Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid (phytochemicals found in a number of plants) with a bright yellow color and bitter taste. It is commonly found in the root, rhizome, and stem bark of the Chinese herb Coptis chinensis and other Berberis plants.
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For centuries, berberine has been used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat various ailments. Modern research suggests it may be a natural remedy for high cholesterol, mouth sores, and diabetes, among other health conditions.
Here's everything you need to know about berberine, including its benefits, uses, safety, and side effects.
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Benefits of Berberine
Berberine has many potential health benefits. However, it seems to be most effective for treating diabetes, high cholesterol, canker sores, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Lowers Blood Sugar in People with Diabetes
Berberine may help reduce blood sugar in people with diabetes. It appears to be most effective when combined with traditional therapies.
A 2020 randomized control trial gave 80 patients with type 2 diabetes 480 milligrams of berberine or traditional treatment with 1,000 milligrams (mg) of metformin daily for 12 weeks.
The study found that berberine was as effective as metformin at reducing blood sugar and controlling type 2 diabetes. No short-term side effects were reported.
Furthermore, a 2021 review of 46 randomized controlled trials examined berberine's safety and effectiveness for treating type 2 diabetes.
The review found that berberine, when consumed alone or combined with oral blood-sugar-lowering medications, significantly improved blood sugar levels, hemoglobin A1C, insulin resistance, and markers of inflammation. These improvements were more significant when combined with conventional treatment.
However, it's important to note that the review found that berberine's effectiveness decreased when treatment lasted more than 12 weeks, the daily dosage exceeded 2 grams (g), or the patients were over 60 years old.
May Support Heart Health
Berberine may support heart health through several mechanisms.
Clinical trials have found berberine effective at reducing blood lipid levels. This includes total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.
Additionally, human and animal studies suggest that berberine may help improve heart function and prevent heart failure by regulating specific pathways in the body.
Berberine also shows promise in lowering blood pressure and protecting against the hardening of arterial walls and damage to blood vessel linings caused by high blood pressure.
When the arteries harden, it can eventually reduce or block blood flow, leading to various health complications, including heart attack and stroke.
However, it must be noted that evidence around berberine's effect on blood pressure is limited and of low quality, making it difficult to determine its effectiveness. Further human studies are needed.
Furthermore, a 2017 observational study showed that 1.2 to 2.0 g of berberine daily for 12 weeks was equally effective as amiodarone in controlling heart rate in people with atrial fibrillation (A-Fib).
A-fib is an irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, heart failure, stroke, and other heart-related health complications.
Keep in mind, though, that observational studies cannot prove cause and effect, so results should be interpreted with caution.
May Treat Canker Sores
Canker sores, or aphthous stomatitis, are small, painful sores that develop inside your mouth. Although they generally go away on their own, effective treatment options are limited.
One older randomized control trial in 84 people examined the effects of a berberine gel on mild canker sores. Participants were instructed to apply either the berberine gel or a placebo to a mouth ulcer four times daily for five days.
At the end of the study, participants who used berberine gel experienced improvements in pain ulcer size, redness, and fluid discharge.
PCOS Symptom Relief
PCOS is a condition caused by a hormonal imbalance. It can increase the risk for several chronic diseases and cause infertility, weight gain, irregular periods, and excess hair growth.
One 2022 randomized control trial examined the effects of 500 mg of berberine hydrochloride twice daily, 500 mg of metformin hydrochloride twice daily, and 1000 milligrams of myoinositol twice daily in 136 PCOS patients.
While metformin improved all aspects of the condition, berberine showed greater improvements in body composition, lipid profile, and hormone status. This suggests it may be more beneficial than metformin for reducing the risk of heart disease in individuals with PCOS.
Furthermore, a 2023 review of studies noted that berberine, compared to a placebo or no treatment, appears promising for improving ovulation and live pregnancy rates in PCOS patients. It may also help lower insulin resistance and reduce androgen (male sex hormone) levels, fasting blood sugar, and insulin levels.
However, due to limited research, additional studies are needed to evaluate the effect of berberine in improving fertility and pregnancy outcomes in PCOS patients.
Other Potential Benefits
In addition to the potential health benefits listed above, some people use berberine to support:
How to Take Berberine
Berberine isn't found in everyday foods, so you must take a supplement if you want to add it to your diet.
Berberine supplements are sold in various forms, including capsules, tablets, liquid, and powder. Although less common, berberine can also be found in topical gels and eye drops. Berberine supplements can be purchased in health food stores, drug stores, or online.
There are no official recommendations on how to take berberine. However, most manufacturers recommend dividing the daily dose of berberine into three smaller doses, taken before meals.
When taken as recommended, it may take several weeks to several months to see health benefits.
Dosage
There is no established dosage for berberine supplements. However, most studies have shown benefits with doses between 0.4 and 2 g per day, taken for up to two years.
Further research is needed to determine the optimal for various health conditions.
Talk with your healthcare provider before taking berberine to ensure that the supplement and dosage are appropriate for your specific needs.
Is Berberine Safe?
Berberine is generally well-tolerated with a good safety profile. It is considered safe for most healthy adults when used topically and taken in doses of up to 1.5 g daily for six months.
