Berberine, an alkaloid prized in traditional Chinese medicine, offers powerful antidiabetic effects that, in some cases, work better than metformin for Type 2 diabetes
Berberine is an alkaloid found in plants like barberry, goldenseal and goldthread.[i] It's been treasured as an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times, with its earliest known medical use dating back to A.D. 200.[ii] If you have diabetes, or prediabetes, this is one compound to be aware of, as it has powerful antidiabetic properties.
In addition to anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering effects, berberine impacts carbohydrate metabolism, increases insulin sensitivity and decreases insulin resistance.[iii] Berberine is, in many ways, a natural alternative to the diabetes drug metformin.
With rates of Type 2 diabetes increasing worldwide -- by 2050, it's estimated 1.31 billion people will have diabetes[iv] -- antidiabetic compounds like berberine should be on your radar.
Berberine Works as Well as -- or Better Than -- Metformin for Diabetes
In 2020, there were more than 92 million prescriptions written for metformin,[v] which can lead to lactic acidosis -- a dangerous buildup of lactic acid in the bloodstream that's fatal in about 50% of cases.[vi] There is another option, however -- berberine.
In a study of 36 adults with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes, subjects received either berberine or metformin for three months.[vii] "The hypoglycemic effect of berberine was similar to that of metformin," the researchers found, with significant decreases in A1c -- a measure of average blood sugar levels over the last three months -- fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose and plasma triglycerides in the berberine group.
In the second part of the study, 48 adults with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes received berberine for three months. The compound was beneficial in this group as well, lowering fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose. Further, A1c decreased from 8.1% to 7.3% while fasting plasma insulin was reduced by 28.1%.[viii] Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol also went down.
Berberine's antidiabetic activity was as good as, or better than, metformin. The two performed equally for glucose metabolism, but berberine far outshined metformin when it came to lipid metabolism. The study found:[ix]
"Compared with metformin, berberine exhibited an identical effect in the regulation of glucose metabolism, such as HbA1c, FBG [fasting blood glucose], PBG [postprandial blood glucose], fasting insulin and postprandial insulin. In the regulation of lipid metabolism, berberine activity is better than metformin. By week 13, triglycerides and total cholesterol in the berberine group had decreased and were significantly lower than in the metformin group."
Berberine also significantly enhanced insulin sensitivity in the diabetic patients, which the researcher suggested may be due to alterations in fat distribution. While the subjects had no changes in weight, the berberine groups experienced significant decreases in waist size and waist-to-hip ratio.
A systematic review and meta-analysis involving 37 studies and 3,048 patients also found berberine significantly reduced fasting blood glucose, A1c and blood sugar two hours after eating.[x] The analysis also looked for adverse effects and found berberine to be safe, noting, "Treatment with berberine may be safe since it does not increase the incidence of total adverse events and the risk of hypoglycemia."
Berberine May Benefit 303 Diseases
Berberine offers health benefits beyond diabetes, as well. In fact, because it interacts with numerous targets in your body, it may offer benefits for multiple diseases at once.
"Berberine works at a cellular level and changes how cells work by turning things off and on," functional medicine specialist Dr. Elizabeth Bradley told Cleveland Clinic. "Its basic interactions involve so many different processes in the body."[xi] Other top reasons to consider berberine include:
1. Obesity -- Berberine has antiobesity effects[xii] and has even been dubbed "nature's Ozempic," referring to the popular diabetes-turned-weight-loss drug.[xiii] A systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 studies found berberine significantly decreased body weight, body mass index, waist circumference and C-reactive protein, a measure of inflammation.[xiv]
2. Cancer -- Berberine is effective against multiple types of cancer and is known to induce apoptosis and autophagy while inhibiting metastasis and invasion.[xv] Research suggests berberine may target pancreatic,[xvi] gastric[xvii] and ovarian cancers, along with leukemia, multiple myeloma and glioblastoma,[xviii] among others.
3. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) -- Due to its ability to positively influence multiple metabolic pathways and modulate gut microbiota, berberine is believed to be protective against NAFLD.[xix]
4. Heart disease -- Berberine's lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory effects make it useful for targeting cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). A systematic review and meta-analysis found berberine reduced National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score as well as C-reactive protein and intima-media thickness, a measure of atherosclerotic vascular disease, such that "berberine may be a promising alternative for CVDs with no serious adverse reactions."[xx]
But this is just the beginning. As noted by a review in Frontiers of Medicine:[xxi]
"Berberine can be used to treat many diseases, such as cancer and digestive, metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. Berberine has protective capacities in digestive diseases. It can inhibit toxins and bacteria, including Helicobacter pylori, protect the intestinal epithelial barrier from injury, and ameliorate liver injury."
Interested in learning more about berberine? Find out the many other diseases -- 303 in all -- that berberine may benefit at GreenMedInfo.com's comprehensive berberine research database.
References
[i] MedlinePlus, Berberine https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/1126.html
[ii] Toxins (Basel). 2020 Nov; 12(11): 713. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7697704/
[iii] Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2021;21(8):1379-1386. doi: 10.2174/1568026620666201022144405. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33092516/
[iv] The Lancet July 15, 2023 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01301-6/fulltext#%20
[v] Statista, Number of metformin prescriptions in the U.S. from 2004 to 2020, October 17, 2022 https://www.statista.com/statistics/780332/metformin-hydrochloride-prescriptions-number-in-the-us/
[vi] National Library of Medicine, Metformin Use in Patients With Historical Contraindications or Precautinos https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK409379/
[vii] Metabolism. 2008 May; 57(5): 712-717. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2410097/
[viii] Metabolism. 2008 May; 57(5): 712-717. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2410097/
[ix] Metabolism. 2008 May; 57(5): 712-717. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2410097/
[x] Front Pharmacol. 2022 Nov 16;13:1015045. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1015045. eCollection 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36467075/
[xi] Cleveland Clinic June 19, 2023 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/berberine-for-insulin-resistance-weight-loss/
[xii] Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy July 2020, Volume 127, 110137 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332220303292?via%3Dihub
[xiii] NBC News June 1, 2023 https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/berberine-supplements-what-to-know-benefits-risks-side-effects-rcna87065
[xiv] Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2020 Aug ;38:43-49. Epub 2020 May 6. PMID: 32690176
[xv] IUBMB Life July 31, 2020 https://iubmb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/iub.2350
[xvi] Front Med. 2020 Oct;14(5):564-582. doi: 10.1007/s11684-019-0724-6. Epub 2020 Apr 25. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36500723/
[xvii] Pharmacol Res. 2022 Oct;184:106440. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106440. Epub 2022 Sep 13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36108874/
[xviii] IUBMB Life July 31, 2020 https://iubmb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/iub.2350
[xix] Nutrients. 2022 Sep; 14(17): 3459. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9459907/
[xx] Phytomedicine. 2023 Apr;112:154716. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154716. Epub 2023 Feb 12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36805484/
[xxi] Front Med. 2020 Oct;14(5):564-582. doi: 10.1007/s11684-019-0724-6. Epub 2020 Apr 25. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32335802/
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario