Berberine
- Effective dose
- 900–1500 mg
- Evidence
- 4/5· Strong
Last updated June 1, 2026
What it is
Berberine is a bitter yellow alkaloid extracted from plants such as goldenseal and barberry. It activates the cellular energy sensor AMPK and influences glucose and lipid metabolism, producing effects that have been compared to some metabolic medications.
Benefits
Berberine meaningfully lowers fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, and post-meal glucose, and also reduces LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides, with most trials using 0.9-1.5 g/day split into doses. It is most studied as adjunctive support in type 2 diabetes.
When to take it
Typically divided into 2-3 doses taken with or shortly before meals to improve tolerance and target post-meal glucose.
Side effects
Commonly causes digestive side effects such as diarrhea, constipation, cramping, or gas. Can interact with many medications via CYP enzymes and may lower blood sugar additively with diabetes drugs.
Sources
Products containing Berberine
No products in our database contain this ingredient yet.