Berberine is thought to be unsafe during pregnancy, as it may cross the placenta and harm the developing fetus. Berberine is also not recommended while breastfeeding because it may be transferred to the infant through breast milk.
In newborn infants, berberine may cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin) and lead to a type of brain damage called kernicterus.
There aren't enough studies to determine the safety of berberine in children.
Potential Drug Interactions
While research is limited, berberine may interact with the following medications:
Berberine also has the potential to interact with herbs and other supplements that affect blood clotting, blood sugar levels, or blood pressure.
Berberine does not appear to interact with any foods.
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If you take prescription medications or dietary supplements, talk with your healthcare provider to ensure no potential interactions occur.
What to Look For
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before being sold.
When possible, choose a supplement from a manufacturer that utilizes third-party testing to ensure purity and that the product contains the ingredients listed on its label.
Reputable third-party organizations include USP, ConsumerLab, and NSF.
Plants naturally containing berberine should be avoided in the wild as they may be misidentified or contain other potentially unsafe compounds.
Can You Take Too Much Berberine?
While berberine is generally considered safe, taking too much may increase the risk of side effects and safety concerns.
Always take berberine as instructed on the product label or as recommended by your healthcare provider.
Side Effects of Berberine
While side effects of berberine are relatively uncommon, some clinical trials have reported mild gastrointestinal side effects, including:
Most of these side effects seem to resolve within the first four weeks of use.
A Quick Review
Berberine is a compound found in various plant species that shows promise in treating diabetes, high cholesterol, and PCOS, among other health conditions. It may work best when combined with traditional treatment methods.
Although generally considered safe, berberine has the potential to interact with certain supplements and medications. Therefore, it is important to talk with your healthcare provider before using berberine, especially if you have any health conditions or are taking prescription medications.
Berberine is a compound found naturally in many plants. Some research suggests that it may help promote weight loss, enhance blood sugar regulation, and protect against several chronic conditions.
Berberine is a supplement that has been associated with several potential health benefits.
In particular, berberine has been shown to lower blood sugar, increase weight loss, and improve heart health.
It may also be linked to other benefits and could aid in the treatment of conditions such as depression and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
This article takes an in-depth look at berberine, how it works, and how it can affect your health.
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Stefan Rotter/Getty ImagesBerberine is a bioactive compound that can be extracted from several plants, including a group of shrubs called Berberis (1).
Technically, it belongs to a class of compounds called alkaloids. It’s yellow and is often used as a dye.
Berberine has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine, where it has been used to treat various ailments (1).
Now, modern science suggests that it has impressive benefits for many health concerns (2).
SummaryBerberine is a compound that can be extracted from several plants. It has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine.
Berberine has been tested in hundreds of studies.
One of the main actions of berberine is to activate an enzyme inside cells called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), according to some animal studies (3, 4).
AMPK plays a key role in regulating metabolism and energy levels and is found in cells throughout your body (5, 6).
Berberine also affects other molecules inside cells and may even affect which genes are turned on or off. This could help protect against many chronic health conditions (7).
SummaryBerberine has a variety of functions inside cells. One of the main functions is activating an important enzyme called AMPK, which regulates metabolism.
Many studies show that berberine can significantly lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes (8).
It seems to work via multiple mechanisms and may help (9, 10):
In a 2008 study of 116 people with diabetes, taking 1 gram of berberine per day lowered fasting blood sugar by 20% (11).
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 (11).
According to an older review of 14 studies, berberine may be as effective as certain oral diabetes drugs, including metformin, glipizide, and rosiglitazone (12).
It works very well in combination with lifestyle changes and has additive effects when used with other blood sugar-lowering drugs (13).
SummaryBerberine has been shown to help lower blood sugar and HbA1c. It may be as effective as some diabetes medications.
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 (15).
Berberine also appears to inhibit the growth of fat cells at the molecular level, which could help promote weight loss (16).
However, more research is needed on the potential weight loss effects of berberine.
SummarySome studies suggest that berberine can contribute to significant weight loss while improving many other health markers.
Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death around the globe (17).
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 (18):
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 (19, 20).
According to some research, berberine works by inhibiting an enzyme called PCSK9. This leads to more LDL cholesterol being removed from your bloodstream (21).
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 (7).
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.
SummaryStudies 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.
Berberine may have numerous other health benefits:
More research on many of these benefits is necessary before firm recommendations can be made, but the current evidence is promising.
SummaryPreliminary 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.
Many of the studies cited in the article used dosages in the range of 500–1,500 mg per day.
It is common to take 500 mg three times per day before meals, for a total of 1,500 mg per day.
Berberine can interact with some medications. Do not take it with cyclosporine (33).
If you have a medical condition or are taking any medications, speak with a healthcare professional before taking berberine. This is especially important if you are currently taking blood sugar-lowering medication.
Overall, berberine has an outstanding safety profile. The main side effects are related to digestion, and there are some reports of diarrhea, constipation, and bloating (34).
SummaryA common dosage recommendation is 500 mg three times per day, half an hour before meals. Berberine may cause digestive side effects in some people.
Berberine is a compound that has been associated with several benefits, including decreased blood sugar levels, increased weight loss, and better heart health.
If you want to try a berberine supplement, there are a variety of options available online.
However, be sure to talk with a healthcare professional before adding it to your routine and to use it only as directed.
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