Berberine - The Powerful Nutrient Partitioner
Metabolic syndrome is the combination of a number of health conditions, including high blood pressure, obesity, type II diabetes, etc., that contribute to cardiovascular disease and death.
Rates of metabolic syndrome incidents have been steadily rising in recent years, with as much as 35-40% of adults in the United States being diagnosed with some form of metabolic syndrome. Even worse, it's estimated that nearly 50% of people over the age of 60 have the condition as well. [16]
Related - Berberine for Overall Health: Benefits, Side Effects and Dosage
As the number of cases increases, so too does health care costs and prescription medications. Add all this together, and it makes for a very bleak outlook for those dealing with this disease.
However, researchers have uncovered an all-natural remedy that's not only safe and effective, but also better than pharmaceutical drugs!
We're talking about Berberine, and we've got a full breakdown as to how it can help you stay fit and even support muscle building.
it's prevalent in the roots, stems, bark, and rhizomes of a wide variety of plants including tree turmeric (Berberis aristata), phellodendron (Phellodendron amurense, barberry (Berberis vulgaris), goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis), goldenthread (Coptis chinensis), and Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium). [1]
Berberine's glucose-regulating properties were first observed back in 1988 when researchers were investigating its use as a treatment for diarrhea in diabetic patients. [2] what's really important to note is that berberine is one of the few supplements available with human evidence proving it to be as effective as pharmaceuticals. [3]
Now, let's find out how this wonder compound works!
The end result of this cascade of reactions is heightened insulin regulation and glucose transportation - two characteristics which pay HUGE dividends for building muscle and warding off fat gain.
Basically, it's better to have a bunch of small fat cells than a few really big ones when it comes to shedding fat.
Some research has shown that the powerful plant extract is able to increase insulin receptor expression as much as four-fold. [10] That's extremely remarkable for an all natural product.
Even more noteworthy is the fact that the patients receiving berberine also experienced a 23% decrease of triglyceride and 12.2% decrease of cholesterol levels. Not only is berberine great for weight loss, but also cardiovascular health too.
Berberine was shown to be more effective than Metformin (or placebo) at reducing waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol. [12] Furthermore, Berberine also increased HDL (good) cholesterol and Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) more than Metformin.
Clinical studies have shown that berberine can reduce liver fat content by about 50%. That same study also demonstrated berberine to be more effective than pioglitazone, a commonly used prescription for Type II Diabetes, at improving lipid markers and reducing body weight. [13]
Think of this as the 'quick reference' guide to what berberine does:
Fortunately, berberine has extremely low toxicity and no serious side effects, the same can't be said for prescription drugs. [17]
One thing worth mentioning is that high doses of berberine have been none to result in some minor GI distress (cramping, constipation, etc.). To avoid this, it's generally recommended to split your berberine doses across your day into 2-3 equivalent doses.
MTS Nutrient Driver provides the full clinical-backed dose of 1,500mg of Berberine HCl in two servings. Not only will you get the nutrient partitioning powers of berberine, but you'll also get a host of other glucose disposal agents including chromium picolinate, banaba, and r-alpha lipoic acid for optimal glucose disposal and blood sugar regulation.
2) Ni YX. Therapeutic effect of berberine on 60 patients with type II diabetes mellitus and experimental research. Journal of Integrated of Traditional and Western Medicine. 707;8(12):711?713. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3478874/
3) Lan J, Zhao Y, Dong F, et al. Meta-analysis of the effect and safety of berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015;161:69-81. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.09.049. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25498346
4) Liu L, Yu Y-L, Yang J-S, et al. Berberine suppresses intestinal disaccharidases with beneficial metabolic effects in diabetic states, evidences from in vivo and in vitro study. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2010;381(4):371-381. doi:10.1007/s00210-010-0502-0. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20229011
5) Yin J, Xing H, Ye J. Efficacy of Berberine in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Metabolism: clinical and experimental. 2008;57(5):712-717. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2008.01.013. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2410097/
6) Bhutada P, et al. Protection of cholinergic and antioxidant system contributes to the effect of berberine ameliorating memory dysfunction in rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Behav Brain Res. (2011)
7) Yang J, Yin J, Gao H, et al. Berberine Improves Insulin Sensitivity by Inhibiting Fat Store and Adjusting Adipokines Profile in Human Preadipocytes and Metabolic Syndrome Patients. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine?: eCAM. 2012;2012:363845. doi:10.1155/2012/363845.
8) Yin J, Xing H, Ye J. Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism. 2008;57(5):712?717
9) Cicero, A. F., et al. ?Antidiabetic properties of berberine: from cellular pharmacology to clinical effects.? Hospital Practice (1995) 40, no. 2 (2012): 56-63
10) Zhang, H., et al. ?Berberine lowers blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients through increasing insulin receptor expression.? Metabolism 59, no. 2 (2010): 285-292.
