The standard dose of berberine is 900-2,000mg a day, divided into three to four doses. Berberine should be taken with a meal, or shortly after, to take advantage of the blood glucose and lipid spike associated with eating. Too much berberine at once can result in stomach upset, cramping, and diarrhea.
They add that many studies suggest taking 900–1,500 mg per day, but most people take 500 mg three times per day. However, the AANP urges people to speak with a doctor before taking berberine to check that it is safe to use and how much they can take.
When taken by mouth: Berberine is possibly safe for most adults. It's been used safely in doses up to 1.5 grams daily for 6 months. Common side effects include diarrhea, constipation, gas, and upset stomach.
If you have taken more than the prescribed berberine tablets there is a chance of getting a harmful effect on your body's functions. Overdose of a medicine can lead to some medical emergency.
The standard dose of berberine is 900-2,000mg a day, divided into three to four doses. Berberine should be taken with a meal, or shortly after, to take advantage of the blood glucose and lipid spike associated with eating. Too much berberine at once can result in stomach upset, cramping, and diarrhea.
Current evidence from the literature suggests that an intake of 1200 to 1500 mg of the supplement is sufficient in effectively reducing weight, BMI and triglycerides and total cholesterol. Prolonging intake to more than three weeks to six months or a year might inform individuals if the drug is safe to take.
One study, published in January 2022 in the journal Cureus found that 500 milligrams (mg) of berberine taken twice a day improved study participants' hormone status and cardiovascular profile, as well as other factors involved in PCOS (like weight, BMI, fasting glucose and insulin ratio, total cholesterol) more than ...
Taking berberine along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding. Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, cilostazol (Pletal), clopidogrel (Plavix), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, ticlopidine (Ticlid), and others.
The mechanism for berberine extract is very unclear. For decades it has been a well-researched herbal treatment for intestinal infections, like Giardia, but it came with the warning to avoid long-term use due to the potential undesirable and antimicrobial effect in the gut.
The recommended dosage of berberine is 500 mg three times a day. It should be taken half an hour before meals.
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.
Results: Administration of BBR significantly inhibited histological damage to the pancreas and lung and decreased serum level of amylase and lipase, myeloperoxidase activity, cytokine production, and the mortality rate.
Can berberine damage the liver? Berberine may help prevent certain types of liver injury and is not frequently associated with liver damage. Berberine's effects on metabolism may improve liver function, prevent liver inflammation, and help treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Sub-chronic toxicity of berberine has reported to damages lung and liver by increasing alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), significantly (Ning et al., 2015).
Berberine's blood pressure lowering effects are helpful if you have high blood pressure. For some people, this effect could cause blood pressure to drop too low, which can be dangerous. As with any health supplement, it's best to consult your doctor before you start taking berberine.
The most effective form of berberine is berberine hydrochloride, which is the most common form of berberine found in supplements. It has been shown to have the highest bioavailability and absorption rate, making it more effective than other forms of berberine.
Sodium caprate was able to promote the absorption of berberine significantly at various intestinal segments (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01; Fig. 2). The absorption of berberine increased approximately about 1.5–5.2-fold, when berberine was co-incubated with sodium caprate for 90 min at concentrations of 0.2% (w/v).
Berberine ameliorates chronic kidney disease through inhibiting the production of gut-derived uremic toxins in the gut microbiota - ScienceDirect.
Findings revealed that treatment of 300 mg of Berberine three times a day for 12 weeks resulted in a significant reduction of 5.2 cm in waist circumference. Berberine has the potential to reduce belly fat after 12 weeks of treatment. Significantly, all participants did not change their lifestyle during the study.
While there is limited scientific research specifically focused on the timeline for berberine's effectiveness in weight loss, some studies have indicated that it may produce noticeable results within a few weeks to a few months.
Studies into how effective berberine is when it comes to weight loss have so far been small and the data is not conclusive. Two studies, which pulled together previous research, found that taking a 300-3,000mg oral dose of berberine a day is linked to modest weight loss – around 3kg.
Friedman experiences that berberine is quite well tolerated and probably better than metformin and works equally well if not better to lower the hemoglobin A1c in patients with prediabetes or early diabetes and also has the bonus of lowering cholesterol and has some anti-inflammatory and immune supporting properties.
In sum, the authors of this review conclude that berberine (at a dosage of 500 mg/day, alone or in combination with other supplements) could serve as an alternative for patients who are intolerant of statin medications, resist taking statin medications, or do not have a risk profile that indicates statin therapy.