Berberine Supplement Review on Usage, Dosage, Side Effects, Benefits

Berberine is known as a therapeutic agent in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese medicine for counteracting inflammation and high blood sugar. 

​Berberine considerably improves the increase of glucose in the skeletal muscles, as the effect is positive, no matter if the muscle cells are resistant or sensitive to insulin.

Berberine has powerful antibacterial properties, which are expressed in counteraction to the following bacteria: cholera, salmonella, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and clostridium.

​​At this stage, there is a large number of human studies, which prove the action of berberine at doses between 900 and 1500 mg, as its effectiveness is totally comparable with the drug Metformin.

Berberine considerably improves the increase of glucose in the skeletal muscles, as the effect is positive, no matter if the muscle cells are resistant or sensitive to insulin.

​Table of Contents

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• What Is Berberine
• How Is Berberine Absorbed
• ​What to Combine Berberine with for Better Absorption
• ​Read Berberine Reviews Before Trying
• ​Top 3 Berberine Supplement Reviews From My Readers
• All About Berberine For Weight Loss
• ​AMPK: Berberine, Quercetin, and Gynostemma Can Help in Diabetes
• Potential and Proven Benefits
• Berberine and Candida Infections
• ​Recommended Berberine Dosage
• Berberine Side Effects and Berberine Toxicity
• Popular Foods Containing Berberine
• Berberine Drug Interactions

​What Is Berberine?

Berberine is known as a therapeutic agent in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese medicine for counteracting inflammation and high blood sugar.
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Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid that, thanks to its ammonium ion, can form whole complexes with other components such as a glycyrrhizic acid (licorice) and baicalin (Baikal skullcap). 

It is believed that these complexes improve the absorption of substances and the fat solubility. 
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Similar combinations have been known to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Berberine, besides its main form, exists in the rare form of dihydroberberine, which has nearly five times higher potency. 

​The analyses have found that 100 mg of dihydroberberine have the same activity as 560 mg of berberine, but in contrast to it, dihydroberberine reaches the blood plasma. 

​Dihydroberberine is present in the plants Arcangelisia flava and Coptidis chinensis (coptis).

​How Is Berberine Absorbed?

​The overall absorption of berberine is extremely low. 

To obtain the required dose, one has to choose between two approaches: either to take high doses of berberine or to combine berberine with other substances in order to improve its absorption. 

​Berberine successfully binds with albumin in the serum and cartilages in the human body, as well as with hemoglobin. ​

After passing through the small intestine, a portion of berberine is metabolized into four different metabolites, which, however, have a similar function, but with less activity thereof.

The majority of berberine exists in its main form even 3 hours after oral intake. 

​Berberine is easily disposed of through the urine, as only its metabolites are found, which means that berberine gets first completely metabolized and then excreted from the body.
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• Berberine acts directly on many enzymes in the body.
• Berberine inhibits further those enzymes whose activity is increased in the state of diabetes.
• Berberine can also pass through the blood-brain barrier.

​The principal action is the following: berberine binds with the enzyme adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK), which is a touch protein, subject to the impact of anti-diabetic drugs (Metformin).

​Berberine has a different impact on the enzyme, depending on the dose and time of intake. 

​The effect of berberine is indirect, as the exact mechanism is unclear, but it is related to the impact on the protein kinase C zeta (PKCζ).

​What to Combine Berberine with for Better Absorption?

It is recommended that the use of berberine is with substances that inhibit the action of the protein P-glycoprotein, and thereby to drastically improve the absorption of the alkaloid.

​Substances with similar effects are silymarin (milk thistle), the lignans in Schisandra, chrysin and the caprylic acid in the coconut oil.

​Studies have shown that the absorption of berberine is improved drastically with the addition of sodium carpate, which is an ester form of the caprylic acid. 

​50 mg of sodium carpate improve the absorption by 28%, and 100 mg show even stronger effects. The drawback of such a combination is the difficult finding of sodium carpate by the average user.

​Read Berberine Reviews Before Trying

Are you thinking about using berberine supplements for weight loss? If you are, you're going to want to make sure that this substance is right for you.

​You can learn more about it and how it works if you take the time to read berberine reviews.
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• You Can Learn Things From People That Have Tried It 

You don't have to try berberine supplements  to see how it works. If you read reviews, you'll get a lot of insight into what this substance does. 
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You should read some berberine supplement reviews so that you can see what other people think of berberine. If they are happy with this substance, you may want to try how berberine works.
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• Reviews Can Help You To Use The Product Efficiently 

If you're going to be using this substance, you'll want to make sure that you are using it appropriately. Surprisingly, a lot of reviews are jam-packed with tips.

