Weight loss has become a major focus for many, with new solutions like Ozempic gaining popularity for their effectiveness in managing weight and regulating blood sugar. However, there’s growing interest in natural alternatives, and one standout is berberine, often referred to as “nature’s ozempic.”
This compound, found in herbs like barberry and goldenseal, has been shown to support weight loss by improving insulin sensitivity, regulating blood sugar levels, and boosting metabolism.
Berberine For Weight Loss
Dr. Eric Berg did a deep dive on the benefits of berberine for fat loss and shared his insights on his Youtube channel, which has almost 13M subscribers. Read on to learn more.
“It’s not a plant; it’s a phytonutrient or chemical in various types of plants, and it has some very interesting properties,” he says. As Dr. Berg looked into berberine, he noted its “massive benefits” for various conditions, specifically blood sugar levels.
“They’ve done comparisons to metformin, one of the blockbuster drugs for type 2 diabetes,” and it was shown that “berberine gets similar results to metformin with fewer side effects,” he says. Dr. Berg states that there are side effects when you take metformin, which is why there’s a “black box warning.”
As far as weight loss, “berberine doesn’t directly melt any fat off your body; what it does is it goes deeper into the reason why people are overweight in the first place: it addresses insulin resistance.”
He says that it will help lower blood sugar, and this is important because blood sugar and insulin resistance are behind a slow metabolism and weight gain.
“Berberine even helps to activate vitamin D into the active form,” he adds.
That’s not all—berberine has been found to support longevity, exhibit antiarrhythmic properties, reduce the risk of fatty liver disease, and provide neuroprotective benefits.
But the most important thing that Dr. Berg wants to highlight is how berberine impacts the mitochondria at a cellular level. “Most health problems are related to the mitochondria. Berberine increases the number of mitochondria; that’s called mitochondrial biogenesis. It helps clean up damaged mitochondria… and cancers develop from damaged mitochondria.” Berberine will also allow the mitochondria to become more effective, allowing you to make more energy from the food you eat.
The bottom line
In conclusion, Dr. Berg says berberine is the “superstar of natural remedies and has very minimal side effects.”
He recommends taking it in normal amounts, such as 1 or 1.5 grams per day. He also notes that even though berberine is great for weight loss, “if you’re not exercising or not changing your diet and you take this, it's probably not going to do much,” adding that it’s best to combine it with a healthy ketogenic diet plus intermittent fasting and exercise.
