Article
Berberine: a review of the evidence and a practical approach for cardiometabolic disorders
Berberine is the main active compound of Huang Lian (Coptis), a herb used in Chinese medicine for centuries. This review brings together the modern research.
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Key points
- One compound, a whole network. Berberine influences blood sugar, cholesterol, blood fats, inflammation and liver fat at the same time. The paper explains why this combined effect may achieve more than each effect on its own.
- Comparable to familiar drugs. In head-to-head trials HbA1c falls about as much as with metformin. LDL cholesterol and triglycerides fall by about 15% compared with placebo; the paper sets this against the statins.
- High-quality evidence for eight outcomes, including eradication of the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori, body weight and BMI, and safety in type 2 diabetes. That is more than it may seem: across medicine, high-quality evidence is the exception and low- to moderate-quality evidence is the norm.
- Fewer recurrent colorectal polyps. The most important clinical outcome comes from a large placebo-controlled trial: fewer recurrent colorectal adenomas, a precursor of bowel cancer. The effect grew after berberine was stopped: almost seven years after the start, 43% of the berberine group were still completely free of polyps, against 18.5% with placebo.
- Promising, but not yet certain. Low- to moderate-quality evidence exists for, among others, PCOS (recently renamed PMOS), extra heartbeats and recovery after ischaemic stroke, each as an add-on to standard treatment.
The full paper explains how berberine works, what the research shows for each condition, how it compares with metformin and statins, and how to use it step by step in practice.
Questions from healthcare professionals about this paper are welcome at info@praktijkaanhetij.nl.
This article is professional information and not personal medical advice. If you take medication, consult your doctor before using berberine.