Berberine, a formidable and natural weapon against type 2 diabetes

The number of people with   type  2 diabetes is steadily increasing and the  International Diabetes Federation  predicts that the number of people with diabetes could increase from 285 million in 2010 to 438 million in 2030. This global increase is mainly due to the aging of the population as well as the growing evolution of obesity, poor nutrition and lack of activity.

Berberine, a potent plant alkaloid

Used by Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines, many plants are appearing in Western medicine. Among them, Berberis vulgaris, or barberry, which contains in its berries, a powerful plant alkaloid: Berberine.

This substance is usually used for its immunostimulant, antifungal, antibacterial properties and its ability to regulate intestinal disorders. It is now recognized that Berberine is a new weapon against  type 2 diabetes  and pre-diabetes states.

The action of berberine

By regulating a protein called AMPK, which in turn regulates energy metabolism, berberine plays a key role in certain metabolic pathologies such as  diabetes , insulin resistance, obesity or complications related to  diabetes .

The four main assets of Berberine:

  • noticeable lowering of  blood glucose ;
  • reduction of glycated hemoglobin levels;
  • rebalancing circulating levels of insulin;
  • lower triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol and total blood cholesterol

The most representative studies focus on the efficacy of berberine to approach that of metformin, a substance widely used in therapy for the treatment  of type 2 diabetes  and overweight related to glucose metabolism.

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