11) Hu, Y., et al. ?Lipid-lowering effect of berberine in human subjects and rats.? Phytomedicine 19, no. 10 (2012): 861-867.
12) Wei, W., et al. ?A clinical study on the short-term effect of berberine in comparison to metformin on the metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovary syndrome.? European Journal of Endocrinology 166, no. 1 (2012): 99-105.
13) Yan, H. M., et al. ?Efficacy of Berberine in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.? National Center for Biotechnology Information. PLoS One, Aug. 2015
14) Kulkarni SK, Dhir A. Berberine: a plant alkaloid with therapeutic potential for central nervous system disorders. Phytother Res. 2010;24(3):317-324. doi:10.1002/ptr.2968.
15) Lee YS, Kim WS, Kim KH, et al. Berberine, a natural plant product, activates AMP-activated protein kinase with beneficial metabolic effects in diabetic and insulin-resistant states. Diabetes. 2006;55(8):2256?2264.
16) "High Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome Found in U.S." ScienceDaily, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150519121529.htm.
17) Tang J, Feng Y, Tsao S, Wang N, Curtain R, Wang Y. Berberine and Coptidis rhizoma as novel antineoplastic agents: a review of traditional use and biomedical investigations. J Ethnopharmacol. 2009;126(1):5-17. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2009.08.009.
Rates of metabolic syndrome incidents have been steadily rising in recent years, with as much as 35-40% of adults in the United States being diagnosed with some form of metabolic syndrome. Even worse, it's estimated that nearly 50% of people over the age of 60 have the condition as well. [16]
Related - Berberine for Overall Health: Benefits, Side Effects and Dosage
As the number of cases increases, so too does health care costs and prescription medications. Add all this together, and it makes for a very bleak outlook for those dealing with this disease.
However, researchers have uncovered an all-natural remedy that's not only safe and effective, but also better than pharmaceutical drugs!
We're talking about Berberine, and we've got a full breakdown as to how it can help you stay fit and even support muscle building.
What Is Berberine?
Berberine is a naturally-occurring plant extract with a long history of use in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. Additionally, berberine has been used as a natural dye due to its rich yellow color.it's prevalent in the roots, stems, bark, and rhizomes of a wide variety of plants including tree turmeric (Berberis aristata), phellodendron (Phellodendron amurense, barberry (Berberis vulgaris), goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis), goldenthread (Coptis chinensis), and Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium). [1]
Berberine's glucose-regulating properties were first observed back in 1988 when researchers were investigating its use as a treatment for diarrhea in diabetic patients. [2] what's really important to note is that berberine is one of the few supplements available with human evidence proving it to be as effective as pharmaceuticals. [3]
Now, let's find out how this wonder compound works!
How Does Berberine Work?
Berberine is an incredibly exciting compound backed by numerous human clinical trials demonstrating its efficacy when it comes to enhancing glucose disposal. Berberine has the unique ability to increase an enzyme called Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK), while also inhibiting Protein-Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). [15] When AMPK is stimulated, glucose uptake in muscle cells increases via the GLUT-4 transporter.The end result of this cascade of reactions is heightened insulin regulation and glucose transportation - two characteristics which pay HUGE dividends for building muscle and warding off fat gain.
Additional Effects of Berberine
A number of other human and animal studies have uncovered several other mechanisms through which berberine enhances overall health, including:- Delays breakdown of carbohydrates into simple sugars [4]
- Improves memory and learning [5]
- Prevents fat storage [7]
Basically, it's better to have a bunch of small fat cells than a few really big ones when it comes to shedding fat.
- Combats diabetes [9]
Some research has shown that the powerful plant extract is able to increase insulin receptor expression as much as four-fold. [10] That's extremely remarkable for an all natural product.
- Enhances Weight Loss [11]
Even more noteworthy is the fact that the patients receiving berberine also experienced a 23% decrease of triglyceride and 12.2% decrease of cholesterol levels. Not only is berberine great for weight loss, but also cardiovascular health too.
More Effective than Prescription Drugs
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic and reproductive disorder frequently associated with insulin resistance. A study of 89 Chinese women compared the effects of Berberine and Metformin on a variety of metabolic and hormonal markers.Berberine was shown to be more effective than Metformin (or placebo) at reducing waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol. [12] Furthermore, Berberine also increased HDL (good) cholesterol and Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) more than Metformin.
