Can I Take Berberine On An Empty Stomach? A Powerful Supplement

Berberine is one of the most beneficial and natural supplements available. It has some remarkable health benefits on your body at a molecular level. If we talk about some main highlights, then Berberine can result in weight loss, can lower your blood sugar, and can improve your heart health.

Only a few supplements are as effective as a pharmaceutical drug, and Berberine is one of them. Here are some details about it and the most commonly asked question: Can you take Berberine on an empty stomach?

What Is Berberine?

Berberine is a compound that is taken out from different types of plants and shrubs known as Berberine. It is a bioactive compound that relates to the alkaloid class and has a yellow color. Berberine has a strong history of its benefits in Chinese medication, which proved to be extremely beneficial in the treatment of various diseases.

Now modern science has acknowledged its unlimited benefits in the treatment of various health problems and ailments.

Read more about Insulin Herb Berberin Supplement >>

How Does It Work?

Due to Berberine’s unlimited benefits, it had been studied in different laboratories and had proven its results on many other biological systems. When you take in Berberine it directly gets absorbed in your blood and then travels to all your body cells.

When it gets to your cells, it binds with various molecular targets and will change their function. Its working is similar to the working of pharmaceutical drugs. The biological mechanism is a little complex but also diverse, therefore a little difficult to understand.

However, its primary function is to activate the AMP cell enzyme known as AMPK activated protein kinase. This enzyme is also famous as the metabolic master switch. It is found in various organs like kidneys, heart, muscles, brain, and liver.

Berberine also affects various other molecules inside your body and can even affect the switching of genes. It has a significant role in the regulation of metabolism.

Berberine lowers your Blood Sugar Level

Type 2 diabetes has become a severe and common disease in recent years and results in millions of deaths every year. Due to the lack of insulin inside our body or maybe insulin resistance, our body’s sugar level elevates. This high blood sugar level can result in damage to various organs and tissues of the body.

These damages can shorten the lifespan of that person. Many studies prove that Berberine is very beneficial in maintaining type 2 diabetic patients’ blood sugar levels. You can compare its effectiveness and work with one of the most popular drugs, metformin, which is pretty famous for its benefits in diabetes.

Berberine works through different mechanisms to give you the benefit.

• Decreases the production of excess sugar in the liver.
• It helps to hold up the breakdown of carbohydrates in the gut cavity.
• Increases the number of bacterial that are helpful in the gut.
• Berberine makes insulin hormone more effective and lowers insulin resistance.

Increases the process of glycolysis or, in simple words, it helps increase the breakdown of sugar in the cells.

One study shows that in fasting conditions, a single gram of Berberine reduces the blood sugar level by 20%. Thus you can say that lowers the sugar from a diabetic level to an average level.

Besides, it improves blood lipids like triglycerides and cholesterol and lowers the hemoglobin A1C level by 12%. A great review that involves the 14 studies explains that Berberine has the same effectiveness level as some other top oral drugs like rosiglitazone, glipizide, and metformin.

Berberine works even better if you adopt a little favorable modification in your lifestyle. When you take it with blood-sugar-lowering drugs, you can see even better and additive effects. When you look at the online discussion, you can see that several persons lower their sky-high blood sugar levels with this supplement’s help and are leading everyday lives.

You can see that this medicine is working not only in studies but also in life.

Berberine to Weight loss

Berberine is also helpful in weight loss, and studies have proved this point. 12-week research on overweight individuals shows that the intake of 500 mg of Berberine 3 times a day results in a weight loss of about 5 pounds on average. Besides, they lose about 3.6% of body fat.

According to researchers, the weight loss results due to the improvement in fat regulating hormones like leptin, insulin, and adiponectin. Though more research is going on its detail, it seems to stop the growth of fat cells at the molecular level.

Lowers the Cholesterol level and the risk of Heart disease

Heart disease is the most common cause of early death, not in a specific country but worldwide. There are several factors in blood that directly relate to the increase in the rate of heart disease. Berberine has proved itself in the improvement of many of these factors.

According to different studies it

• Lower LDL cholesterol by 0.65 mmol/L
• Raise HDL cholesterol by 0.05 mmol/L
• Lower blood triglycerides by 0.50 mmol/L
• Lower total cholesterol by 0.61 mmol/L

Apolipoprotein is among the leading risk factors. It is shown that Berberine lowers its amount by 13- 15% in the body. According to research, it works by restraining the enzyme known as PCSK9 that results in the removal of LDL from the blood. Berberine supplement improves the heart disease rate by controlling its main factors: obesity and high blood sugar level.

