk of death in people with heart failure (32Trusted Source).

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.