Fights Fatty Liver Disease
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disorder brought on by prolonged intake of high-calorie foods (imagine living on supersized fast food all day, every day). A critical side effect of fatty liver disease is impaired lipid metabolism, which can lead to a number of issues including vitamin and essential fatty acid deficiencies.Clinical studies have shown that berberine can reduce liver fat content by about 50%. That same study also demonstrated berberine to be more effective than pioglitazone, a commonly used prescription for Type II Diabetes, at improving lipid markers and reducing body weight. [13]
Neuroprotective
Berberine isn't just about making you look better and improving your metabolic profile, it's also good for the brain too. Specifically, berberine may protect against certain neurological disorders including schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, cerebral ischemia, and even Alzheimer's. [14]Berberine Benefits
In all likelihood, your head's spinning from all the dense reading you just completed learning how and what berberine does in the human body. don't worry, we've distilled the science mumbo-jumbo up top into an easy to read list of benefits that berberine offers.Think of this as the 'quick reference' guide to what berberine does:
- Regulates blood sugar
- Improves glucose disposal
- Enhances glycogen stores
- Prevents fat gain
- Supports lean muscle mass
- Combats type II diabetes
- Limit weight gain
- Enhance brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity
- Protects against oxidative stress
- Lowers triglycerides
- Raises HDL (good) cholesterol
Dosage
Clinical research conducted in both humans and animals demonstrates that 1,500mg of berberine, split across 2-3 doses, is effective in improving blood glucose markers and controlling Type II Diabetes.Any Side Effects?
Click here to order Nutrient Driver: Make carbs great again!Fortunately, berberine has extremely low toxicity and no serious side effects, the same can't be said for prescription drugs. [17]
One thing worth mentioning is that high doses of berberine have been none to result in some minor GI distress (cramping, constipation, etc.). To avoid this, it's generally recommended to split your berberine doses across your day into 2-3 equivalent doses.
Best Berberine Supplement
So you're ready to give berberine a shot, and wonder where you can get the full, legit dose of this all-natural wonder?MTS Nutrient Driver provides the full clinical-backed dose of 1,500mg of Berberine HCl in two servings. Not only will you get the nutrient partitioning powers of berberine, but you'll also get a host of other glucose disposal agents including chromium picolinate, banaba, and r-alpha lipoic acid for optimal glucose disposal and blood sugar regulation.
References
1) Yin, Jun, Hanjie Zhang, and Jianping Ye. ?Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome.? Endocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets 8.2 (2008): 99?111.2) Ni YX. Therapeutic effect of berberine on 60 patients with type II diabetes mellitus and experimental research. Journal of Integrated of Traditional and Western Medicine. 707;8(12):711?713. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3478874/
3) Lan J, Zhao Y, Dong F, et al. Meta-analysis of the effect and safety of berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015;161:69-81. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.09.049. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25498346
4) Liu L, Yu Y-L, Yang J-S, et al. Berberine suppresses intestinal disaccharidases with beneficial metabolic effects in diabetic states, evidences from in vivo and in vitro study. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2010;381(4):371-381. doi:10.1007/s00210-010-0502-0. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20229011
5) Yin J, Xing H, Ye J. Efficacy of Berberine in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Metabolism: clinical and experimental. 2008;57(5):712-717. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2008.01.013. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2410097/
6) Bhutada P, et al. Protection of cholinergic and antioxidant system contributes to the effect of berberine ameliorating memory dysfunction in rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Behav Brain Res. (2011)
7) Yang J, Yin J, Gao H, et al. Berberine Improves Insulin Sensitivity by Inhibiting Fat Store and Adjusting Adipokines Profile in Human Preadipocytes and Metabolic Syndrome Patients. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine?: eCAM. 2012;2012:363845. doi:10.1155/2012/363845.
8) Yin J, Xing H, Ye J. Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism. 2008;57(5):712?717
9) Cicero, A. F., et al. ?Antidiabetic properties of berberine: from cellular pharmacology to clinical effects.? Hospital Practice (1995) 40, no. 2 (2012): 56-63
10) Zhang, H., et al. ?Berberine lowers blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients through increasing insulin receptor expression.? Metabolism 59, no. 2 (2010): 285-292.
11) Hu, Y., et al. ?Lipid-lowering effect of berberine in human subjects and rats.? Phytomedicine 19, no. 10 (2012): 861-867.
12) Wei, W., et al. ?A clinical study on the short-term effect of berberine in comparison to metformin on the metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovary syndrome.? European Journal of Endocrinology 166, no. 1 (2012): 99-105.
13) Yan, H. M., et al. ?Efficacy of Berberine in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.? National Center for Biotechnology Information. PLoS One, Aug. 2015
14) Kulkarni SK, Dhir A. Berberine: a plant alkaloid with therapeutic potential for central nervous system disorders. Phytother Res. 2010;24(3):317-324. doi:10.1002/ptr.2968.
15) Lee YS, Kim WS, Kim KH, et al. Berberine, a natural plant product, activates AMP-activated protein kinase with beneficial metabolic effects in diabetic and insulin-resistant states. Diabetes. 2006;55(8):2256?2264.
16) "High Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome Found in U.S." ScienceDaily, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150519121529.htm.
17) Tang J, Feng Y, Tsao S, Wang N, Curtain R, Wang Y. Berberine and Coptidis rhizoma as novel antineoplastic agents: a review of traditional use and biomedical investigations. J Ethnopharmacol. 2009;126(1):5-17. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2009.08.009.
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