berberine has been part of traditional Chinese medicine for more than a thousand years. The herbal molecule from barberry is still used primarily in Asian culture to treat diarrhea, inflammation and infections.
In the last few years, researchers have been studying berberine in more detail to find ways to extend health span. They have found that Berberine positive effect on blood sugar levels Insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus are both very common in the population and pharmaceutical giants such as Novo Nordisk with drugs such as Ozempic® or Wegovy® are trying to develop effective substances against it.
In this article you will learn more about how berberine can support your sugar metabolism, what role it plays in longevity research plays and why a combination with phospholipids ensures improved bioavailabilityWe will give you an overview of the studies and answer the question of which dosages of berberine were used. We have also researched what is true about the claim that berberine is the herbal and natural counterpart to Ozempic®.
What is Berberine?
Berberine is a naturally occurring dye that is extracted from the bark of the barberry plant. It is one of the oldest and most widely used dyes and is used by humans for many different purposes, e.g. in the food industry, in the textile and printing industry and in cosmetics. Berberine also has a long history as a medicinal product. More on that later.
Occurrence of berberine in food
Berberine occurs naturally in some plants. Foods include the famous barberry, the root of the goldenrod and the root of the mahonia plantBerberine is also found in several other barberry plants, the so-called Berberidaceae, which can be found in some gardens. The common barberry is a popular hedge plant in Germany due to its thorny branches. Its red fruits are particularly striking in summer. The fruits themselves taste rather sour. But please be careful: the plant itself, apart from the berries, is poisonous! The berries, however, are rich in vitamin C and secondary plant substances like the aforementioned berberine.
Berberine as a dietary supplement
Due to the many positive properties that are said to be associated with the substance, berberine is also available as a dietary supplement in capsule or tablet form. Apart from that, dried barberries are also available commercially. These can be used to refine dishes, e.g. rice dishes. In Germany, however, barberries are rarely used as a spice in cooking - they are more common in the Orient.
Berberine itself has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years – for example as a remedy for digestive problems and inflammation.In addition, some studies indicate that berberine is support of metabolism, the weight loss, the improvement of insulin sensitivity and the support for heart health could help. These properties are mediated by the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the vital substance. Berberine is not only said to have positive effects in terms of maintaining health - the molecule is also said to help with illness. According to studies, for example, with gastrointestinal infections.
Let’s take a look at exactly how berberine affects the different areas.
Short disclaimer:
If you regularly take medicines or drugs, you should discuss the use of berberine with your doctor in advance, as the molecule (like many herbal substances) can influence the effect of medications.
Diabetes – not a rare phenomenon
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, 7.2% of Germans between 18 and 79 have diabetes mellitus, or in other words, they are diabetic. That is several million people in Germany and the number of people with Iinsulin resistance, the precursor to diabetes, is probably even higher.
If you have type 2 diabetes, your body can no longer sufficiently reduce the high blood sugar levels. The hormone insulin, which transports sugar from the blood into the cells, is no longer effective enough.
Medicine has a whole arsenal of different medications available to fight diabetes. But you don't have to let it get that far!
Ozempic® and Wegovy® – the pharmaceutical answer to the sugar epidemic
There are several approaches to treating diabetes. In the early stages, so-called "Lifestyle changes“ is enough. This means more exercise and a change in diet. If this is not enough, medications are used that interfere with sugar metabolism.
For exactly this purpose, the drug Ozempic® with the active ingredient semaglutide It mimics a hormone called Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) This hormone causes more insulin to be released when food is consumed, which makes it a very effective drug for type 2 diabetes. At the same time, it also affects the feeling of hungerin which this is suppressed.
Weight loss through Ozempic®
The “side effect”: People lose weight. And not a little. Up to People have lost 20% of their body weight during treatment with Ozempic®Stars like the Kardashians and Elon Musk have also used the drug, not because they have diabetes, but because they wanted to lose weight. An incredible hype about the drug broke out on social mediaThere were temporary supply shortages because Ozempic® was prescribed so often “off-label” that it was no longer available for the true target group (diabetics). This is because Ozempic® is only approved for type 2 diabetes.
Novo Nordisk then Wegovy® contains the same active ingredient, semaglutide, launched in a different dosage. This time, however, for a different indication. Wegovy® can now be prescribed as a weight loss aid for people with a BMI > 30.
Berberine – the natural Ozempic®?
In addition to the rush for Ozempic®, Berberine is traded especially in the USA as a natural and cost-effective alternative to the drug. What's the hype about?
First of all, both berberine and Ozempic® both affect sugar metabolism – but that is where the similarities end.
Ozempic®, with the active ingredient semaglutide, affects the hormone GLP-1 out while berberine about the so-called AMPK pathway increases the secretion of insulin. Berberine's mode of action is therefore more similar to that of the drug metformin.
Berbersome combines the (sugar) metabolism benefits of berberine, chromium and zinc.
