Abstract
This brief review focuses on several studies that show the plant alkaloid berberine can lower blood glucose as effectively as the drug metformin at similar doses (500 mg 3x/day). Berberine acts on glucose metabolism through several mechanisms, including (AMP-activated protein kinase) AMPK and incretins.
Berberine
Berberine is a plant alkaloid found in Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal), Coptis chinensis (Coptis or goldenthread), Berberis aquifolium (Oregon grape), Berberis vulgaris (barberry), and Berberis aristata (tree turmeric). It has a long history of medicinal use in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. Berberine has a wide range of effects that include antimicrobial (against bacterial diarrhea, intestinal parasites, fungal infections, Candida albicans, yeast, and possibly methicillinresistantStaphylococcus aureus); anti-inflammatory; and cardiovascular.
Berberine for Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
Berberine has been shown to lower elevated blood glucose as effectively as metformin (500 mg 3x/day of each). Two studies on this topic were published in Metabolism.4 In study A, 36 adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomly assigned to treatment with berberine or metformin (500 mg 3x/day) in a 3-month trial. The hypoglycemic effect of berberine was similar to that of metformin. Significant changes were observed in the berberine group: