BERBERINE - Amazing Benefits? or Worthless?

[Quixote1818]

BERBERINE - Amazing Benefits? or Worthless? Dr. Jason Pickel speaks more about Berberine and how it relates to blood sugar issues and diabetes, PCOS, Autoimmune diseases, Obesity, Kidney disease and Kidney stones, Concussion, Cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, Enlarged Prostate, Memory, IBS, IBD, SIBO, Leaky Gut, Infections, Liver issues, Reflux and Heartburn, and More... There are over 5000 + research papers on Berberine and its effectiveness. Find out more!

[DBoon]

1. here is what Wikipedia says:

Research and adverse effects

The safety of using berberine for any condition is not adequately defined by high-quality clinical research.[8]

It has a high potential to cause adverse effects, including adverse interactions with prescription drugs, reducing the intended effect of established therapies.[8] Berberine weakly inhibits the CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 enzymes which are involved in metabolism of endogenous substances and xenobiotics, including many prescription drugs.[9]

It is particularly unsafe for use in newborns and infants.[8]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berberine

[Quixote1818]

3. Here is Healthline's summary

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/berberine-powerful-supplement

Healthline gets a pretty good review on Media Bias: https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/healthline/

[rso]

2. Berberine

I’ve been taking it for about 2 years based on my doctor’s recommendation. I don’t have any specific health concerns, but I recently took a CRP blood test which measures General inflammation in the body and it was very low, which is great. Mr doc said that for optimal results, berberine should be taken along with vitamin k, I take the triple K vitamins. But I really can’t tell if berberine is effective or not because I’m only taking it as a preventative.

[Grasswire2]

8. congratulations on the good CRP!

The thinking of many integrative cardiologists is that it is inflammation that causes heart disease, not cholesterol -- cholesterol is considered a myth in that regard. And so keeping the inflammation low is very good.

I don't take berberine currently but I do focus on other anti-inflammatory measures. Four foods in particular:

Green tea
raw walnuts
Extra Virgin Olive Oil -- I just take it in a shot glass
Pomegrantes -- I drink four ounces of POM with seltzer water - delicious. Capsules also work.

Those four are recommended by Dr. Sinatra for good CRP numbers.

I also am taking folate for homocysteine, which is another cardiac marker.

I should be taking Vitamin K because of calcified mitral valve, but I just have resisted adding yet another pill to the daily PILE. LOL

I fortunately have one doc who will order any labs I want done. Kewl.

[Grasswire2]

9. I recently had another lab test ..

OXLDL

oxidized lactic dehydrogenase

Measures the likelihood of contracting metabolic syndrome.

Wasn't easy to find a provider for that, but local hospital sent it away.

[NewHendoLib]

4. here are the issues with pretty much all supplements

they are not regulated by the FDA - they don't go through controlled clinical trials. The actual dose of active ingredient - or purity - can't be confirmed under the current regulations.

Think of the store GNC - and the like - the supplement area of Whole Foods, etc - very expensive items with no confirmation of what is actually in the bottles.

Of course it is individual choice, but there is a huge placebo effect with this sort of thing that makes assessment of results pretty much impossible to quantify.

[orthoclad]

6. The American Botanical Council

aggressively pursues adulteration and false labeling. Self-policing by the industry.

There have been very many high-quality controlled clinical trials and published research on plant medicines.

Of course the scam artists have no conscience, e.g., the 10 million or so phony KN95s confiscated over the pandemic. Buy from a trusted source.

[Grasswire2]

7. I buy from sources I trust.

Life Extension, for example, which backs up its supplements with medical research studies (legit, not with any connection to the supplement manufacturer).

And Dr. Stephen Sinatra for heart health. Made a difference in my own health and life over the last fifteen years. He recently passed from pancreatic cancer (sob) but his books and supplements are still available.

Yes. Supplements are costly. It's very unfortunate that insurance won't cover alternative treatments.

[orthoclad]

5. I've used berberine

for some time. One advantage: it's found in native US plants like goldenseal, so we don't need to grow exotic and possibly invasive plants as a source.

I planted goldenseal as a companion to wild-simulated ginseng, hoping antifungal properties of goldenseal will keep down ginseng diseases.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldenseal

Pipeline construction kills goldenseal and similar plants. They don't like forest disturbance.

[Warpy]

10. As I read that incredibly impressive list of things it cures, I grew skeptical

and when I got to "leaky gut," I knew.

Save your money. Wait until some real research comes out. Sometimes that's what we need to do, no matter how desperate we are for some relief. Otherwise, we lighten our wallets for no benefits or worse, take stuff that can harm us.

I find "5000 research p0apers" unimpressive. Claimes like these are heavy on well researched anecdata, little data.

FWIW, I hope it pans out. I'd just wait until it does. Or doesn't.

[NickB79]

13. Same here

When someone starts talking about an untested drug or treatment that cures a vast number of widely differing illnesses, it sounds like the snake oil salesmen of a century ago.

[Faux pas]

11. Kickin'

[Faux pas]

12. I

started taking it about 2 weeks ago along with other supplements that I've been taking for months arthritis inflammation. The only prescription I take is thyroid. For every prescription any doctor has prescribed, I have found an herbal or supplement that works as good as or better. Since my blood work is always great, my doctors have always been impressed.

I've been using supplements instead of prescriptions since the early 80's. None of them have ever hurt me and almost all of them have made me healthier. Screw big pharma.