You'll be able to find the best time to take berberine, and you'll be able to learn whether or not you should take it with food. 

All of these things can help you out. Figure out what you want to do about berberine.
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• Reviews Will Let You Know What To Expect

If you're taking a substance like berberine, you shouldn't expect to see results immediately.

There is a chance that you will have to take it for a while before you see any results. If you read some reviews, you'll know what to expect in that regard.  
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You shouldn't take a substance unless you know how it is going to impact your body. If you read berberine reviews, you'll be able to see what kind of effect it will have on your body. 

​You'll be able to figure out whether or not taking it will help you to lose weight.

​Top 3 Berberine Supplement Reviews From My Readers

​All About Berberine For Weight Loss

Berberine for weight loss has been popular for some time. It is a natural supplement that will help you lose weight fast and effectively. It can affect the body at a molecular level and offer numerous health benefits.

It can reduce type-2 blood sugar levels, improve your heart health, and cause weight loss at the same time. This article provides information on berberine for weight loss.

Berberine can be extracted from a host of different plants. It is considered a bioactive compound which has a yellow color.

The extract belongs to a class of compounds named alkaloids. The supplement has a long history in China where it was taken to treat numerous illnesses in the past.

The compound is found to be highly effective in helping you lose weight effectively. Once berberine is ingested, it is transported through the bloodstream to various cells in the body.

It binds to numerous molecular targets inside these cells. Berberine will activate an enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inside the cells.

This enzyme can help improve your metabolic rate to help you lose weight fast and effectively.

Other than helping to lose weight successfully, this compound also can help deal with numerous other illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, depression, fatty liver, heart failure, infections, and antioxidant benefits.

​The dosage used is 900 to 1,500 mg per day. You should take 500 mg three times a day before meals for the best results over time.

If you have any medical condition and are taking any medications, you need to consult a qualified physician before taking this supplement.

​These are very important factors to consider when taking Berberine to lose weight fast and effectively. The article above provides a comprehensive overview of the many benefits of Berberine.

​AMPK: Berberine, Quercetin, and Gynostemma Can Help in Diabetes

There is hope in AMPK berberine quercetin and gynostemma for people with diabetes. 

Those who cannot tolerate some of the today's new medications and the side effects that they cause can get the blood sugar regulation needed without prescriptions. 

They can try using supplements with these amino acids and substances to help. The hypothalamus plays a role in diabetes. It regulates all the hormones. The feeling is that if the amino acid AMPK is low, it affects diabetes. 

If it can be raised by a supplement, there will be an improvement in the long term. It is necessary to keep exercising and eating healthy to get AMPK levels stable. Besides this, Intermittent fasting helps. 

​But besides this, it seems that adding other supplements helps with the AMPK production.

Be sure that you are eating properly. Eat too much, snack too much and exercise too little and you will experience a worsening of diabetes. If you do not, the AMPK will not be able to restore itself in the body naturally.

There are medications that increase AMPK. But, these often have intolerable side effects. One other supplement that helps is Berberine. This also requires no prescription and it works well to lower blood sugar levels while increasing the levels of AMPK.

It has been found that the one thing you can also take is gynostemma. Gynostemma pentaphyllum also goes by the name Southern Ginseng. 

This type of Ginseng has been proven to reduce blood sugar somewhat, but this is not the case with other types of Ginseng. 

This one has what many people consider to be properties that beat diabetes. Specifically, it helps increase AMPK so that blood sugar levels can regulate.
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​AMPK berberine quercetin and gynostemma can be combined to help in diabetes. Supplements are available online and in health food and drug stores.

​Potential and Proven Benefits:

Berberine helps diabetes and carbohydrate metabolism

• High hypoglycemic index (lowering the blood sugar), which is explained by the inhibition of the responsible enzymes. At this stage, there is a large number of human studies, which prove the action of berberine at doses between 900 and 1500 mg, as its effectiveness is totally comparable with the drug Metformin.

• Berberine considerably improves the increase of glucose in the skeletal muscles, as the effect is positive, no matter if the muscle cells are resistant or sensitive to insulin;

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• The use of 900 mg of berberine daily enhances the overall weakening of the body, as a large percentage covers the adipose tissue. At this stage, there is an established moderate slimming effect, which occurs more strongly in people with abnormal metabolism. The effect can be explained by the berberine improvement of the insulin sensitivity (unproven) and the regulation of the adipokines.

