Managing your diabetes doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the enjoyment of the food you crave. The Diabetes Self-Management app offers over 900 diabetes-friendly recipes to choose from, including desserts, low-carb pasta dishes, savory main courses, grilled options, and more.

If you’ve heard of berberine, you probably know that it’s a supplement sometimes advertised as a way to help manage type 2 diabetes. But does it really work? Should you stop taking your diabetes medication and start taking berberine? Read on to find out more.
Berberine is a compound found in certain plants such as goldenseal, golden thread, Oregon grape, European barberry, and wood turmeric. It has a bitter taste and yellow color. Berberine has been used in traditional medicine in China, India, and the Middle East for over 400 years, according to an article published in December 2014 in the journal Biochemistry and Cell Biology. In North America, berberine is found in Coptis chinensis, which is grown commercially in the United States, especially in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Berberine is a supplement used for a variety of conditions. NIH’s MedlinePlus describes some of the applications for the supplement:
Berberine 0.9 g orally daily with amlodipine lowered blood pressure more than amlodipine alone.
Oral berberine may lower blood sugar, lipids, and testosterone levels in women with PCOS.
The Comprehensive Natural Medicines Database rates berberine as “Possibly Effective” for the above conditions.
In a 2008 study published in the journal Metabolism, the authors noted: “The hypoglycemic effect of berberine was reported in China in 1988 when it was used to treat diarrhea in diabetic patients.” in China for the treatment of diabetes. In this pilot study, 36 Chinese adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to take either berberine or metformin for three months. The authors noted that the hypoglycemic effects of berberine were similar to those of metformin, with significant reductions in A1C, pre- and postprandial blood glucose, and triglycerides. They concluded that berberine could be a “drug candidate” for type 2 diabetes, but said it needed to be tested in larger populations and other ethnic groups.
Most of the research on berberine has been done in China and has used berberine from a Chinese herbal remedy called Coptis chinensis. Other sources of berberine have not been extensively studied. In addition, the dose and duration of berberine use varied from study to study.
In addition to lowering blood sugar levels, berberine also holds promise for lowering cholesterol and possibly blood pressure. High cholesterol and high blood pressure are common in people with diabetes and can increase the risk of heart disease.
Berberine has been shown to be safe in most clinical studies, and in human studies, only a few patients have reported nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation at standard doses. High doses can cause headaches, skin irritation, and heart palpitations, but this is rare.
MedlinePlus notes that berberine is “likely safe” for most adults at doses up to 1.5 grams per day for 6 months; it is also likely safe for short-term use for most adults. However, berberine is considered “Possibly Unsafe” for pregnant or breastfeeding women, infants, and children.
One of the major safety concerns with berberine is that it can interact with certain medications. Taking berberine with another diabetes medication can cause your blood sugar to drop too low. In addition, berberine may interact with the blood-thinning drug warfarin. cyclosporine, a drug used in organ transplant patients, and sedatives.
While berberine does show promise as a new diabetes drug, keep in mind that larger, longer-term clinical studies of this compound have yet to be done. Hopefully this will be done soon as berberine may be another diabetes treatment option, especially before starting insulin therapy.
Finally, while berberine may help you manage your diabetes, it is not a replacement for a healthy lifestyle, which has more evidence to support its benefits for managing diabetes.
Interested in learning more about diabetes and nutritional supplements? Read “Can Diabetics Take Turmeric Supplements?”, “Can Diabetics Use Apple Cider Vinegar?” and “Herbs for Diabetes”.
She is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with Goodmeasures, LLC, and is the head of the CDE Virtual Diabetes Program. Campbell is the author of Staying Healthy with Diabetes: Nutrition & Meal Planning, a co-author of 16 Myths of a Diabetic Diet, and has written for publications including Diabetes Self-Management, Diabetes Spectrum, Clinical Diabetes, the Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation’s newsletter, DiabeticConnect.com, and CDiabetes.com Campbell is the author of Staying Healthy with Diabetes: Nutrition & Meal Planning, a co-author of 16 Myths of a Diabetic Diet, and has written for publications including Diabetes Self-Management, Diabetes Spectrum, Clinical Diabetes, the Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation’s newsletter, DiabeticConnect.com, and CDiabetes.com Campbell is the author of Stay Healthy with Diabetes: Nutrition and Meal Planning, co-author of 16 Diet Myths for Diabetes, and has written articles for publications such as Diabetes Self-Management, The Diabetes Spectrum, Clinical Diabetes, Foundation for Diabetes Research and Wellness. newsletter, DiabeticConnect.com and CDiabetes.com Campbell is the author of Staying Healthy with Diabetes: Nutrition and Meal Planning, co-author of 16 Diet Myths for Diabetes, and has written articles for Diabetes Self-Management, The Diabetes Spectrum, Clinical Diabetes, Diabetes “. Research and Health Fact Sheet, DiabeticConnect.com and CDiabetes.com
Medical Advice Disclaimer: Statements and opinions expressed on this site are those of the author and not necessarily the publisher or advertiser. This information is obtained from qualified medical authors and does not constitute medical advice or recommendation of any kind, and you should not rely on any information contained in such publications or comments as a substitute for consultation with your qualified healthcare professional to meet your individual needs.
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