How Berberine Lowers Blood Sugar

The name Berberine may make you think of those roughly woven area rugs. No, I am not suggesting that chewing on a piece of berber carpeting (not the same berber) will lower your blood sugar.

Berberine is a naturally occurring plant compound that boasts impressive health benefits. Not only has berberine been shown to improve heart health, it may also assist in weight loss and lowering blood sugar.

What Is Berberine?

Berberine has a long and varied history. The compound, which is found within several different plants (including a group of shrubs called Berberis) and is yellow in color, has often been used as a dye. Berberine also has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat various ailments.

Modern science has finally caught up and is now suggesting that Berberine does offer impressive benefits for several different health issues, in particular type 2 diabetes. ¹

How Does Berberine Work?

After you ingest berberine, it travels along your blood stream and eventually gets into your body’s cells. Once inside, it binds to several different “molecular targets” and essentially, changes their function. ²

One of the main actions of Berberine is the activation of an enzyme inside the cells called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). ³ This enzyme, which is found in the cells of various organs including the heart, kidneys and brain, is so important, it is often referred to as a “metabolic master switch.” In other words, AMPK plays a MAJOR role in regulating your metabolism.

Berberine and Blood Sugar Levels

With the incidence of type 2 diabetes on the rise, we need more practical ways to combat the disease. As I’m sure you know, type 2 diabetes affects your body’s ability to optimally utilize insulin. The result is higher blood sugar levels, and, if left unchecked, diabetes can lead to heart disease, tissue damage, organ failure and even death.

The great news is, many studies have shown that berberine can significantly reduce blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. ⁴ In fact, some studies have suggested that berberine is as effective at treating blood sugar issues as the popular diabetes drug metformin. ⁵

There are multiple mechanisms that allow berberine to positively affect blood glucose: ⁶

• Berberine decreases insulin resistance, making insulin more effective.
• It increases glycolysis, helping the body break down sugars inside cells.
• It decreases sugar production in the liver.
• It slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in the gut, and
• Increases the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

In one study of 116 diabetic patients, just 1,000mg (1 gram) of berberine daily lowered fasting blood sugar by a whopping 20%. This means blood sugar levels went from diabetic to normal. ⁷

Even more astounding is the fact that berberine has also been found to lower hemoglobin A1c (a marker for long-term blood sugar levels) by 12%, and also improved blood lipids like cholesterol and triglycerides. ⁸

Berberine and Weight Loss

During a 12-week period, obese adults took 500 mg three times daily and lost an average of five pounds each. ⁹ Beyond reducing levels of triglycerides and cholesterol, berberine was also able to improve the production and utilization of hormones such as leptin, and adiponectin. This gives berberine the ability to reduce visceral (abdominal) fat.

Even better, berberine seems to be able to enhance brown fat activity. Brown fat is the good kind of fat that actually burns energy instead of storing it (white fat stores energy AKA more fat!). Obviously, anything that enhances brown fat’s function is going to have an impact on weight loss.

And, since berberine can reduce bad cholesterol, control blood sugar and help you lose weight, it is highly beneficial for heart health.

Final Thoughts

Do I think berberine is the be-all-end-all to diabetes management?  No, but I do think it makes a great inclusion into a common-sense treatment plan. What is that plan?

It has to start with diet. Changing your diet. Eliminating refined sugars and carbohydrates from your diet, increasing protein, and using healthy fats instead of carbs for fuel. Forget low-fat high-carb diets. Eat plenty of healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, and avocado.

Also, get moving. Exercise is simply a MUST if you want to be healthy, optimize your metabolism, and improve your blood sugar.

Since we now know there is a link between environmental toxins and diabetes, it’s important to keep your house as toxin-free as possible. Use a water filter and HEPA air filter, and research other ways to eliminate toxins from your life.

I also recommend for many people, along with these lifestyle changes, to consider adding berberine and other helpful supplements, like chromium and biotin to your diet.

Of course, it goes without saying that you need to speak to your own doctor about this first. Never stop taking medication or insulin without speaking to your doctor. He or she will be able to monitor your blood sugar levels with these changes and be able to safely taper your medication dose to match your blood sugar improvements.

Resources:

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[2] Yao J, Kong W, Jiang J. Learning from berberine: Treating chronic diseases through multiple targets.  Sci China Life Sci. 2015 Sep;58(9):854-9

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[4] Chang W, Chen L, Hatch GM. Berberine as a therapy for type 2 diabetes and its complications: From mechanism of action to clinical studies.  Biochem Cell Biol. 2015 Oct;93(5):479-86.

[5] Lan J, Zhao Y, Dong F, Yan Z, Zheng W, Fan J, Sun G. Meta-analysis of the effect and safety of berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipemia and hypertension.  J Ethnopharmacol. 2015 Feb 23;161:69-81

[6] Pang B, Zhao LH, Zhou Q, Zhao TY, Wang H, Gu CJ, Tong XL. Application of berberine on treating type 2 diabetes mellitus. Int J Endocrinol. 2015;2015:905749

[7, 8] Zhang Y1, Li X, Zou D, Liu W, Yang J, Zhu N, Huo L, Wang M, Hong J, Wu P, Ren G, Ning G. Treatment of type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia with the natural plant alkaloid berberine.  J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Jul;93(7):2559-65.

[9] Yueshan Hu, Erik A. Ehlia, Julie Kittelsrud, Patrick J.Ronan, Karen Munger, Terry Downey, Krista Bohlen, Leah Callahan, Vicki Munson, Mike Jahnke, Lindsey L. Marshall, Kelly Nelson, Patricia Huizenga, Ryan Hansena, Timothy J. Soundy, Gareth E. Davies, Lipid-lowering effect of berberine in human subjects and rats.  Phytomedicine Volume 19, Issue 10, 15 July 2012, Pages 861-867