Table of Contents
- Is Berberine good for Diabetics?
- What is the recommended Berberine dose for Insulin Resistance?
- What is the recommended Berberine dose for Low Blood Sugar?
- Is Berberine good for the treatment of Prediabetes?
- What is berberine Chinen Salt?
- What are the side effects of Berberine Hypoglycemia?
- Berberine vs Metformin: which one is better for Diabetes?
- Want to know more?
- Sources
Is Berberine good for Diabetics?
Berberine is good for diabetics because it can help to reduce blood glucose levels by inhibiting intestinal absorption of glucose, which can lower blood sugar. It is a natural herb used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diabetes and other diseases for thousands of years, with no side effects or toxicity reported.
According to a research study on the efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, berberine improves insulin resistance and increases insulin secretion. It also decreases serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels and increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
In addition, berberine may be effective in treating obesity and metabolic syndrome. In a clinical trial, berberine was shown to reduce body weight and waist circumference in overweight or obese adults. Berberine also improved lipids.
Berberine is available as an over-the-counter supplement in many countries. It can also be purchased from health food stores in some countries, but its use is unregulated in most countries. In the United States, it is sold under the brand name Berberol.
What is the recommended Berberine dose for Insulin Resistance?
The recommended berberine dose for insulin resistance is 500 mg daily, and the recommended metformin dose is 1000 mg/day. Metformin has a higher bioavailability than berberine (about 90% versus 50%). This means you would have to take more of it to get the same amount of berberine in your body. The recommended dosage of berberine is 1 gram per day.
In the video below, Dr. Daniela Petrache explains how Berberine may help to manage Diabetes:
This is our recommended Berberine supplement (Amazon’s Choice):
What is the recommended Berberine dose for Low Blood Sugar?
The recommended berberine dose for low blood sugar is 500 mg twice daily, with the initial amount being taken in the morning and the second dose at bedtime. The dose may be increased to a maximum of 2000 mg/day or decreased if there are no side effects. If berberine is used with other medications, it should not exceed 1500 mg daily. If the patient has diarrhea, reduce the dosage by half.
Is Berberine good for the treatment of Prediabetes?
The recommended berberine dose for prediabetes is 500 mg twice daily (1,000 mg/day). This can be taken on an empty stomach as well. In the past few decades, it has gained popularity as an alternative treatment for type 2 diabetes, especially in Asia, with a high prevalence of diabetes.
A study published in the journal Diabetologia found that berberine can be an effective treatment for people with prediabetes or early-stage type 2 diabetes. The study included 40 adults who were given either 500 mg of berberine twice daily or 850 mg of metformin thrice daily. After 12 weeks, both groups lost significant body fat (about 3 pounds on average). Still, those taking berberine significantly reduced blood sugar levels more than those taking metformin.
Metformin is a biguanide drug used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus and other metabolic disorders such as obesity.
What is berberine Chinen Salt?
Berberine Chinen salt is a natural product derived from the root of a herb called “barberry” that has been used for centuries in China to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and other digestive problems. It is also known as coptis or Chinese goldthread, and it contains a compound called berberine which can help reduce appetite, lower cholesterol levels, increase metabolism and promote weight loss.
Studies have shown that berberine helps burn fat more efficiently than many prescription drugs such as Lipitor (atorvastatin) and Zocor (simvastatin). Studies show that berberine may be effective against type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and even cancer. However, there are no clinical trials on its effectiveness for weight.
What are the side effects of Berberine Hypoglycemia?
Berberine hypoglycemia is a rare side effect of berberine, and its mechanism remains unclear. It is generally safe at doses up to 4 grams per day. However, there are some side effects associated with high-dose berberine use. The most common symptoms are:
- Diarrhea.
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Abdominal pain.
- Flatulence
- Constipation
- Dizziness.
- Headache.
- Insomnia.
- Heartburn.
- Weakness.
If these symptoms occur, stop taking berberine and call your doctor immediately.
In some cases, berberine can cause severe dehydration, resulting in low blood pressure (hypotension) and shock. Hypoglycemic episodes have been reported with higher doses of berberine than those used for the treatment of hypertension. However, there are no reports of hypoglycemia as an adverse event associated with lower amounts of berberine.
Berberine has also been known to increase the risk of seizures when taken by people with epilepsy or other conditions that affect brain function. This may occur because berberine binds to proteins transporting glucose across cell membranes. It is unclear whether this binding affects the movement of glucose into cells or out of them.
Some studies suggest that berberine may inhibit insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells. Other researchers have found that berberine increases insulin sensitivity in rats.
Berberine vs Metformin: which one is better for managing Diabetes?
When comparing Berberine vs Metformin for diabetes treatment, Metformin is more effective than berberine when taken alone. However, if you take them together, your body may be able to use both medicines at once. This can help you get better results from each one.
The main difference between Berberine vs Metformin is that metformin is a prescription drug, and berberine comes as a plant derivative supplement. Both are natural remedies, but there is some controversy about their effectiveness in treating diabetes.
Both have the same mechanism of action; they increase levels of insulin sensitivity by activating AMPK. They both lower blood sugar levels, but they do it differently. Metformin increases glucose uptake into cells, which helps reduce blood sugar levels. Berberine works on the liver to improve insulin sensitivity. It also lowers cholesterol levels and improves lipid profiles.
The following are some guidelines you should follow when consuming Metformin and/or Berberine:
- When taking metformin, you need to eat less food and exercise regularly. You should not drink alcohol while taking this medicine because it will make it harder for your kidneys to filter out the metformin.
- You should avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grape juice while taking metformin because those foods can affect how your body processes the medicine.
- Berberine is usually taken with meals. You can take it before bedtime without worrying about adverse side effects.
If you want to try berberine, talk to your doctor first. He can tell you whether you should start using it. Be sure to follow his instructions carefully.
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Sources
This article makes use of information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- Liang Y, Xu X, Yin M, Zhang Y, Huang L, Chen R, Ni J. Effects of berberine on blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic literature review and a meta-analysis. Endocr J. 2019 Jan 28;66(1):51-63. doi: 10.1507/endocrj.EJ18-0109. Epub 2018 Nov 3. PMID: 30393248.
- Cui, Hong-Xin, et al. “Hypoglycemic mechanism of the berberine organic acid salt under the synergistic effect of intestinal flora oxidative stress.” Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity 2018 (2018).
