Berberine has been reported as a critical factor in promoting adaptive thermogenesis through activating BAT activity. Animal experiments showed that berberine (5 mg/kg body weight) administration increased whole-body energy expenditure by 20% without changes in physical activity.
Berberine can cause digestive side effects, such as: upset stomach. constipation. nausea.
In some people, supplementation with berberine has been reported to cause gastrointestinal side effects, including diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, and stomach pain. Due to its ability to reduce blood sugar, berberine may increase the risk for hypoglycemia in high doses.
The gastrointestinal side effect of malabsorption is likely the primary reason why berberine lowers post-meal blood sugar; the herb is not absorbed, and acts within the gut to cause malabsorption of glucose and potentially other important nutrients.
The effects of berberine can lead to decreased fat and sugar storage through increased metabolism of lipids and sugar. All these can result in a reduction in the weight of individuals who are overweight or obese and those with metabolic disorders.
Berberine might cause sleepiness and slowed breathing. Some medications, called sedatives, can also cause sleepiness and slowed breathing. Taking berberine with sedative medications might cause breathing problems and/or too much sleepiness.
Side Effects
Constipation. Gas. Upset stomach. Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar levels (This can happen especially if other blood sugar lowering medications are being taken in addition to berberine, explains Davis.)
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.
The effects of berberine are not immediately felt if you take it for only a few days. Instead, taking it for more extended periods is necessary to see its effects. Some studies suggest that berberine's effects can be seen when taking supplements for at least three months.
Emerging research suggests that berberine is beneficial for balancing hormones, especially when it comes to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Berberine provides numerous benefits for women living with PCOS, including improved fertility, weight loss, and reduced inflammation.
Berberine has a high risk of interfering with drugs, and some of these reactions may be severe. When high doses are used, gastrointestinal upset may occur, and because of its ability to lower blood sugar, it can increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
The usual starting dose of berberine for blood sugar control is 500 mg per day. The supplement should be taken with dinner or at bedtime. Your healthcare provider may increase your berberine dosage to 500 mg twice daily with meals. Sometimes, doctors advise taking berberine 500 mg three times a day.
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.
The results (Table 1) indicate that among these stimulants, berberine induces the most robust activation of glucose uptake and that its effects are not enhanced by the other stimulants.
These results suggest that berberine and diazepam can both play therapeutic roles by affecting the expression of insomnia-related genes.
Berberine has a bitter taste. Other side effects may include dizziness, fainting, headache, and muscle aches. Effects on the heart like low blood pressure, slow heart rate, and abnormal heart rhythms may occur with higher doses. Allergic reactions have also been reported with berberine use.
Depending on how healthy a patient's liver is, berberine's beneficial effects can persist for as long as 20 hours, meaning that a once-per-day dosing schedule is sufficient for most patients. When taken once per day, berberine is safe to take for at least 12 months.
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.
64, 65 A growing number of studies have demonstrated that berberine can affect mood by regulating plasma corticosterone levels. Palmatine, a quaternary protoberberine alkaloid, produced antidepressant‐like activity by decreasing plasma corticosterone levels.
Conclusions: Berberine impairs muscle metabolism by two novel mechanisms. It impairs mitochonidrial function stimulating the expression of atrogin-1 without affecting phosphorylation of forkhead transcription factors.
Berberine has also been found to specifically have an anti-aging effect on skin. First, berberine prevented TPA-induced ERK activation and AP-1 DNA binding activity, which can prevent skin inflammation and degradation of extracellular matrix proteins [41].
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 recommended dosage of berberine is 500 mg three times a day. It should be taken half an hour before meals. It does not cause severe side effects, so taking it on an empty stomach should be ok. But be careful, as it can cause some stomach problems.