A recently published comparison of many randomized controlled trials testing berberine, not directly focused on weight loss, showed a strong benefit in the body’s ability to process sugars— the A1C number that you may have seen on commercials. Their data also showed it improves insulin resistance, reduces inflammation and improves lipid metabolism. Improving the body’s ability to process sugars and fats should help people lose weight. The authors conclude that “There is strong evidence supporting the clinical efficacy and safety of berberine in the treatment of diabetes mellitis. This evidence backs up people who respond to the flush of interest in Ozempic by pointing to berberine as “nature’s Ozempic”– a whole-plant alternative to the injectable pharmaceutical compound.
As the New York Time’s take on the story sums up,
“Berberine is a chemical compound extracted from plants like goldenseal and barberry and often sold as a supplement, typically in capsules filled with yellow-tinged powder. The compound has been used in Asia for at least 2000 years, and physicians have long employed it to treat diarrhea and other gastrointestinal complaints. More recently, researchers have looked to berberine as a potential aid in treating conditions like hypertension and insulin resistance.”
–The Truth About ‘Nature’s Ozempic’; New York Times; June 7, 2023; Dani Blum
Berberine has a host of other benefits— it’s anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-parasitic– basically it’s a great system-cleaner. And some of these benefits seem to be amplified by other compounds contained in whole-plant medicines like our goldenseal tincture.
Plant Foods that Contain Berberine
This chart shows the plants with the highest concentration of available berberine. While there aren’t many of your everyday foods that contain berberine, there are some key herbs that have substantial amounts.
Ts, Gopenath & Kaginelli, Shanmukhappa & Basalingappa, Kanthesh. (2020). BERBERINE AND ITS PHARMACOLOGY POTENTIAL: A REVIEW. 7. 115-123.
Our goldenseal supplement contains 200 mg/mL of the active compounds of goldenseal which includes one of the highest concentrations in nature of berberines.
Be Careful with Weight Loss Pills (and why ours is trustworthy)
Hype around berberine plus people looking for an easy fix to a difficult problem is bound to lead to some companies adding stimulants or other additives to make people see results fast– even if it damages your heart in the process. Our supplements are pure, wild-crafted whole plants extracted with alcohol and mixed to a safe concentration with distilled water. We never use fillers or other additives. At Laura’s Herbal Alternatives, like with all of our home-grown products, including CBD, we keep it simple and clean.
