I always love using supplements instead of prescription medications, especially when I see a clear-cut benefit with results.   I wanted to share one of my favorite supplements, Berberine.  I have used berberine for years alone and in different combinations.  I decided to dive into the latest research and see if anything of interest popped up and I was blown away at the number of studies using berberine including head-to-head comparisons with medications like Metformin, used for blood sugars and Ezetimibe, used for cholesterol.  Spoiler alert, berberine beat these medications in the studies but there are some differences in combinations that are important to note so you can choose the correct one for the condition you want to address.

Berberine has been used and studied for these conditions:

  • PCOS
  • High cholesterol
  • Diabetes
  • Neuropathy
  • Inflammation
  • Improving the gut
  • And so much more….

READ ON to learn more about this mighty natural plant based supplement…

Berberine is extracted from the roots, stems and bark of various plants including goldenseal, Oregon grape, barberry , coptis and other plants.  It is naturally a bright yellow color which is why most supplements that contain berberine are yellow and perhaps have a distinctive taste. You will notice these are not every day plants you eat so to get therapeutic doses of berberine you will have to take a supplement.  There are very few side-effects although I have seen a few people get reflux or loose stools.

I have been using products containing berberine the entire 19+ years I have practicing functional medicine and here are a few of my pearls that I have learned.

  1. Diabetes: Berberine plus Alpha lipoic acid combined together is a win-win combination that rivals Metformin when it comes to addressing blood sugars.  Studies agree!  Dosing is a daily total of 1-1.5 grams of Berberine a day and usually a daily total of 200mg of alpha lipoic acid .  When you take this daily in divided doses (for example 500mg of berberine three times a day) you get better absorption, fewer side-effects and improved efficacy.  You still have to work on your diet but if you have hit a road block then add this into the mix.
  2. PCOS: polycystic ovarian syndrome always has an insulin resistance component and studies show when you add Berberine combined with healthy diet changes waist circumference decreases as well as the insulin resistance.  The amount is even better than Metformin!
  3. Improved gut microbiome: I am super excited about this application.
    1. Natural anti-bacterial effect – helps reduce inflammation. Has been evaluated post Ecoli and C difficile infections and thought to be beneficial for this reason.
    2. GLP-1 Secretion (Yes, the same GLP-1 you hear about with Ozempic/Mounjaro). It stimulates production of short chain fatty acids which causes GLP-1 secretion which helps with weight loss, reduced inflammation and so much more naturally!
    3. Reduces intestinal permeability (aka leaky gut)
  4. Inflammation: inhibits inflammatory cytokine production (interleukin 1B, 6 and TNF-a and is a natural antioxidant
  5. Improved cholesterol : It decreases total cholesterol and LDL (some studies show lowering of triglycerides, too and Increases HDL. Studies show berberine reduces cholesterol slightly better than Ezetimibe in many cases.  The lipid lowering effects are additive though when you use these two together.   Berberine alone as well as many different combinations have been evaluated which demonstrates improvement in total cholesterol and LDL up to 30%.  While studies are always the base to evaluate things, sometimes, I can see a glowing result in a study but not see it in real life.  I have not seen the combination of the Berberine and Alpha Lipoic acid to be as good for the cholesterol issues as I have seen Berberine by itself.  Pairing Berberine with Red yeast Rice does improve the outcomes though.  One analysis looked at the combination of Berberine, Policosanol, coenzyme Q, folic acid, red yeast rice with some good results.  I tried policosanol for years and just never saw it work the wonders I wanted it to but perhaps in this combination it might be different?
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Now, let me put this in real English.  When berberine works for cholesterol, I will often see a 25-40 point reduction in the LDL levels depending on the person and other co-morbidities.  Sometimes it doesn’t work at all though but is always worth a try since many people do respond.  When I combine it with red yeast rice for example, I can see an additional 10-15 point reduction.  When added to a statin or Ezetimibe, often we can get an additional 10 point reduction.  While this is an exciting product, if your LDL’s are close to 200 will berberine be enough?  No, you will most likely need medication but berberine might be a good addition. Layer it together for optimal results and be realistic of where your end numbers really need to be!

With blood sugars, if you are a pre-diabetic and have made changes to your diet, berberine with alpha lipoic acid can pull your A1C into a normal range.  You still have to do the diet work though!

To your health,

 

Laura