Berberine For Diabetes What You Need To Know
Berberine is a diabetes supplement commonly used for treating Type 2 diabetes. So, what are the effects of berberine? Where is its usefulness? And what is the recommended berberine dosage for diabetes?
Berberine is a bioactive compound that comes from a variety of plants, including a group of shrubs called Berberis. Some plants that contain berberine include goldthread, goldenseal, philodendron, turmeric, European barberry, and Oregon grape.
Berberine is known as a compound with a high potential to help increase a users insulin sensitivity. It has been tested in hundreds of different studies to see its effect on Type 2 diabetes and cholesterol.
Evaluation Of The Expression Of Tlr
Cryostat sections cut at 67 microns. After 4% paraformaldehyde fixation and antigen repair, the tissues were treated with 3% H2O2 for 10 min, blocked with 1% bovine serum albumin for 1 h, and then incubated with specific primary antibodies against TLR-4 , NF-B , TNF- , and Mucin 2 at 4°C overnight. After washing, the sections were incubated with the secondary antibody for 1 h at 37°C. Finally, diaminobenzidine was added to the slides, which were then counterstained with hematoxylin. Pathological changes in tissue and protein expression were viewed under a light microscope with a digital camera. For western blots, proteins from tissues were extracted with RIPA buffer containing a protease inhibitor cocktail, and the protein concentration was determined by a BCA protein assay kit . Then, 40 g of protein was separated by SDS/PAGE, transferred to nitrocellulose filter membranes, and blocked with 5% nonfat milk for 1 h at room temperature, and then the membranes were incubated with the following primary antibodies against mucin at 4°C overnight. After the blots were washed, the secondary antibody was added and incubated for 1 h at room temperature. The immunoblots were detected with an ECL kit . Band intensity was analyzed using ImageJ software and normalized to the expression of GAPDH.
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Diabetes can be managed through oral medications. In addition to insulin, metformin, which is a sugar-reducing agent, is also a common treatment for diabetes. It is considered a first-line therapy for diabetes treatment and is often added to insulin. It is important to know the risks of taking diabetes medications. Some drugs can be addictive, so you must consult your doctor before taking any medication. Your physician can prescribe you an appropriate treatment plan based on your medical history.
Your doctor will prescribe medication and check your blood glucose levels on a regular basis. Your A1c level will be checked every six months and your cholesterol levels will be tested regularly. Your doctor will also look for any signs of retinopathy, which is damage to the nerves in the eye caused by diabetes. You will also be examined for any foot problems. It is important to see a foot specialist regularly. Your feet should be thoroughly inspected for damage to the nerves.
While the first two types of insulin are the most common treatments, diabetes can be treated in a variety of ways. Your doctor may prescribe medications to control high blood pressure, which can protect the kidneys. Other types of medication include aspirin and other types of anti-platelet drugs. If your doctor is concerned about your blood sugar level, you may need to try a different medication. Some medications can cause side effects. Your treatment will depend on what type of insulin you need.
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Effects Of Berberine On Fbg Level The Ogtt And Plasma Levels Of Insulin And Glucagon
FBG level was significantly higher in the IGT group than in the control group . The FBG level in the berberine group was significantly lower than that in the IGT group but still higher than that in the control group . Oral glucose tolerance, measured by the AUC, was significantly worse in the IGT group than in the control group . Furthermore, oral glucose tolerance in the berberine group was significantly better than that in the IGT group , although it remained significantly worse than that in the control group .
Figure 1 Effects of berberine on biochemistry parameters. Oral glucose tolerance test after 3 weeks of intervention. *P < 0.05 vs. control group, #P < 0.05 vs. IGT group. Fasting plasma insulin level. Fasting plasma glucagon level. *P < 0.05 vs. control group, #P < 0.05 vs. IGT group. Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance . *P < 0.05 vs. control group, #P < 0.05 vs. IGT group. Homeostatic model assessment of insulin secretion . *P < 0.05. Plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase . *P < 0.05. Blood urea nitrogen , plasma creatinine and plasma uric acid . *P < 0.05. Plasma levels of cholesterol , triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein . *P < 0.05. Control group , IGT group , and berberine group .
What Are The Benefits Of Berberine For Diabetics
As we mentioned, the benefits of berberine are diverse. They can include the following:
- You will enjoy lower HbA1c levels
If these are areas you are looking to improve, Dr. Ergins SugarMD advanced glucose support has 12 different ingredients to help you manage your diabetes a little bit easier.
