According to a pilot study, berberine may be beneficial for patients with type 2 diabetes.
Berberine, a bitter-tasting, yellow, plant alkaloid, is present in the roots and stems of various plants, including goldenseal and Oregon grape. Berberine has been used medicinally in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for years; however, clinical data supporting its use for various conditions such as type 2 diabetes is limited.
In a study conducted at Xinhua Hospital in China, 36 adults recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to take 500 milligrams of berberine or metformin three times daily for 13 weeks. A separate group of 48 adults with poorly regulated type 2 diabetes was assigned to 500 milligrams of berberine three times daily in addition to their regular antidiabetic treatments. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were the primary outcome measures of the studies. Fasting blood glucose, postpradial blood glucose, trigylcerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were also assessed.
In the first study, berberine significantly decreased HbA1c by 2 percent. Significant deceases were also noted in fasting blood glucose and post-prandial blood glucose. Additionally, the berberine treatment group showed a significant decrease in triglycerides and total cholesterol. In the second study, berberine significantly reduced HbA1c from 8.1 percent to 7.3 percent. Berberine also showed a significant reduction in fasting insulin by 29 percent.
Although promising, additional research is necessary to confirm these findings.
For more information about berberine, please visit Natural Standard's Food, Herbs & Supplements database.
References
1.Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. http://www.naturalstandard.com/
2.Yin J, Xing H, Ye J. Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism. 2008 May;57(5):712-7. View Abstract
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