Diabetes, Berberine
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Diabetes, Berberine - Editor's Choice

on Mar 25, 2021| Modified on Mar 05, 2025
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Beberine for Diabeters

Diabetes is a common disease that affects many Americans, and 90 to 95% of people with diabetes have Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ("T2DM").

I will be discussing T2DM and one herbal option to help deal with it effectively based on multiple studies. Since Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is significantly less common, I will focus this discussion on Type 2 Diabetes.

T2DM occurs in 1 out of 10 in the US, while pre-diabetes occurs in 1 in 3, illustrating what a considerable health concern T2DM is. (1)

Treating T2DM effectively early in the disease process can go a long way in preventing many of the health complications seen in advanced stage T2DM, which can be very disabling.

Today, I would like to discuss the supplement Berberine and the studies that show how it can help fight against Type II Diabetes through multiple methods of action.

Berberine for Type II Diabetes

1. In this first study, Berberine shows somewhat similar effects as the common T2DM drug, Metformin.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29515798/

2. The following study is interesting because it shows that Berberine can also protect against Metformin-associated lactic acidosis (MALA).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5478779/

3. The next study abstract shows that Berberine lowers blood glucose in T2DM patients by increasing insulin receptor expression.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19800084/

4. In this study, Berberine is shown to be synergistic with Metformin, where both together are better than either one alone at lowering high glucose induced lipogenesis. For those who are not familiar with Metformin, it is considered a first line pharmaceutical for treating T2DM. Here is a quote from the study:

>>> The combination of Metformin and Berberine exerted synergistic lipid-lowering effects on HepG2 cells by reducing total lipid content, triglyceride level, and the expression of the genes involved in lipogenesis.<<<

5. This next abstract adds more data to the idea that Berberine and Metformin may work well together.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30428337/

6. This is an older study (2008), but it goes into significant detail of many of the ways in which Berberine may be beneficial for patients in the fight against T2DM. It also discusses the lipid and triglyceride-lowering effects of Berberine and discusses the dosing used in the study as 1,500 mg total Berberine per day in 3 divided doses of 500 mg each dose spread throughout the day.

Here is a quote from the study :

>>> In conclusion, this pilot study indicates that Berberine is a potent oral hypoglycemic agent with beneficial effects on lipid metabolism.<<<

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2410097/

7. The following Meta-Analysis determines that Berberine is able to lower hyperglycemia, lipids, hypertension and raise HDL cholesterol while exhibiting a good safety profile.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25498346/

Berberine Dosage for Type II Diabetes

In this article, dosing of Berberine at 1,500 mg per day divided into three equal doses of 500 mg each during the day is mentioned as a possible dosing schedule, along with an explanation of why.

There are many more studies discussing the use of Berberine as an adjunctive treatment for T2DM, but the above should give you a good idea of how helpful Berberine can be.

Conclusion

The above studies and information illustrate that Berberine has hypoglycemic effects, lipid-lowering effects, and synergy with the front-line T2DM pharmacological treatment, Metformin, in T2DM patients worth discussing with your doctor for pre-diabetes and T2DM.

If you search the internet, you will also find plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting that Berberine is useful in T2DM.

As always, I am not a doctor and, as such, cannot recommend Berberine as a treatment for T2DM, nor can I offer dosing advice, but fortunately, dosing advice is given in one study and one article above! In any case, given the serious nature of T2DM, consulting your doctor or healthcare professional before starting Berberine is needed.

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Where to Buy

Berberine can be found in most health food stores and online. The product you choose should offer capsules that are pure Berberine with no additional active products in it and each capsule should contain 500 mg each of Berberine in order to try and replicate dosing used in studies.

Here are 2 good companies on Amazon.



Thorne Research - Berberine-500 - Botanical Compound to Support Blood Sugar Metabolism - 60 Capsules

Integrative Therapeutics - Berberine 500mg - Metabolism of Blood Sugar Support Supplements - HCL - Vegan - 60 Capsules

Update

12/28/2021:

I wanted to update my above article because a new meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials just came out that adds further confirmation to the value of Berberine for diabetes.

This new meta-analysis (MA) of RCTs( December 2021) of the use of Berberine for T2DM is very enlightening and clearly illustrates that Berberine is a very good adjunctive treatment or possibly even a primary treatment option for T2DM :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8696197/

Here is an important quote from the full MA :

