By: Adam L.
The idea that an ancient plant could help cure a modern disease is exciting.
Especially when this modern disease kills millions…
And especially when this plant has been studied 2,800 times and the results of those studies show it could help reverse one of the deadliest diseases known to man.
That disease?
Type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a modern disease that comes from elevated blood sugar levels that eventually lead to insulin resistance which requires people to take medications to normalize.
The disease is problematic not just because it causes people to rely on injections and medications to normalize their blood sugar levels, but also because it is associated with several other serious conditions, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis and more.
This is why it’s so important to get the disease under control.
And one of the best ways to do this is by taking a supplemental form of berberine, a natural blend of 5-7 plants from the goldenseal family.
Here’s How Berberine Helps Prevent Diabetes
Ancient civilizations have used berberine for thousands of years. They’ve used it for conditions as far-ranging as fatigue to diarrhea.
Because it’s been used so much and for so long, researchers have studied berberine in over 2,800 studies. And many of these studies show it has the power to positively affect how people process insulin.
This is important as a healthy body needs to be able to recognize the release of insulin appropriately so it can use blood sugar as a form of energy for many cellular processes.
Berberine has the unique ability to affect an enzyme known as AMPK, (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase). This enzyme regulates metabolism and controls how your body uses energy from glucose.
Affecting AMPK is actually how many modern pharmaceuticals (like Metformin) help to treat blood sugar issues. By turning AMPK “on”, the human body responds better to the presence of blood sugar and also becomes more sensitive to insulin, which keeps you from becoming insulin resistant (a hallmark of type 2 diabetes).
The way it works is pretty impressive.
Once berberine is in your system, and AMPK is activated, it generates biological signals that increase your metabolism, which activates processes that turn blood sugar into energy.
This results in improved blood sugar levels, better insulin sensitivity and a severely decreased risk of developing diabetes.
This is the basic biology behind how berberine works.
Fortunately, there are studies proving it really does improve blood sugar.
Studies Prove Berberine Helps Prevent Diabetes
Of the 2,800 studies on berberine, there are more than a dozen that show berberine is great at helping prevent diabetes.
Two of the most convincing were three placebo-controlled double-blind studies, that confirmed it would help improve insulin sensitivity which can reverse type 2 diabetes.
The first study was one by Chinese scientists.
In that study, 116 subjects were taking 1 gram of berberine daily. The scientists observed that when they took the berberine it did something unique and caused cell uptake of glucose to increase, which improved insulin sensitivity.
Something rarely seen before with a natural substance.
After the Chinese study, Spanish researchers repeated a test with berberine to see what happened with glucose levels.
In their randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial they discovered that all it took was 500 mg – 1,500mg of berberine (about 2 pills worth) for 3-6 weeks, to improve insulin sensitivity.
And blood sugar levels improved dramatically.
One more study in 2015 doubled up on what the other two studies had confirmed.
Dr. Wiggy Saunders, an expert on berberine and blood sugar, wrote the following about that study:
“In 2015, a group of Chinese scientists wishing to see how berberine helped people become more insulin-sensitive opted for a grueling randomized, parallel-controlled, open-label clinical trial.
Selecting 24 extremely overweight subjects, they split the group down the middle to see how berberine performed against a placebo.
Half got a placebo three times a day.
The other half were given 500 mg of berberine three times a day.
All it took was a few hundred milligrams of berberine a day to sky-rocket the overweight test subjects’ insulin sensitivity.
Those kinds of results are typically only achieved by extreme exercise and lifestyle changes.”
Because of berberine’s power to affect blood sugar levels as well as improve insulin sensitivity, Dr. Saunders and other physicians like Dr. Mercola and Dr. Oz recommend berberine to fight type 2 diabetes.
What Else Do You Need to Know about Berberine?
Not only does berberine help with blood sugar, but it’s also been shown to have powerful neuroprotective capabilities. Berberine is a proven nootropic which means it has the power to protect brain cells and improve brain function.
In addition to that, there are studies showing berberine helps improve cardiovascular function by boosting healthy cholesterol levels (HDL) cholesterol. It also lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) levels too, which helps with overall heart health.
It’s easily found in health food stores and it’s incredibly safe.
The only known side effects are diarrhea when intake levels are too high.