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One Last Thing About Using Berberine To Manage Type 2 Diabetes
Berberine is a supplement that emerging research has shown can be effective in treating type 2 diabetes because of its blood-sugar-lowering properties. Its generally well tolerated and affordable, and it can be effective for some people, but its not without side effects and risks. Be sure to speak with a doctor and pharmacist before taking it.
Assisting With Weight Loss
Many with PCOS would say that losing weight is harder because of their condition. Weight loss is more difficult for many reasons, including increased insulin resistance and strong cravings for carbohydrates.
Berberine may offer hope to people with PCOS who struggle with their weight. Berberine has been shown to reduce the secretion of leptin, an appetite-stimulating hormone.
Berberine has also shown to be effective at assisting with weight and body fat loss by inhibiting the enzyme lipoprotein lipase, which is responsible for fat storage.
Many studies report weight loss, especially in the midsection of the body.
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Warnings For Serious Health Conditions:
How To Use Berberine
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Berberine Vs Metformin For Prediabetes And Mild Diabetes
Dr. Friedman has extensive experience with treating patients with diabetes at his county job. He is always looking for new agents to help control peoples diabetes as well as prevent people from getting diabetes, and he actually found a new agent for this that is actually quite old. This supplement is called berberine. Berberine is a Chinese herb that comes from the Coptis chinensis French herb, which has been used in China to treat diabetes for thousands of years. Berberine is available on Amazon or health food stores.
Diabetes and prediabetes are defined by a blood test called a hemoglobin A1c, which is often called A1c for short. An A1c of 5.6 or less is normal. An A1c between 5.7 and 6.4 is prediabetes, and an A1c between 6.5 and greater is diabetes. Dr. Friedman often treats people with prediabetes with different agents to help prevent them from going on to true diabetes.
Dr. Friedman experiences that berberine is quite well tolerated and probably better than metformin and works equally well if not better to lower the hemoglobin A1c in patients with prediabetes or early diabetes and also has the bonus of lowering cholesterol and has some anti-inflammatory and immune supporting properties. Dr. Friedman recommends a dose of 500 mg at either dinner or bedtime and that can go up to 500 mg twice a day with meals, depending on the effect needed. He usually does not go much higher than that dose, although 500 mg three times a day can be used.
Key Phylotypes Of The Gut Microbiota Modulated By Berberine
The dominant phyla were Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes followed by Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. Bacteroidetes were significantly increased, and Firmicutes distinctly decreased in rats with IGT , but berberine reversed these changes . At the genus level, treatment with berberine was associated with enrichment of Bacteroides, Oscillospira, Akkermansia, Aggregatibacter, Clostridium, Roseburia, and Eubacterium as well as inhibition of Prevotella, which was the main component of the IGT group . At the species level, the IGT group exhibited an increased abundance of Prevotella copri, a common Gram-negative bacterium in humans, and a decreased abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Bacteroides caccae in comparison to controls . Berberine improved the structure of the gut microbiota, as well as the abundance of Gram-negative bacteria .
Figure 6 Gut microbial compositions in the different groups. Phylum level. Genus level. Species level. Control group , IGT group , and berberine group .
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Berberine Slows The Progression Of Prediabetes To Diabetes In Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats By Enhancing Intestinal Secretion Of Glucagon
- 1National Health Council Key Laboratory of Hormones and Development, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital and Tianjin Institute of Endocrinology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- 2Department of Pediatrics, Cangzhou Peoples Hospital, Cangzhou, China
Background: Berberine is a plant alkaloid that has multiple beneficial effects against intestine inflammation. In our previous study, we have found that berberine also possesses an antidiabetic effect. However, whether berberine is useful in the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus through its effect on intestine endocrine function and gut microbiota is unclear.
Aim: To investigate the effects of berberine in the prevention of T2DM, as well as its effects on intestine GLP-2 secretion and gut microbiota in ZDF rats.
Results: After 3 weeks of intervention, diabetes developed in all rats in the IGT group, but only 30% of rats in the berberine group. Treatment with berberine was associated with reductions in food intake, FBG level, insulin resistance, and plasma LPS level, as well as increases in fasting plasma GLP-2 level and glutamine-induced intestinal GLP-2 secretion. Berberine could increase the goblet cell number and villi length, and also reverse the suppressed expressions of mucin, occludin, ZO-1 and the upregulated expressions of TLR-4, NF-B and TNF- induced in IGT rats . Berberine also improved the structure of the gut microbiota and restored species diversity.
