berberine

Your gut is one of the most richly populated microflora ecosystems on Earth! It contains an astounding number of bacteria that are necessary to not only impact your digestion but your overall health. Research has demonstrated that the microflora contained in the gut impacts the function of the gut, immune system, development of diseases such as obesity and diabetes, and possibly most importantly, the gut microflora can be greatly impacted by what you choose to put into your gut!

Berberine is a significant component of many Chinese herbal formulas and for a good reason, berberine can have a significant impact on the microorganisms in the gut and thus the health of your body. The effects of Berberine on the gut has stood the test of time in clinical practice and now modern research shows it has a significant impact as an antimicrobial aagent against dangerous gut bacteria, parasites, worms, and viruses. Specifically, Berberine can significantly reduce Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Clostridium, Proteus, Shigella, Vibrio, and klebsiella. Quite an impressive list; many of these names probably sound familiar from warnings about food spoilage and disinfectant advertisements.

Importantly, berberine has demonstrated effectiveness in combating Escherichia coli diarrhea and other microorganisms that can negatively impact the function of the gut. While acting against all of these dangerous berberine has been shown to have no impact on beneficial species like lactobacilli and bifidobacteria (the stuff in your probiotic).

Berberine is thought to act topically and to be poorly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. This means that berberine might be able to modulate important gut bacteria levels without having any direct systemic effects. But despite the fact that berberine is not absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, it can still systemically affect your body because the microflora in the gut affect the entire body.

The benefits of Berberine are becoming so widely known it is rapidly becoming the “new tumeric”. Talk to your health care provider and ask if a Berberine containing supplement might be right for you.

Berberine has a long history of use in East Asian medicine. Research is now slowly bringing modern medicine around to recognize the many benefits of berberine supplementation. In hundreds of studies berberine has been shown to have effects on many important systems within the body. Yellow in appearance this supplement can be extracted from many different plants and has long been a mainstay of Chinese medicine.

Once ingested, berberine easily enters the bloodstream and travels to cells all over the body. One very important action of berberine is to activate an enzyme called AMPK, which is known as the “metabolic master switch”. This enzyme is found in all organs and tissues, thus berberine can help optimize wide-spread metabolic functions. A consequence of normalizing metabolism is the regulation of blood sugar. By helping your body metabolize more sugar more efficiently, berberine can significantly reduce blood sugar levels. In turn, this can lower high triglycerides and reduce the possibility of Type II Diabetes. Numerous studies have shown that supervised use of berberine has the ability to control blood sugar comparable to the common diabetes drug Metformin.

Because of its ability to increase metabolism of blood sugar and triglycerides, Berberine can also be effectively used to enhance weight loss. Unlike other weight loss supplements, berberine inhibits the growth of fat cells and improves the function of fat regulating hormones. Thus berberine improves overall body composition and significantly reduces fat in important locations, especially the waist Reducing fat around the waist improves other health markers, including reduction of aromatase, an enzyme that converts testosterone and DHEA to dangerous estrogens. So taking berberine can not only lead to a sleeker figure, but may reduce the potential for estrogen fueled cancers as well.

Berberine has also been shown to produce significant anti-microbial effects. As an antibiotic, berberine reduces the need for your immune system to create on-going inflammatory process to fight infection. If unchecked, a state of chronic inflammation can lead to excess cholesterol production, immune fatigue, depression, and metastasis of cancerous tumors. Indeed, berberine appears to hold a secret to regulating metabolic changes all over the body.

Appropriate use of berberine should take into consideration your current medical issues, current medications, and goal of treatment. The decision to include berberine in your supplementation plan should be made with a qualified provider. Just as there are many benefits to taking berberine there can also be some negative side effects if taken inappropriately. At Integrative Health Partners we are here to help you decide if berberine is right for you and to develop a supplementation plan to meet your goals.

Berberine for Gut Health