When you look at all the benefits of Berberine it is clear that it is beneficial in drastically reducing heart diseases.

Other Health Benefits of Berberine

Berberine has some other significant health benefits.

• Infections

Berberine has proved its beneficial effects in fighting against some harmful organisms like fungi, viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

• Heart Failure

According to different studies, Berberine proves to reduce the risk of heart failure in many people drastically. It helps them in dealing with their blood sugar level that is the primary cause behind Heart failure. These benefits need more research, but the present ones still show potential.

• Fatty liver

Fatty liver is the result of many diseases like “NAFLD” non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Berberine reduces the amount of fat build-up in your liver that will help you protect against these diseases.

• Cancer

Different animal and test-tube studies have explained that they can reduce the risk of various types of Cancers. Berberine stops not only the spreading but also the growth of cancer.

• Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory

In some studies, berberine supplement has some effective anti-inflammatory and antioxidant results.

• Depression

According to research on this supplement, it helps fight against depression.

Dosage and side effects

Commonly people take 500 mg 3 times a day before their meals. To maintain the sugar level, it is essential to take your dosage several times a day due to its half-life of quite a few hours. If you are currently using any specific medicine or have a particular medical condition, it is advised to talk to your doctor before using it.

Always consult your physician before taking Berberine if you are also using a specific medicine to lower your blood glucose level. When you talk about the side effects of Berberine it has an overall safety profile. But a few side effects are reported about it, and they are mostly related to digestion problems, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, flatulence, and cramping.

A 500 mg dosage is most commonly recommended to take at least half an hour before the meal and three times a day.

Some important Information

Berberine is among the very few supplements that are as effective as a drug. It has many health benefits, especially in the maintenance of blood sugar level. If you want to have health benefits, then there is a best supplement of Berberine we recommended that is Insulin Herb Berberine Supplement.

Among the people who use it, two patients with metabolic syndrome and diabetes are the most benefited. In addition to these benefits, it helps to protect you from certain chronic diseases and anti-aging supplements. If you are using this supplement, you will have gained the top position in your drug store.

I am saying this because I am taking a berberine supplement for the last two weeks and plan to continue it. I am also looking forward to having detailed research on this medicine as I am very fond of its benefits.

• How to take Berberine

The most commonly recommended dosage of Berberine is 1500-2000 mg daily. It will be best if you split it into probably three to four doses. Furthermore, it is essential to properly follow the instructions as taking a berberine supplement of about 500mg at one time can result in Gastrointestinal discomfort, stomach discomfort, and maybe a digestion problem.

• Take It with P-Glycoprotein Inhibitors

To help with Berberine, the Milk thistle is among the best P-GP inhibitors. To improve the results of Berberine supplements, taking something like P-GP (P-Glycoprotein) is effective and gives more benefits in the final results.

These P-Glycoproteins are known as the fancy protein machines that help prevent toxic foreign objects and other toxins from entering through the membrane and into the cell. Taking its small dosage can prevent the entrance of toxins into the cell.

According to research, these P-GP inhibitors such as verapamil or Cyclosporin are so beneficial that they increase Berberine’s absorption up to 6 times. If you don’t want to use them, there are still some commonly available herbs that play the role of P-GP inhibitors. These herbs include milk thistle, turmeric, and its extract, and quercetin. In addition to these herbs, there are some you need to avoid, and they include Green Tea extract and St John’s as they increase glycoprotein activity in your cells.

• How to Take Berberine With Food

Till now, many people think that berberine supplement has a low rate of absorption in your stomach. Though according to recent research, it is effortlessly absorbed in your stomach and quickly metabolized. It is the reason that blood tests don’t pick it up in high concentration.

• Can you take Berberine on an empty stomach? Is it right to take Berberine with food?

Though berberine supplement is easily absorbable and its higher doses have some side effects like cramps, gastro, diarrhea, and digestion problem. That is why it is always advised to take it either with a meal or at least 30 minutes before a meal.

There is generally no side effect of berberine supplement when you take it according to your doctor’s instructions. But you can have a problem if you try to adjust its dose by yourself without taking care of your meal timing.

Thus if you want to avoid your cramps or any stomach related issue, it is best to take it with food. Light and healthy fruits, vegetables, and grains would be best with it.

