Berberine - A Natural Answer to Diabetes

Berberine – A Powerful Supplement With Many Benefits
Berberine is a supplement that has been linked with several health benefits.
It’s been shown to lower blood sugar, increase weight loss, and improve heart health.
Berberine may also aid in the treatment of conditions like depression or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
This video takes an in-depth look at berberine, how it works, and how it can impact your health.
What is berberine?
Berberine is a bioactive compound that can be extracted from several different plants, including a group of shrubs called Berberis.
It belongs to a class of compounds called alkaloids.
Berberine has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine, where it was used to treat different ailments.
Modern science has confirmed that it has impressive benefits for many different health problems.
How does it work?
Berberine has now been tested in hundreds of different studies.
One of the main actions of berberine is to activate an enzyme inside cells called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), according to some studies.
This enzyme plays a key role in regulating metabolism and energy level.
Berberine also affects molecules inside cells and may even affect which genes are turned on or off. This could help protect against many chronic conditions.
It reduces blood sugar levels
There are studies that show that berberine can significantly reduce blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
It seems to work via multiple different mechanisms and may help:
• decrease insulin resistance, making the blood sugar lowering hormone insulin more effective
• increase glycolysis, which helps the body to break down sugar inside cells
• decrease sugar production in the liver
• slow the breakdown of carbohydrates in the gut
• increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut
A study conducted in 2008 involving 116 people with diabetes, taking 1 gram of berberine daily lowered fasting blood sugar by 20%.
It also lowered A1c, which is a marker of long-term blood sugar control, by 12% and improved blood lipids like cholesterol and triglycerides.
According to an older study, berberine has shown that it may be as effective as certain oral diabetes drugs, including glipizide, metformin, and rosiglitazone.
It works very well with lifestyle modifications and has additive effects when administered with other blood sugar lowering drugs.
Berberine may help you lose weight
Berberine may also be an effective weight loss supplement.
In a study conducted over a 12-week period involving people with obesity, taking 500 milligrams of berberine three times daily, led to an average 5-pound loss of weight. The participants of the study also reduced their body fat percentage by 3.6%.
Berberine also appears to inhibit the growth of fat cells at the cellular level, which promotes weight loss.
It lowers cholesterol and may reduce your risk of heart disease
Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death worldwide.
As it turns out, berberine may improve heart health.
According to a review of over a dozen studies, berberine could help:
• lower total cholesterol
• lower LDL (which is bad) cholesterol
• lower blood triglycerides (Which is Fat in the blood)
• And increase HDL (which is good) cholesterol
It's been shown to lower apolipoprotein B by 13-15% in some studies, which is a significant risk factor regarding heart disease.
According to some research, berberine works by inhibiting an enzyme called PCSK9. This leads to more LDL cholesterol being removed from the bloodstream.
Diabetes, elevated blood sugar levels, and obesity are major risk factors for heart disease. All of which seem to be improved with Berberine.