Berberine benefits liver and kidneys

• Berberine improves the insulin signaling pathway in the liver on a receptor level and afterward;

• Berberine keeps the metabolism of the fatty acids and cholesterol in the liver steady in a state of diabetes or other strong inflammatory processes;

• Berberine helps protect the liver cells and the regulation of the liver enzymes with moderate activity;

• Berberine drastically reduces the triglycerides in patients with hepatitis and cirrhosis. The two-month use of berberine in patients with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C results in lowering of the triglycerides, blood glucose, and liver enzymes;

• Prevents the harmful effects on the kidneys in cases of high blood sugar and it also inhibits the fibrosis in diabetic neuropathy;

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• Berberine has a weak diuretic effect, as it enhances the secretion of potassium and sodium through the urine, but it also reduces the excretion of calcium.

Berberine has anti-cancer effect

• The anti-cancer effect of berberine is expressed through the acceleration of the death of the cancer cells, as in several animal studies berberine has been successfully used in combination with radiation. At this stage, its properties have been proven only on animals;

• Reduces intoxication successfully in the treatment of cancer together with the chemotherapy drug Doxorubicin;

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• In vitro studies on human cells have established the ability of berberine to enhance the apoptosis of the harmful cells in cases of leukemia.

Berberine's immune system, inflammation, and antibacterial effect

• It helps with the treatment of stomatitis, which is an inflammation of the oral mucosa. Berberine successfully reduces the pain, increases the release of fluids and accelerates the healing of wounds;

• Powerful antibacterial properties of berberine, which are expressed in counteraction to the following bacteria: cholera, salmonella, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and Clostridium;

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• The powerful direct antioxidant effect, as berberine most dramatically affects the lipid peroxidation in the colon and the reduction of beta cells in the pancreas.

Berberine's effect on cardiac and vascular system

• Drastically reduces the triglycerides in the blood, as the effectiveness depends on the dose. An intake of 1000 mg of berberine daily for 4 weeks results in a 16% decrease, and 1500 mg for 12 weeks results in a 23% decrease. The mechanism is expressed in the activation of AMPK and the inhibition of the lipid synthesis;

• Improves all lipid parameters in people with diabetes. This involves the lowering of triglycerides, LDL, total cholesterol and the increase of good cholesterol;

 

• Potential benefits in the reduction of heart fibrosis and prevention of the cardiac tissues in the case of ischemia;

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• Effective counteraction to atherosclerosis by reducing the damage to the tissues and reduction of the oxidative stress. The high efficiency is associated with the activation of AMPK;

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• Successfully decreases the platelets in the blood and inhibits the synthesis of thrombocytes.

Berberine benefits the nervous system

• In vitro and in vivo studies have shown promising results in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease when using berberine;

• High doses of berberine might have a calming effect;

• Berberine might has possible analgesic effect with an injection intake;

• The use of velvet amur wood as a source of berberine demonstrates improvement of the cognitive functions in Alzheimer's disease;

• Berberine neuroprotective properties in neurotoxicity, which is a result of Parkinson's disease;

• Berberine has potential benefits in the overcoming of addictions to drugs and stimulants.

Berberine's positive benefits on the digestive system

• The use of 400 mg of berberine a day (4 times by 100 mg) in water improves diarrhea;

• The powerful effect for the prevention of colitis by successfully inhibiting the proinflammatory cytokines. The high potency is explained by the fact that it is not necessary for berberine to have a high absorption because it is any way degraded in the intestine.

• Does berberine kill good bacteria? No, berberine supplements don't kill the good bacteria.

Berberine's effect on the reproductive system and hormones

• Berberine has a positive effect on the bad estrogen;

• Theoretically, berberine can have a positive impact on the testosterone because it inhibits the enzymes that affect the testosterone levels and the aromatization. This is not proven at this stage;

• Berberine has potential benefits for the improvement of erections and the increase of the nitric oxide, but positive results are limited to in vitro tests;

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• Berberine has potential benefits for the increase of the bioactive form of vitamin D - calcitriol.

​Berberine and Candida Infections

Berberine is a natural substance, so let's get that out of the way first. You might not recognize it by name, which can make you dismissive. It is enough to make anyone dismissive until they start realizing just how many natural ingredients and supplements are out there that can help them. 

