Berberine

No summary available for this substance.

Berberine

Berberine is a bioactive compound found in a variety of plants including Berberis aristata, Berberis aquifolium, and Berberis vulgaris. It is a quaternary ammonium salt and is often used in traditional medicine due to its potential health benefits.

Category
Alkaloid
Molecular Formula
C20H18NO4+
Mechanism of Action
Berberine primarily acts by activating an enzyme called Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK), which regulates metabolism. It also influences various other cellular functions and may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Evidence Grade
B

Other Names

  • Berberin
  • Umbellatine
  • Berberina

Primary Benefits

  • Helps control blood sugar levels
  • Improves heart health
  • Supports weight loss
  • May have antimicrobial properties
  • Could improve brain function

Recommended Dosage

Adult 500mg 2-3 times per day
Child Not recommended for children

Side Effects

  • Digestive problems
  • Cramping
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Headache

Precautions

  • Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid
  • May interfere with metabolism of certain drugs
  • People with low blood pressure should be cautious

Interactions

  • May interact with anticoagulants
  • Can interfere with certain antibiotics
  • May affect the absorption of other supplements or medicines

Key References

  • Imenshahidi, M. & Hosseinzadeh, H. (2019). Berberine and barberry (Berberis vulgaris): a clinical review. Phytother Res.
  • Yin, J., Xing, H. & Ye, J. (2008). Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism.
Journal Club with Dr. Peter Attia | Metformin for Longevity & The Power of Belief Effects
Exploring Metformin's Potential for Longevity and Anti-Aging Benefits 1:19:32 0
“what I read was that berberine Poor Man's metformin could buffer blood glucose and in some ways make me feel less sick when ingesting all these calories in in many cases um spiking my my blood sugar and Insulin um because you're having ice cream and you know Etc and indeed it worked so if I took berberine and I don't recall the milligram count and then I ate you know 12 donuts I felt fine it was as if I had eaten one donut wow I felt sort of okay in my body and I felt much much better now”

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Journal Club with Dr. Peter Attia | Metformin for Longevity & The Power of Belief Effects
Exploring Metformin's Potential for Longevity and Anti-Aging Benefits 1:20:18 0
“one thing I noticed was that if I took berberine and I did not ingest a profound number of carbohydrates very soon afterwards I got brutal headaches I think I was hypoglycemic I didn't measure it but I just felt I had headaches I didn't feel good and then I would eat a pizza or two and feel fine”

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Dr. Peter Attia on Mastering Longevity – Insights on Cancer Prevention, Heart Disease, and Aging
Proactive Health Strategies: Preventing Chronic Conditions Through Lifestyle Choices 1:34:00 0
“So there was a systematic review and it was 2022 I believe, and these are all like we need this is this sparse data right a systematic review of what the existing literature was which isn't a huge body of evidence but um so there was a bunch of studies that looked at berberine and you know varying Doses and then looking at it in conjunction with statins or comparing it to statins or comparing it to a placebo and in it pretty much to me was convincing that it was beneficial in every in every single scenario.”

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Dr. Peter Attia on Mastering Longevity – Insights on Cancer Prevention, Heart Disease, and Aging
Proactive Health Strategies: Preventing Chronic Conditions Through Lifestyle Choices 1:35:18 0
“berberine is kind of a poor man's metformin.”

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NMN, NR, Resveratrol, Metformin & Other Longevity Molecules | Lifespan with Dr. David Sinclair #4
Exploring Longevity Molecules and Health Benefits for Lifespan Extension 8:10 0
“And so we're going to talk about NAD boosters. We're going to talk about Metformin, berberine, rapamycin, spermidine, resveratrol, fisetin and quercetin, and probably a few others.”

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NMN, NR, Resveratrol, Metformin & Other Longevity Molecules | Lifespan with Dr. David Sinclair #4
Exploring Longevity Molecules and Health Benefits for Lifespan Extension 1:00:47 0
“That's berberine. - That's right. This is a molecule from the plant world bark and roots. You can find it's a yellow substance. Again, it's fairly insoluble. So if you want to take it, take it with some food.”

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NMN, NR, Resveratrol, Metformin & Other Longevity Molecules | Lifespan with Dr. David Sinclair #4
Exploring Longevity Molecules and Health Benefits for Lifespan Extension 1:01:05 0
“Specifically what it does, is it, again, it binds to this complex one and reduces chemical energy in the body. And in reaction this mitohormesis is to amplify up mitochondria and make the body more sensitive to insulin and lower the blood glucose.”

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NMN, NR, Resveratrol, Metformin & Other Longevity Molecules | Lifespan with Dr. David Sinclair #4
Exploring Longevity Molecules and Health Benefits for Lifespan Extension 1:01:47 0
“In mice berberine will extend the lifespan of mice treated with chemotherapy and have a pretty big lifespan extension of normally aged mice. That's also true in fruit flies.”

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The Shady Reality of the $Billion Supplement Industry | The Dr. Hyman Show
Understanding Supplement Quality, Nutrition Myths, and Modern Health Realities 52:19 0
“Bourberine's a good one.”

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Intermittent Fasting to Improve Health, Cognition & Longevity | Dr. Satchin Panda
Optimize Health and Longevity Through Timed Nutritional Strategies for Rhythms 2:32:38 0
“berberine is kind of the Poor Man's metformin it's a tree bark extract that also dramatically lowers blood glucose”

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Intermittent Fasting to Improve Health, Cognition & Longevity | Dr. Satchin Panda
Optimize Health and Longevity Through Timed Nutritional Strategies for Rhythms 2:38:00 0
“berberine when ingested with carbohydrates in particular carbohydrates to have a lot of simple sugars definitely I know this because I measured my blood glucose I did the experiment allows you to flatten out your blood glucose response”

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Intermittent Fasting to Improve Health, Cognition & Longevity | Dr. Satchin Panda
Optimize Health and Longevity Through Timed Nutritional Strategies for Rhythms 2:38:34 0
“when I took berberine and did not ingest large amounts of simple sugars or carbohydrates along with it I experienced profound hypoglycemia I felt like complete garbage for about eight hours and I had one of the worst headaches of my life”

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Breaking Bad Habits & Living Your Best Life – Dr Andrew Huberman (4K)
Optimizing Health and Functionality Through Sleep and Rhythm Management 2:22:36 0
“I don't take rapamycin, I don't take Metformin, I don't even take berberine which is poorman's metformin it um makes me very hypoglycemic for reasons that make total sense based on the mechanisms of metformin and berberine”

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Breaking Bad Habits & Living Your Best Life – Dr Andrew Huberman (4K)
Optimizing Health and Functionality Through Sleep and Rhythm Management 2:25:45 0
“if I take 500 milligrams of berberine first I feel fine otherwise I feel like my eyes get blurry and I want to pass out.”

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Dr. David Sinclair: The Biology of Slowing & Reversing Aging
Strategies to Slow Aging and Optimize Health for Longevity 47:50 0
“Berberine is a substance that comes from Tree Barco.”

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Dr. David Sinclair: The Biology of Slowing & Reversing Aging
Strategies to Slow Aging and Optimize Health for Longevity 49:52 0
“berberine does have wonderful effects on the metabolism of animals and in some clinical trials on dozens of people that's being tested.”

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