What is Berberine?
Berberine is a plant compound found in the roots, stems, and bark of various plants, including barberry, tree turmeric, yellow root, goldenrod, and Oregon grape.
It has been used for generations in Chinese herbal medicine, but has only recently received attention, largely driven by social media, for its purported health benefits. Proponents of berberine use cite its potential effects on a variety of health conditions, including cholesterol, blood glucose and diabetes, inflammation, and even weight.
What does the evidence say about berberine?
Some may ask if there is any scientific evidence to support the use of berberine for weight loss. The short answer is no. Although berberine has been studied for many years, all available studies are small, of low quality, and often without an adequate control group or randomization. We should not draw major conclusions from these types of studies because they are prone to bias. This means that the results may be invalid or misleading.
There are also significant differences between the studies reported, including the dosage, duration, and formulation given to patients, so combining results from multiple studies is problematic.
There has never actually been any large-scale, high-quality research evaluating the effectiveness of berberine for any health condition. Therefore, we simply don’t know how well it works, how safe it is, or whether it has any legitimate role in treating disease.
The risks of accepting Berber
Like all herbal supplements, berberine is not monitored or regulated by the FDA, which presents quality and safety risks, and all patients should exercise caution when using herbal supplements.
Reported side effects of berberine include digestive symptoms (including diarrhea, constipation, and upset stomach), changes in liver enzymes, and potential risk to fetal health. Therefore, it should be avoided in women of childbearing age and during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Furthermore, berberine may affect the metabolism of other drugs, leading to decreased efficacy or increased risk. Therefore, it is important to understand that combining berberine with other medications can cause real problems.
Why do people call Berberine “Nature’s Ozemic”?
The truth is that there is no basis for this name other than marketing and/or inaccurate publicity. Unfortunately, the buzz on social media creates confusion and may lead some people to believe that ozempic and berberine share similar ingredients or work in the same way; this is simply not true. In fact, the two products are completely different. Ozempic is an FDA-approved, proven treatment for diabetes that has undergone rigorous scientific testing and evaluation in large-scale, randomized studies. Unlike Ozempic, berberine has not been scientifically studied and its effects on diabetes have not been proven. Therefore, the only thing berberine shares with Ozempic is social media advertising.
Why are we just hearing about Berberine now?
Although berberine has been around for generations, it’s only getting publicity now because of recent, misleading publicity. On the other hand, Ozempic and its sister drug, Wegovy, are relatively new and are getting a lot of attention for their powerful effects on diabetes and weight, earning them “game changer” status. Wegovy is the most effective weight loss drug ever approved for weight loss, so the attention is understandable.
Unfortunately, access and availability of these drugs are greatly hindered by cost, supply issues, and poor insurance coverage. Therefore, people logically look for alternatives. However, to be very clear, berberine is not similar to Ozempic and Wegovy and should not be considered a natural alternative.
Should patients use berberine for diabetes or weight loss?
In the absence of high-quality scientific data, we at True You Weight Loss do not recommend the use of berberine at this time. There is insufficient evidence to suggest that it provides clinical benefit, and the risks of unregulated supplement use are real.
Fortunately, there are many safe and highly effective treatments for diabetes and obesity patients, so there is no reason to turn to unproven alternatives.
Instead, you can consult with a board-certified obesity medicine physician to discuss the many medical and procedural options available to support healthy, long-term weight loss. Whether you’re interested in a comprehensive medical weight management program or a non-surgical weight loss procedure like endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG), the True You Weight Loss team can help you achieve lasting weight loss success backed by real science. and clinically proven research.