Botanical
Berberine
Berberine is a yellow plant alkaloid found in barberry, goldenseal and Oregon grape, and is mostly studied for blood sugar.
Also listed as Berberine Extract 10:1, Dihydroberberine, berberine hcl, berberine hydrochloride
Does it lower blood sugar?
A 2022 review included 37 trials and 3,048 people with type 2 diabetes, nearly all studied in China. Comparisons included berberine alone and berberine added to diabetes medicines. 1
Blood sugarMixed
Average HbA1c, a measure of longer-term blood sugar, was 0.63 percentage points lower. Poor reporting of blinding and allocation limits confidence. 1
How convincing is the weight-loss evidence?
NCCIH considers the evidence inconclusive: individual results vary and many studies have a high risk of bias. 2
Is it a natural weight-loss injection?
The German consumer advice service rejects this comparison; convincing evidence for the advertised GLP-1 effect is lacking. 3
Effects by health goal
Open an effect to see the studies behind its rating. Bars show the size of the effect; the letter grades the evidence.
Weight Management3 effects
The Effect of Berberine Supplementation on Glycemic Control and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Metabolic Disorders: An Umbrella Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials2023 · Systematic review / meta-analysisGlucose-lowering effect of berberine on type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis2022 · Systematic review / meta-analysisThe Effect of Berberine on Metabolic Profiles in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials2021 · Systematic review / meta-analysis
Overall and sex-specific effect of berberine on glycaemic and insulin-related traits: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials2023 · Systematic review / meta-analysisThe Effect of Berberine on Metabolic Profiles in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials2021 · Systematic review / meta-analysisThe effect of Berberine on weight loss in order to prevent obesity: A systematic review2020 · Systematic review / meta-analysis
The effect of Berberine on weight loss in order to prevent obesity: A systematic review2020 · Systematic review / meta-analysisThe effect of berberine supplementation on obesity parameters, inflammation and liver function enzymes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials2020 · Systematic review / meta-analysisThe effect of berberine supplementation on obesity indices: A dose-response meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials2020 · Systematic review / meta-analysis
Cardiovascular2 effects
The effects of berberine supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors in adults: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis2022 · Systematic review / meta-analysisEffect of Berberine on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Mechanistic Randomized Controlled Trial2021Efficacy and safety of berberine for dyslipidaemias: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials2018 · Systematic review / meta-analysis
The effects of berberine supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors in adults: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis2022 · Systematic review / meta-analysisEffect of Berberine on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Mechanistic Randomized Controlled Trial2021Berberine for the treatment of hypertension: A systematic review2020 · Systematic review / meta-analysis
Gut Health3 effects
Organ Function1 effect
A Comprehensive Insight into the Effect of Berberine on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): A Systematic Review2023 · Systematic review / meta-analysisThe Therapeutic Effect of Berberine in the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Meta-Analysis2016 · Systematic review / meta-analysisEfficacy of Berberine in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease2015
Other effects1 effect
Berberine in rheumatoid arthritis: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis of its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory mechanisms in animal models2024 · Animal-model review and meta-analysisThe Effect of Berberine Supplementation on Glycemic Control and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Metabolic Disorders: An Umbrella Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials2023 · Systematic review / meta-analysisThe effects of berberine on inflammatory markers in Chinese patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials2022 · Systematic review / meta-analysis
All studies
23 publications are linked to Berberine, newest first.
Lei et al. — Berberine and adiposity in adults with obesity and MASLD2026 · Six-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialBerberine in rheumatoid arthritis: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis of its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory mechanisms in animal models2024 · Animal-model review and meta-analysisThe Effect of Berberine Supplementation on Glycemic Control and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Metabolic Disorders: An Umbrella Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials2023 · Systematic review / meta-analysisBerberine influences multiple diseases by modifying gut microbiota2023A Comprehensive Insight into the Effect of Berberine on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): A Systematic Review2023 · Systematic review / meta-analysisOverall and sex-specific effect of berberine on glycaemic and insulin-related traits: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials2023 · Systematic review / meta-analysisGlucose-lowering effect of berberine on type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis2022 · Systematic review / meta-analysisThe effects of berberine supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors in adults: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis2022 · Systematic review / meta-analysisThe effects of berberine on inflammatory markers in Chinese patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials2022 · Systematic review / meta-analysisProtective effect of berberine against LPS-induced injury in the intestine: a review2022 · ReviewThe Effect of Berberine on Metabolic Profiles in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials2021 · Systematic review / meta-analysisEffect of Berberine on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Mechanistic Randomized Controlled Trial2021Effects of Berberine on the Gastrointestinal Microbiota2021Interactions between gut microbiota and berberine, a necessary procedure to understand the mechanisms of berberine2021The effect of Berberine on weight loss in order to prevent obesity: A systematic review2020 · Systematic review / meta-analysisThe effect of berberine supplementation on obesity parameters, inflammation and liver function enzymes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials2020 · Systematic review / meta-analysisThe effect of berberine supplementation on obesity indices: A dose-response meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials2020 · Systematic review / meta-analysisBerberine for the treatment of hypertension: A systematic review2020 · Systematic review / meta-analysisEfficacy and safety of berberine for dyslipidaemias: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials2018 · Systematic review / meta-analysisBerberine and inflammatory bowel disease: A concise review2016 · ReviewThe Therapeutic Effect of Berberine in the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Meta-Analysis2016 · Systematic review / meta-analysisEfficacy of Berberine in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease2015Yin et al. — Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus2008 · Three-month pilot; randomized active-comparator arm
Primary studies reviewed by the editorial guide
Yin et al. — Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Year
- 2008
- Design
- Three-month pilot; randomized active-comparator arm
- Participants
- 36 newly diagnosed adults in the randomized arm; a separate 48-person add-on cohort
- Findings
- Blood-glucose markers improved during treatment.
- Limitations
- Small, short study; the add-on cohort was not the randomized comparison.
Lei et al. — Berberine and adiposity in adults with obesity and MASLD
- Year
- 2026
- Design
- Six-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
- Participants
- 337 adults with obesity and metabolic liver disease, without diabetes
- Findings
- No significant reduction in visceral or liver fat versus placebo.
- Limitations
- One clinical population; secondary biomarker findings were exploratory.
Sources
- Glucose-lowering effect of berberine on type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2022 · Study record
- Berberin zum Abnehmen? Verbraucherzentrale