Berberine

Also known as: berberine HCl

Status

Dietary supplement (US). Sold as a dietary supplement. Not approved as a medicine for diabetes, cholesterol or weight.

What it is

A plant alkaloid with real glucose-lowering data and a nickname it does not deserve.

What published research measured

An isoquinoline alkaloid from several plants, acting largely through AMPK activation. Meta-analyses of small trials report reductions in fasting glucose, HbA1c and LDL cholesterol, so the glucose data is not nothing. The social media label 'nature's Ozempic' is not supported by anything: weight effects in trials are small and the mechanism is unrelated to incretin signaling. It is a meaningful inhibitor of CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein, so interactions with prescription medicines are a genuine concern rather than a theoretical one.

Source

Kong W et al. 2004 — Berberine is a novel cholesterol-lowering drug working through a unique mechanism distinct from statins

Sources

No linked primary source is on file for this entry yet.

Educational use only, never medical advice. No doses.