• Can You Take Berberine on Medication?

Are you looking for the correct way to take Berberine with medicine, then the answer is Don’t take it. Yes, you can’t take it when you are on some specific medication because it has the capacity to react with medicines.

Berberine supplements slow down your different body proteins that are known as cytokines. Cytokines play the role of communication in between your other body cells. All the cells in your body move and communicate using hormones, protein factors, cytokines, interferons, RNAs, and neurotransmitters.

It is clear that inhibiting a few numbers of cytokines for a few hours does not affect cell communication. But it can undoubtedly result in some medications’ improper functioning, and it can result in serious health problems. The most common negative interactions occur between some specific antibiotics and medicines that lower your blood pressure.

• Why Do People Take Berberine Supplement?

There are several different reasons and causes that make people take berberine supplements.  The main reason people take Berberine is to achieve their goal of healthy blood sugar levels, a supportive immune system, and a healthy weight. This article is all about helping you know about berberine supplements, their side effects, and their proper use benefits.

End words by the writer

In conclusion, I hope this article helped you get some latest updates about the berberine supplement and how to use it properly. It would help if you took the recommended dosage of berberine supplement of about 1500 mg daily but split it into four portions. It is best to either take it before 20 to 30 minutes in a meal or with a meal. By taking it with the meal, you can avoid specific stomach problems that result from it.

Berberine is a supplement that people use to maintain their blood sugar level, lower their cholesterol level, and Berberine to weight loss. As an analyst, I have tried my best to explain the correct way to take Berberine. If you are on medication or have some chronic disease, consult your doctor before taking any medicine.

FAQs

Does Berberine cause stomach upset?

Mostly according to studies, there are serious side effects of taking berberine supplements. It can be the result of some digestive problems like constipation, cramps, or nausea etc. In some people, Berberine can also result in rashes and headaches.

Is it OK to take Berberine with probiotics?

There are some bacteria present in probiotics that are very beneficial for health. By taking Berberine with probiotics might kill those probiotic strains. Thus it is better not to take probiotics with Berberine; otherwise, it will reduce its benefits.

Does Berberine suppress appetite?

Leptin is the hormone that works in stimulating your appetite. Berberine to weight loss is perfect as it helps lower your appetite and accelerate your weight loss. It also inhibits the enzyme lipoprotein lipase in our body responsible for the storage of fat in the body.

What is the best time to take Berberine?

It is commonly recommended to take the berberine supplement either 20 to 30 minutes before your meal or take it with a meal. But to avoid its side effects on the stomach and digestive problems like cramps, constipation is even better to take with a meal.

Why does berberine cause diarrhea?

Berberine supplement usually has no side effects, but sometimes it results in digestive problems like diarrhea, constipation, cramps, and some others. The main reason behind it is that it may not be absorbed and result in the malabsorption of many vital nutrients, including glucose.

Does Berberine kill harmful bacteria?

Berberine is a very effective supplement chemically derived from different plants such as goldthread, goldenseal, Phellodendron, and many others. According to the proponents, it helps kill harmful bacteria. Besides, it benefits in maintaining the blood sugar level, lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, risk of heart diseases, and cancer risk.

How does Berberine affect good bacteria?

Berberine does have a substantial impact on our microbiome. There is a vast initial reduction and an overall slowdown of bacterial cell division. It also has some adverse effects on potential pathogens like E.coli, Vibrio, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Vibrio, and Proteus, etc.

Does Berberine help with digestion?

Berberine is a formula intended to encourage intestinal health, reducing your bloating and gas by supporting your balanced gut formula. It targets and removes the harmful bacteria and ultimately promotes optimal digestion for your increased absorption of nutrients.

Does Berberine boost the immune system?

According to the research, berberines boost the immune system. According to them, there is a berberine sequence of chemicals that berberine use for communication in reversing your immune system’s abnormal response.

How do you increase berberine absorption?

Vitamin E TPGS is a vitamin E water-soluble form, and FDA approved food additive. This vitamin can boost the absorption of different drugs and supplements.

Does Berberine lower blood pressure?

Berberine is a good supplement that is essential for the improvement of various health markers. It lowers the blood pressure level, reduces your triglyceride and blood pressure levels, and automatically decreases your risk of heart diseases.

Related Reading:

• Insulin Herb Review Berberine Supplement