They are out there, and you just have to find out more information and try them out. It helps when you learn that berberine and other natural ingredients and substances can be found in foods you consume. 

Of course, with any natural ingredients or supplement, you always want to be as informed as possible. You want to be sure that you know about possible side effects, and you want to know that having a more concentrated dose of the supplement is indeed okay.

As you get to looking at berberine, you are going to see that it is supposed to help with candida infections. So if you take berberine candida infections go away? 

Now see, this is where a lot of people get tripped up. You have to make sure that you understand how natural ingredients and supplements work so that you have realistic expectations. 

It isn't just about how they work naturally and more slowly or gradually either. It is about their approach and why that is important. If you tackle the candida infection with berberine, what did it also do to help your body in other healthy ways? 

What would it keep you from using that might even harm your body. Some of these unnatural products and solutions out there we just take or use and assume it is without consequence.

​When it comes to berberine candida and other issues can be dealt with naturally. That should make you feel better about the way you are handling things if it works. You can always examine natural changes first.

​Recommended Berberine Dosage:

The standard berberine dosage is 900-2000 mg daily, as the recommended intake is divided into 3-4 times a day.
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If you wonder whether you should take berberine with or without food, it is preferable with food for the better absorption of the substance.​
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Taking more than 1000 mg of berberine can lead to constipation. This is not contraindicated in the case of diarrhea because berberine then demonstrates more positive properties.

Berberine dosage for diabetes:
For diabetes, take berberine 500 mg 2-3 times daily for three months is effective. 

Berberine Side Effects and Berberine Toxicity:

• The intake of a high dose of berberine (900 mg) in one go can lead to nausea, stomach pains, and diarrhea.
• Berberine is a substance with low toxicity, and it is completely safe for people, even at the maximum dose of 2000 mg daily.
• The intake of berberine is not recommended for pregnant women and newborns because of the impact on the albumins.

Popular Foods Containing Berberine

Berberine is a yellow, bitter-tasting compound that can be found in various plants. 

​Berberine has an extensive history associated with medical uses in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine.

Foods containing Berberine are located in the stem bark and roots of a variety of plants that include the:

• goldthread
• coptis
• goldenseal
• barberry
• oregan grape
• turmeric tree

Berberine is often used as a type of yellow dye. Certain evidence has supported that using Berberine can assist with bacterial diarrhea, parasite infections, and eye infections.

​Here are some of the outstanding health benefits of foods containing Berberine:

Berberine containing foods have natural antimicrobial benefits

​Various studies have focused on that Berberine possesses antimicrobial activity against viruses, bacteria, protozoans, Chlamydia, and helminths. 

​In the way of preventing the abilities of bacteria from attaching onto human cells, Berberine assists in the protection against a variety of bacterial infections.

Berberine supports for type 2 diabetes and blood glucose levels

Clinical trials that were published in the journal "Metabolism" have discovered that Berberine works as well when compared to some of the top-seller drugs to treat type 2 diabetes.

​This study which was conducted on some individuals that have type 2 diabetes confirmed that Berberine was able to greatly lower hemoglobin levels as well as lower blood glucose levels.

Berberine foods assist in lowering cholesterol levels

​Berberine foods have also been proven to lower triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol, which is something that just about all the diabetes drugs are unable to do.

​A study which was published in the "The Journal Of Clinical Endocrinology And Metabolism" discovered that Berberine could lower the triglycerides by up to 35.9% and lower LDL cholesterol by 21%.

Berberine supports cardiovascular health

​According to the site Healthline.com, research has suggested that Berberine, when used with the standard types of prescription medications for CHF (Congestive Heart Failure), can improve heart function, mortality and "quality of life."

Berberine Drug Interactions:

• Berberine can be combined with certain types of medications. It has been found that berberine has a similar effect as Metformin, but the preliminary in vitro tests have shown the potent interaction between the two substances like a strong synergistic effect.

• Berberine can be used as a means for lowering blood sugar. It can be used with other similar additives such as Gymnema Sylvestre, cinnamon, and chromium picolinate.

 

• Berberine is an effective supplement for lowering the triglycerides and the bad cholesterol. Effective combinations include additives like policosanol, which has a similar effect as the statins, fish oil, flaxseed oil, and garlic.

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• ​Berberine can be used as an herbal antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal supplement and can be effectively combined with proven supplements like garlic, pau d'arco, oregano oil and black walnut.

SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES

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