An Epidemic Of Blood Sugar Imbalances
According to the CDC, nearly 84 million American adults more than one out of three have prediabetes, or metabolic syndrome, a serious health condition in which blood sugar levels are too high but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.
Ninety percent of people with prediabetes dont even know they have it. Prediabetes puts you at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity, autoimmunity, infertility, dementia, and other disorders.
In fact, high blood sugar is so clearly linked to Alzheimers that researchers refer to the disease as Type 3 diabetes.
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How To Take Berberine
According to Dr. Josh Axe, berberine should be taken two to three times a day. Generally, most studies have used safe dosages starting at 500 mg a dose. So, 500 mg two to three times a day is a good place to start. Take berberine with a meal or on a full stomach to avoid any stomach upset and to take advantage of the post meal glucose and lipid spike that often occurs. It is best to start with just one dose/day and increase slowly to ensure they can stay in control.
When you take berberine, please note that insulin may need to be cut back significantly, so monitor blood sugar frequently. Many diabetics have been able to totally stop their other pharmaceutical diabetes medications, with the inclusion of berberine. Be sure to monitor blood sugar regularly and consult your physician. Look for a berberine product with a standardized berberine extract so that the dosages and strength are consistent.
Berberine For Memory And Cognitive Function
Blood sugar levels, insulin sensitivity and diabetes go hand in hand with memory and cognitive dysfunction. In fact, it is now thought that high blood sugar and diabetes are connected to an increased risk of Alzheimers disease. Berberine has been found to enhance memory function in some animal studies, by preserving a brain chemical, acetylcholine, that is important for memory, focus and cognition. The result for berberine was improved learning and memory, along with lower oxidative stress.
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Histological Analyses Of Rat Small Intestinal Tissue
The distal ileum tissues from the rats were fixed with formalin, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned into 4-m-thick sections. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed following standard methods. The slides were observed under a microscope with a digital camera. The morphometric analysis of villi length and goblet cells was undertaken using Image-Pro Plus by a blinded investigator.
Why Take A Berberine Supplement For Diabetes
In addition to being used for centuries and centuries, it works with a cellular mechanism called amp kinase, and this is an enzyme that works as a partial signal switch, it helps you improve your insulin resistance, as it makes your body break down glucose better and faster as a result of that your cholesterol improves and as a result, your level of LDL improves.
Also, it improves the gastrointestinal flora by raising good bacteria and helps reduce the absorption of carbohydrates or the breakdown of carbohydrates.
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Metformin Vs Berberine For Diabetes
co-author of the best-sellers: The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix
Type 2 diabetes is fast becoming a real epidemic in civilized countries. The statistics show an ever-increasing trend of obesity, diabetes and its related complications like heart disease, kidney disease and peripheral neuropathy. Many experts are convinced that this fast-growing tidal wave of diabetes is the result of the global expansion of sugar, sugary soft drinks and major food corporations getting people addicted to terrible processed foods that are cheaper than most healthy foods and are heavily advertised to the masses.
However, type 2 diabetes has the potential to be completely reversed following dietary and lifestyle changes that dramatically reduce or eliminate sugar and starches.
Relying on lowering blood sugar with medication or insulin will not improve ones health, nor will it counteract the effects of diabetes. In fact, relying on medications to lower blood sugar actually does NOT reduce the risk of death from any of the related health complications of diabetes of stroke, heart attacks, infections, and kidney disease. Aside from the fact that diabetes drugs do not actually do anything positive for a diabetics health, there are many negative side effects, many of which can be downright deadly.
Berberine for Type 2 Diabetes Shown to be as Effective as Diabetes Medication
Berberine As A Daily Supplement
Hello
Ive read thoroughly about Berberine and its beneficial in literature..Still not sure if it can be used as a daily supplement?Any idea?
Hello , Welcome to Connect. You will notice that we added a few words to the title of your discussion to hopefully better describe the discussion for members who may have experience or information to share with you.
I really had not heard of Berberine until you started this discussion. I did a quick search and it does sound promising and has been a part of Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years from what I’ve read. I would still talk with my doctor or a pharmacist before starting it as a daily supplement in case there are any concerns of interactions with any other supplements or medication that I’m taking. Here are some of the articles I found that you may have already seen but still may be helpful for other members joining the discussion.
Everything you need to know about berberine: Efficacy of Berberine in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A New Therapeutic Candidate for Cardiovascular Diseases: Berberine:
, , and may have some thoughts to share with you on berberine as a daily supplement.
Have you talked with your doctor or pharmacist about adding it to your daily regimen of supplments?
Tony C, R.Ph.
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