It can be used topically to treat skin conditions like sores, acne, and minor wounds.
Traditional Chinese medicine has used berberine-containing herbal remedies for more than 3,000 years.
That means some supplement products may not contain what the label says.
JR Bee / Verywell
Berberine may slightly reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
The researchers suggested blood sugar control as effective as metformin, a first-line treatment for punch in 2 diabetes.
Further study is needed to confirm these results.
High Cholesterol
There is early evidence that berberine can help lower elevated cholesterol levels.
High Blood Pressure
One study of people with hypertension used berberine daily with blood pressure-lowering drugs.
However, barberry’s effects alone on blood pressure remain unclear.
A recent meta-analysis suggests limited, weak evidence that berberine helps lower blood pressure.
Diarrhea
One of the most well-known uses for berberine is treating diarrhea and dysentery.
Research for this purpose goes back to the middle of the 20th century.
In one study, people with diarrhea caused byE.
colitook a single dose of 400 milligrams of berberine.
They experienced a 48% decrease in stool volume in the eight hours after treatment compared tothe placebo group.
The berberine group was also more likely to stop having diarrhea within 24 hours of treatment.
However, there’s insufficient evidence to rate the effectiveness of berberine for diarrhea.
What Are the Side Effects of Barberry?
No supplement is intended to treat, cure, or prevent disease.
There is no established daily dosage for barberry.
Some barberry extracts provide the percentage of berberine contained, but not all.
What Happens If I Take Too Much Barberry?
Recommendations for barberry supplementation typically fall between 2 to 6 grams.It is not recommended to exceed this amount.
Regardless of the amount ingested, monitoring yourself for any of the side effects mentioned above is always important.
How to Store Barberry
To maintain color and quality, be sure to refrigerate any whole-food barberries.
Storage instructions do vary for different products.
Carefully read the directions and packaging label on the container.
Sources of Barberry & What to Look For
Barberry is traditionally consumed in its whole food form.
However, barberry can also be purchased as a prepared supplement in many health food stores and online.
Keep in mind that dietary supplements are largely unregulated.
When buying supplements, look for products certified by ConsumerLab, U.S. Pharmacopeia, or NSF.org.
These organizations don’t guarantee a product is safe or effective.
However, they indicate that it’s undergone testing for quality and accuracy.
Summary
Barberry has been used for centuries in traditional medicine systems around the world.
Barberry is often to used to alleviate diarrhea.
Further studies are needed to show how effective barberry is as a treatment.
kindly be aware of this when you add it to your diet.
It is also used topically to treat skin conditions like sores, acne, and minor wounds.
Barberry may cause both common and severe side effects.
Common side effects include vomiting and diarrhea.
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