Best Berberine Supplements At A Glance
Great Value, Third Party Lab Tested
Double Wood Supplements Berberine
Double Wood’s berberine is manufactured in the USA, third-party lab tested and is made by a well-established, trustworthy brand.
Best Value, Highly Potent
Nootropics Depot Berberine HCL Powder
If you’re looking for a highly bioavailable, extremely potent berberine supplement that’s also a great value, then this powder should be the best fit for you.
High Bioavailability Capsules
Enzymedica Berberine
This product contains Berberine HCl and is provided in a targeted delivery capsule to enhance its bioavailability even further.
Trustworthy Brand
Thorne Research Berberine
Thorne Research is one of the most trusted companies in the wellness industry, and we recommend their products whenever possible.
Superior Absorption
Toniiq Berberine
Toniiq’s supplements are among the purest and most bioavailable today.
Best Berberine Stack
Dr. Whitaker’s Berberine GlucoGold+
In addition to berberine, it also includes cinnamon and chromium. Cinnamon ensures normal insulin sensitivity while chromium improves bioavailability.
First: Who am I, and why did we write this article?
I’m Dusan Stojanovic, and I’m a UK-based freelance writer who specializes in research in biology and nutrition. I’m also a medical student, studying to take care of people and help them optimize their well-being with personalized recommendations for what to eat, how to exercise, and how best to calibrate their nutritional routine. I specialize in writing about nootropics and other strategies for optimizing your focus, energy, and cognition..
We published this article because we noticed the growing interest in berberine and berberine for blood glucode, and wanted to create the most comprehensive source of information online about the subject, because it also happened to be in our wheelhouse. The Unwinder strives to publish high-quality, trustworthy information about ‘new wellness’ that its readers can use as a reference for making decisions about how they can best optimize their health.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Berberine is a bioactive compound usually extracted from the shrubs of the genus Berberis, commonly known as barberries. Taken as a supplement, berberine has been shown to reduce insulin resistance and improve biomarkers of type 2 diabetes. In fact, berberine may be as strong as prescription drugs used for the same purpose.
Berberine has the ability to switch a metabolic enzyme called AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) on. This enzyme is involved in controlling the use of glucose and fatty acids for energy. Berberine’s mechanism of action, therefore, helps regulate fat and sugar levels in the body.
Benefits Of Berberine
In short, berberine improves every parameter associated with insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, cells in the pancreas develop resistance to increasing blood glucose levels by refusing to respond to insulin — an important hormone for reducing glucose levels.
A systematic review found that berberine strongly decreases blood glucose, and also causes a small but consistent decrease in insulin levels. Similarly, a study found that berberine increases insulin sensitivity, reducing insulin resistance.
That same review found that berberine also lowers hba1c, or glycated hemoglobin — a marker of excessive blood sugar levels.
If you have consistent high blood glucose levels, over time this can damage your health, including causing peripheral neuropathy and severe dehydration, so berberine’s ability to improve glucose metabolism is very promising.
Berberine also lowers total cholesterol and restores a healthy triglyceride balance by decreasing LDLs and slightly increasing HDL cholesterol. This reduces the risk of cholesterol building up in your arteries and decreases the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease.
All in all, berberine is comparable in effectiveness to metformin and glibenclamide, the first-line prescription drugs for fighting type 2 diabetes. Based on studies, the optimal dosage of berberine seems to be 500 mg, taken 2-4 times a day before each meal.
Best Brand Of Berberine
When reviewing berberine supplements, there are several important factors to consider, including:
- Quality and Purity: Look for berberine supplements that are of high quality and purity. Check for third-party certifications, such as USP or NSF, that ensure the product meets certain standards of quality and purity.
- Dosage: Check the dosage of berberine in the supplement. The dosage can vary widely between products, so it’s important to make sure you are taking a safe and effective amount.
- Form: Berberine supplements come in various forms, such as capsules, tablets, and powders. Consider which form is most convenient for you and which form is likely to be most effective.
- Brand reputation: Check the reputation of the brand you are considering. Look for brands that are well-known and reputable in the wellness industry.
- Potential side effects: Berberine supplements may have some potential side effects, including digestive issues, headache, and low blood pressure. Consider the potential side effects and consult with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.
- Scientific evidence: Look for scientific evidence supporting the use of berberine supplements for your specific health concern. While there is some evidence to support the use of berberine for certain health conditions, more research is needed to fully understand its effects.
Still wondering what some of the best brands for berberine are? Let’s quickly review 3 of the best berberine supplement brands and discuss why these brands are considered to be authorities in this niche.
