Benefits of Berberine

Berberine is the latest buzz-worthy supplement – and for good reason. It’s linked to tons of  benefits, including metabolic, hormone, and gut health.* So, if you’re thinking about adding berberine to your supplement lineup, keep reading to learn what berberine is, what it does, and how you can choose the best berberine supplement. 

What is berberine?  

Berberine is a bitter-tasting compound found in plants like barberry, goldenseal, tree turmeric, and Oregon grape. It has a long-standing history in traditional medicine, and over the years, research has uncovered the many ways berberine can help support your health.* 

What are the benefits of berberine?  

Berberine is connected to metabolic health, healthy hormone levels, gut health, and more.* Let’s take a closer look at each.  

Metabolic Health*  

What does metabolic health even mean?  

Metabolic health refers to blood sugar, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and blood pressure levels, as well as waist circumference. Keeping these within a healthy range is key to support overall health and wellness.  

That’s where berberine can help.* 

Research shows that berberine promotes:  

• Healthy insulin and blood sugar levels.* Managing blood sugar and insulin levels is key for overall health, and it helps reduce the risk of chronic conditions in the future.*  

• Healthy body composition.* Basically, body composition refers to the percentage of fat, bone and muscle in your body. 

• Healthy triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels.* These are all types of fat in the blood. Healthy levels are key for not only metabolic health, but for heart health, too.* 

Hormone Health* 

Studies show that berberine helps support healthy androgen (testosterone) levels in certain women.*  

Gut Health* 

Your gut is home to trillions of microscopic organisms, including up to 1,000 different species of bacteria. And while that sounds worrisome, most of the bacteria in your gut is there to do good. Still, some don’t have your best intentions at heart – and when there are too many “bad” bacteria, it can affect your health.  

A healthy, plant-focused diet with plenty of fiber is the first step to a healthy gut, but studies show that berberine supports a healthy gut microbiome, too.*  

Antioxidant Support* 

Antioxidants are like guardians in your body – they look out for all your cells and keep them functioning at their best.* You can get tons of antioxidant support from fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods. And as a natural compound found in many plants, berberine offers antioxidant support as well.*   

How do you choose the best berberine supplement?  

When you’re looking for a berberine supplement to add to your routine, there are a couple important factors to consider.  

Formulation 

There are two main forms of berberine you’ll commonly find in supplements:  

• Berberine Hydrochloride (HCL) 
• Berberine Phytosome™ 

What’s the difference?  

Well, it really comes down to bioavailability, or how well your body can absorb it. Berberine is typically difficult to absorb – and if you can’t absorb it, you can’t reap the benefits.*  

Since berberine HCL isn’t absorbed well, high doses (500 mg, two to three times a day) are needed for health benefits.* Unfortunately, these high doses of berberine can be difficult to tolerate, causing stomach upset in some. With berberine phytosome, a lower dose of berberine is effective, and better tolerated.*   

When these two forms of berberine go head-to-head, there’s a clear winner. Berberine phytosome is up to 10 times more bioavailable than berberine HCL, so it’s the best choice if you’re looking for an easy-to-absorb, top-quality berberine supplement.*  

Purity and Quality 

Third-party testing and certification helps make sure you’re taking a high-quality product you can trust. It’s your best guarantee that what’s on the supplement facts panel (SFP) matches what’s actually in the product.  

And it turns out, third-party testing is particularly important when it comes to berberine. A recent analysis of berberine HCL supplements found that most aren’t what they seem.  

It tested 33 products available from major online retailers and found:  

• Thirty-two out of 33 supplements had less berberine than listed on the SFP 
• Eighteen of the 33 tested samples had less than 40% of the dose listed on the SFP 
• Seven of the 33 brands contained 1% or less of the dose listed on the SFP 

So, be sure to choose a berberine supplement that’s independently tested and certified by a trusted organization, like NSF® International or USP®. 

The buzz about berberine probably isn’t going to die down anytime soon. And the more evidence that emerges about the benefits of berberine, the more berberine supplements will hit the shelves. So, if you’re thinking about taking a berberine supplement, be sure to talk with your doctor and choose a high-quality product that’s independently tested and certified – so you know exactly what you’re getting.