The Truth About ‘Nature’s Ozempic’

What berberine can and can’t do for your health

A growing number of studies over the last 20 years – some of them within Petri dishessome in it miceand some small but encouraging tests people – suggests that berberine may help lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar. Researchers have investigated whether the compound could be particularly helpful for patients with diabetes, especially when used next to other treatments.

Berberine also has antimicrobial properties, meaning it can help get rid of harmful bacteria in the gut and help improve the overall makeup of your microbiome, said Dr. Yufang Lin, an integrative medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. Those antimicrobial benefits may play a role in how berberine can ease gastrointestinal distress.

But when it comes to weight loss, the studies on berberine are patchy and preliminary.

There have been very few studies of weight loss in humans, said D. Craig Hopp, deputy division director at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, and none have been robust. “There’s a touch of plausibility to it,” he said, adding animal models who declared the surcharge can lead to weight loss — but there’s a big gap between evidence and marketing, he said.

“It’s an interesting thought, but I don’t think clinically, it’s running out,” added Dr. Lin please.

The risks of taking berberine

Most people who take berberine will tolerate it well, said Dr. Ring, but it does have some documented side effects. People taking the supplement, even at standard doses, may feel nauseated and vomit; their blood pressure may rise and their hands and feet may tingle, said Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School who studies supplements. Berberine could also contribute to uterine contractions in people who are pregnant, said Dr. Lin.

But while the supplement itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, Dr. Cohen, he’s more concerned about the possibility that supplement manufacturers could add another ingredient, such as a stimulant, and that additive could cause harm.