Berberine protects against diabetic retinopathy by inhibiting cell apoptosis via deactivation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.
For people who suffer from glaucoma, eye pressure is a constant issue. Berberine could help; eye drops containing tetrahydrozoline and berberine relieve the pressure associated with glaucoma after a minimum of three days (x).
Glaucoma: eearly research says that using eye drops containing berberine and tetrahydrozoline for three days does not lessen eye pressure in individuals with glaucoma better than eye drops containing tetrahydrozoline alone.
Berberine is generally safe and well-tolerated and does not cause severe kidney or liver injuries when taken for at least three months. However, some patients may experience nausea and vomiting, which can be corrected when you stop taking the supplement.
The study demonstrates that sodium caprate could significantly promote the absorption of berberine in intestine and enhance its antidiabetic effect without any serious mucosal damage.
Taking berberine along with medications that lower blood pressure might cause blood pressure to go too low. Monitor your blood pressure closely. Berberine might slow blood clotting. Taking berberine along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.
Berberine can cross the placenta and may cause harm to the fetus. Kernicterus, a type of brain damage, has developed in newborn infants exposed to it. It's unsafe to take berberine if you are breastfeeding, as it can be transferred to the infant through breast milk.
Berberine slows signs of aging in heart cells, including decreasing cellular senescence – a critical state where cells can no longer divide and multiply (proliferate). Many beneficial effects of berberine require klotho, an anti-aging protein associated with extending lifespan and mitigating age-related diseases.
How long should I take berberine? Continual use of berberine can impact cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in the liver which may affect drug-to-drug interactions. Therefore, it's recommended to use it in a pulsed 8-week cycle with two to four weeks off, then starting again if symptoms have not resolved.
One study showed that patients with glaucoma taking a supplement that included magnesium—along with homotaurine, carnosine, forskolin, folic acid, and vitamins B1, B2, and B6—demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in IOP, as well as improved light and contrast sensitivity.
Prescription eye drops are the most common treatment. They lower the pressure in your eye and prevent damage to your optic nerve. Laser treatment. To lower your eye pressure, doctors can use lasers to help the fluid drain out of your eye.
Research suggests that berberine could be a promising treatment for several conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. However, more research is needed to show that it is safe to use as a treatment option. Berberine is a natural remedy that could be as powerful as some prescription drugs.
The majority of studies reported here demonstrated the ability of berberine to suppress monocyte mobility, modulate macrophage phenotype change, and suppress macrophage-derived foam cell formation (Table 2). The study results indicate the therapeutic potential of berberine to counter atherosclerotic plaque formation.
In another set of experiments, berberine (100 mg/kg) treatment during training trials also improved learning and memory and lowered hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and ChE activity [27].
A traditional Chinese medicine Berberine (BBR) extends lifespan at late stage and restores fitness and fur density in natural and accelerated aging mice. BBR down‐regulates p16 in senescent cells and ameliorates cellular senescence and senescence‐associated markers.
Recent evidence suggests that berberine inhibits the production of neuroinflammation, oxidative, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. These effects can further reduce neuron damage and apoptosis.
Taking berberine supplements regularly appears to lower total cholesterol, “bad” cholesterol, and triglycerides in people with high cholesterol. It works differently from today's standard cholesterol medications, so it may help treat people who are resistant to other cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Despite wide scale use as an herbal supplement, berberine has not been linked to published instances of clinically apparent liver injury.
This study showed that berberine, a natural drug with low oral availability, significantly ameliorated chronic kidney disease by altering the composition of the gut microbiota and inhibiting the production of gut-derived uremic toxins, including p-cresol.
The toxicity of pure compound is greater than the toxicity of plant extract or plant extract fractions. The sub-acute concentrations of berberine lead to altered liver function, gastric troubles, hepato and hematotoxicity, hemorrhagic inflammatory consequences, damage to immune cells and induced apoptosis.
Berberine (also known as berberine hydrochloride) is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid found in a wide variety of herbs, including goldenseal, barberry, goldthread, Oregon grape and tree turmeric.
All of this means that berberine is widely available in Australia and consumers can just buy it straight off the shelf.