>>> ' Forty-six trials were assessed. Analysis of berberine applied alone or with standard diabetic therapies versus the control group revealed significant reductions in HbA1c (MD = −0.73; 95% CI (−0.97, −0.51)), FPG (MD = −0.86,95% CI (−1.10, −0.62)), and 2hPG (MD = −1.26,95% CI (−1.64, −0.89)). Improved insulin resistance was assessed by lowering FINS (MD = −2.05,95% CI (−2.62, −1.48)), HOMA-IR (MD = −0.71,95% CI (−1.03, −0.39)), and BMI (MD = −1.07,95% CI (−1.76, −0.37)). Lipid metabolisms were also ameliorated via the reduction of TG (MD = −0.5,95% CI (−0.61, −0.39)), TC (MD = 0.64,95% CI (−0.78, −0.49)), and LDL (MD = 0.86,95% CI (−1.06, −0.65)) and the upregulation of HDL (MD = 0.17,95% CI (0.09,0.25)). Additionally, berberine improved the inflammation factor. ' <<<

This multitude of positive health enhancements including reduction of inflammatory mediators IL-6 and Tnf-alpha as well as positive heart and kidney effects accompanied by a very good safety profile make Berberine a "must consider" option for people with diabetes. The added lipid improving effects are just the icing on the cake.

It seems likely that pulsing of Berberine dosing may prolong the effectiveness of Berberine over the longer term, helping to prevent the body from becoming resistant to its effectiveness.

Art

About The Author

Art Solbrig is a researcher who has been reading scientific studies and testing natural remedies for over 30 years searching for useful studies and alternatives that apply positively to human health issues and natural treatments using minerals, vitamins, amino acids, essential oils, herbs, homeopathy, colloidal silver, combination treatments and other alternatives to improve the quality of life of others by writing about his findings and test results in places like Earth Clinic. He documents and writes about many of his experiences in helping others. Art is a native of sunny California.

Related Links:

Diabetes Type I: Home Remedies and Holistic Treatment
Diabetic Neuropathy Remedies
Natural Remedies for Type II Diabetes: Diet, Supplements & Tips

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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Magnesium, Berberine+

Posted by Art (California) on 08/28/2023 2529 posts
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Two of my friends with diabetes had asked me for supplement ideas to help with their diabetes as both were uncontrolled. I will discuss Harry first. Harry has had diabetes for over 10 years and his doctor had him on two medications, but his condition steadily worsened and his doctor wanted to add another medication. Harry didn't want to add another medication because he was very concerned about side effects and to make matters worse he was constantly constipated which seemed to be making his diabetes worse and also making his life miserable.

I suggested he try magnesium citrate to improve the constipation and also improve his HbA1c level. I also suggested he add berberine at 1500 mg/day in three divided doses of 500 mg each at breakfast lunch and dinner. These two simple additions very significantly improved his constipation (eliminated) and diabetes to the best it has been in the past 10 years. I told Harry that if he wanted to do better in terms of his diabetes I could make another suggestion or two, but he said he was really happy with his current improvements and just wanted to enjoy the moment. He said that maybe in a while, he might consider the other options though. I told him that was fine and to call me when he was ready to do more. I also suggested that he slowly switch over to magnesium glycinate or alternate it with the magnesium citrate to avoid becoming dependent on the magnesium citrate to stay regular. His doctor felt the constipation was related to the worsened diabetes, so the improved diabetes control may, by itself relieve the constipation. Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal issues in diabetics.

My other friend, Susie, has had diabetes for about as long as Harry, but her diabetes was not as bad as Harry's, but still uncontrolled. I suggested she add berberine, vitamin K2M7 and vitamin D. This combination brought her HbA1c into the normal range for the first time in at least 10 years. Her A1c was 7.2 at her last doctor visit and is now 5.6 at her latest visit. Susie is really happy with these results and told me that she will continue the three supplements indefinitely and hopes to see other health benefits associated with the use of these three supplements. This supplement trio will also help to stave off osteoporosis.

I just wanted to share these results, using common supplements to help control diabetes with the EC community.

Art

Berberine, ALA

Posted by Rc Hoppy (Winamac, Indiana Usa) on 03/26/2021
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Berberine works well by itself at lowering blood sugar.

My wife has DM2 and along with it, all the other problems. The doctors had her taking several hypertension meds, as well as Metformin and a water pill. I had heard of Berberine in the past, and really wanted to try it with her, but was a little hesitant. On a recent trip to the doctor's office, her bloodwork showed that her kidney function was dropping and the doctor told us to drop the Metformin and water pill because they were too hard on her kidneys. I had tried a combination of Metformin and Berberine before, without good results, so I still had the Berberine on the shelf and ready for action.

I started giving her Berberine twice a day with breakfast and dinner, and also added 300 mg of alpha-lipoic acid at breakfast and bedtime for water retention. Within a very short period of time, we saw such a difference.

Her fasting sugar dropped to 100 + or - 10 and we had to reduce her nightly insulin injection by 10 units to keep it from going too low. (One morning her sugar was down to 60 and very scary.) The ALA also reduced the swelling in her legs and feet. Now her shoes don't look like they are two sizes too small and her ankles no longer have marks from the elastic in her socks.

The combination of the two ( both available on Amazon) has made a real difference in her blood sugar as well as the edema that goes along with hypertension.


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