What is berberine?
Berberine is a compound found in a variety of plants, including goldenseal - native to eastern North American forests, to name one.
What is berberine commonly used for?
Although berberine is said to support blood glucose levels, however, it is less supported by research than many pharmaceutical alternatives. There are also claims it may support cholesterol levels.
Why don’t we sell berberine?
Goldenseal can be found on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, teetering on the cusp of extinction. The main risks to goldenseal are historic and continuing deforestation along with the unregulated wild collection. Despite this national and international demand for the plant is increasing at an ever-growing rate. For these reasons, we’re wholeheartedly against stocking goldenseal.
It is unclear what the long-term safety and adverse effects are from taking berberine as it has not been sufficiently evaluated - there are also concerns that it has high potential to interact with medications. If you are considering taking berberine we recommend seeking guidance from your health care practitioner before use.
What are the alternatives?
Cinnamon has been the focus of recent research that indicates that it may help the body maintain a more even balance of its energy reserves between meals.
Chromium contributes to normal macronutrient (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) metabolism, and to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels.
Plant sterols are useful because they block cholesterol from being re-absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream, and any cholesterol not absorbed is simply excreted. Although plant sterols are naturally present in vegetable oils and grains, modern diets tend to be low in these important nutrients, and so it may be difficult to always achieve optimum levels from diet alone.
Need FREE confidential nutrition advice? Contact our Nutrition Advice Team by clicking here.
Further reading… why not browse our Blog articles to find out more about how to support a healthy lifestyle.
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Keri
Keri Filtness has worked in the Nutrition Industry for 19 years. She is regularly called upon for her professional comments on health and nutrition related news. Her opinions have been featured by BBC3, Prima, Vitality, The Mirror, Woman’s Own and Cycling Weekly, amongst others. She has also worked one to one with journalists, analysing their diets and health concerns and recommending changes and additions, where appropriate.
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