Thorne Berberine
Thorne is recognized as one of the best supplement brands around today and is commonly recommended by health professionals and professional sports leagues. It’s been given an “A” rating by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Agency, a regulatory institution with some of the highest standards, and is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Thorne is dedicated to the use of clean ingredients only and provides an extensive list here of the ingredients it avoids.
Berberine Glucogold
Healthy Directions has been a leader for over 25 years in providing doctor-formulated nutritional supplements. Dr. Whitaker, the pioneer of the company, researched natural therapies and their potential for both maintaining and restoring health as an alternative to prescription drugs and invasive procedures, which led to the creation of his supplement line.
His supplements are primarily tailored to support healthy blood sugar levels and he has used his own products to treat patients at the Whitaker Wellness Institute. Berberine Glucogold is Dr. Whitaker’s approach to improving blood sugar levels naturally and contains berberine HCl for superior absorption.
WellBetX Berberine
Natural Factors, the company behind WellBetX Berberine, sources all of its natural ingredients from Factors Farms which is certified-organic farmland in Candana, just south of the city of Armstrong, BC. The company has complete control over seed selection and harvesting which allows it to stand out against its competitors in terms of purity and overall quality.
Where To Buy Berberine
Berberine is widely available as an over-the-counter (OTC) supplement, so there is no need to look further than Amazon.
There are many brands selling berberine though, so it’s important to know how to find the best berberine product. To know if they are a reputable brand, look out for certificates of analysis, good reviews and clear sourcing.
Our Picks For The Best Berberine Supplement
Our Favorite Berberine Supplement
Double Wood Supplements Berberine
Double Wood’s berberine is manufactured in the USA, third-party lab tested and is made by a well-established, trustworthy brand.
Each capsule contains 500 mg of berberine and it is recommended to take two to four capsules per day, spacing each serving out at least 3 hours after the last one.
Best Berberine Powder
Nootropics Depot Berberine HCL Powder
If you’re looking for a highly bioavailable, extremely potent berberine supplement that’s also a great value, then this powder should be the best fit for you.
You can purchase this product in 30 or 60 g quantities, but if you go with the 60 g container you’ll receive 120 servings of 500 mg Berberine HCL.
High Bioavailability Berberine HCl Capsules
Enzymedica Berberine
Searching for the most bioavailable form of berberine in capsule form? Each capsule contains 510 mg of 95% berberine HCl and is provided in a targeted delivery capsule to enhance its bioavailability even further.
This product is vegetarian-friendly and is free of gluten, milk, casein, soy, egg, and artificial colors or flavors.
It is recommended to take 1 capsule three times a day before eating.
Another Great Choice For Berberine HCl Capsules
Thorne Research Berberine 500
Thorne Research berberine capsules provide 1g of berberine per serving. Thorne Research combines berberine with HCl — a potent way of taking berberine. They extract their berberine from Indian barberry root (a species of Berberis) which then undergoes four rounds of testing to ensure that you’re receiving a clean product.
After taking Thorne Research berberine, reviewers found that their blood glucose and cholesterol levels improved and argue that this is the best berberine on the market.
Superior Absoprtion
Toniq Berberine
Toniq’s berberine possesses 97% purity and is an 82x concentrated extract, meaning that it contains a higher percentage of berberine’s active compounds compared to most other products on the market.
Each capsule contains 500 mg of Berberine Bark Extract (97% Berberine HPLC) and it is recommended to take 1 capsule up to 3 times daily.
Best Berberine Stack
Dr. Whitaker’s Berberine GlucoGold+
If you’re looking for a clinically tested berberine supplement, look no further. Dr Whitaker’s Berberine GlucoGold supplement was deemed highly effective at improving the pancreatic cell response to blood sugar levels in a clinical study.
In addition to 1.5g of berberine, it also includes cinnamon and chromium. Alongside berberine, cinnamon ensures normal insulin sensitivity while chromium improves bioavailability. Reviewers love it and so do we.
Want to learn more about berberine and its uses? Check out the following articles:
- Berberine For SIBO And Berberine For Acne – The Link Between Gut Health And Acne
- Berberine For PCOS: We Compare Berberine VS Metformin And Discuss The Link Between Insulin Resistance And Infertility
- Berberine Bodybuilding Benefits: What Are They And How Should Bodybuilders Use Berberine For Peak Performance?
Editor’s note: we are regularly updating this review. If you see any problems, weird interpretations of the data, or just want to say hi, please reach out to hello@the-unwinder.com.
Feature image by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