Why sugar metabolism is important for health span
Our body needs a lot of sugar every day to ensure that metabolic processes run smoothly. However, if there is too much glucose in our blood, it sticks to everything it can attach itself to and as a result, so-called Advanced Glycation Endproducts, AGEs for short. These AGEs are also found in our food – especially Highly processed foods contain particularly high of that.
These AGEs can cause a lot of damage in our body. Vessels lose their elasticity and high blood pressure. The small blood vessels in particular are affected, which causes vision to deteriorate and the fine nerve endings to die.
Doctors, like Dr. Peter Attia like to describe an out-of-control sugar metabolism as the basis on which other diseases are built.
But now for the good news: The blood sugar metabolism is extremely easy to influence! The sooner you start, the easier it is.
Did you know? Healthy people can excrete up to a third of the AGEs they ingest through food through their urine. In people with diabetes, the figure is only about 30%. 5%. This means that significantly more of the harmful AGEs remain in the body.
carnosine, a dipeptide found mainly in animal foods, has been shown in studies in formation of AGEs impedeIn addition, the small molecule has a positive effect on the protective caps of our DNA, the telomeres, and can protect the muscles of athletes from “overacidification”.
Berberine and Sugar Metabolism
How does berberine affect sugar metabolism? This scientific study investigated review article summarized several studies on the use of berberine in humans.
The most important findings were the following:
- Berberine was able to Lower long-term blood sugar (HbA1c)
- Berberine lowered blood sugar similarly to the drug metformin
- berberine lowers fasting blood sugar
- Berberine can contribute to lower blood sugar 2 hours after eating
- berberine increases insulin sensitivity
- Berberine lowers blood lipid levels
The clever combination of berberine with phospholipids ensures a 10-fold increase in bioavailability compared to conventional berberine powder.
Berberine and sugar metabolism – a deeper insight
How exactly does berberine influence sugar metabolism? meta-analysis It is mainly achieved in two ways:
First: Berberine stimulates the secretion of insulin via the AMPK pathway and secondly, berberine make the cells more sensitive to insulin againBoth processes play a role, especially in diabetes. In addition to berberine, The trace elements chromium and zinc are also essential for the normal functioning of our sugar and carbohydrate metabolism.
Berberine and Longevity
Studies show that berberine has Regulation of multiple signaling pathways and longevity pathways, including AMPK, NF-κB and sirtuins, has a positive effect on the body and longevity.
Berberine supplementation in C. elegans worms extended their lifespan by positively influencing the aging process. This effect was mediated by the reduction of cell stress and the increase in gene expression, which are important for longevity. In another study on worms Berberine improved stress tolerance of worms and thus also the life and health span. The results of these studies could be replicated in other organisms such as flies and mice.
These many animal studies paint a positive picture with numerous effects of berberine on the molecular Hallmarks of Aging. Although further human research is still needed, the prospect of improved insulin sensitivity, a reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation is very promising.
Berberine in phospholipid form (bioavailability)
When it comes to dietary supplements, especially herbal substances, bioavailability plays an important role.Ultimately, what matters is not how much of a nutrient you consume, but how much of this nutrient is actually absorbed into the blood (via the intestine)This is called bioavailability.
A bioavailability of 100% would therefore mean that everything you take in of the substance is also absorbed in the intestine. The decisive factor for bioavailability is the form in which the substance is boundAn example: Magnesium can be present as magnesium oxide or magnesium glycinate. Magnesium glycinate (among other things contained in our QNESIUM complex) but has a significantly higher bioavailability, so that more elemental magnesium is absorbed.
We can also observe the same effect with berberine! The innovative Berbersome complex from MoleQlar we therefore use highly pure berberine coated with a phospholipidlayerto increase the bioavailability of the molecule. The result: 10-fold better bioavailability than normal berberine capsules.
dosages of berberine
How much berberine is needed to achieve the health-promoting effects? This question is actually not always easy to answer. In human studies, different dosages have been tried, from 100 mg to over 6000 mg per day.
If you look at the studies on berberine and diabetes mellitus type 2, then a Daily dosage between 1500 and 2000 mg seems to be most effective. To achieve the full effect on Blood sugar parameters such as HbA1c, To develop the effect, the subjects had to take berberine for take regularly for at least 12 weeks.
An example, in a three-month study With a daily intake of 1500 mg berberine in type 2 diabetes patients, a 73 percent reduction in the HOMA index This is a value for the extent of the body's insulin resistance.
Conclusion
Berberine is a natural molecule that is mainly positive effect on blood sugar metabolism Even though it is often touted as a "natural Ozempic® alternative", the effect of berberine is slightly different. Taking berberine can help reduce the rise in blood sugar, especially with carbohydrate-rich meals.
In addition, berberine positively on various longevity pathways, such as the sirtuins fromIn animal studies, this has already led to an extended lifespan.
