By Dr. Linda J. Dobberstein, DC, Board Certified in Clinical Nutrition
Berberine is a remarkable phytonutrient that has been used in traditional healing for centuries. As we continue to explore its benefits, you will find it is a versatile and powerful nutrient, that provides strong nutritional support for aging well, with benefits for blood sugar, cholesterol, brain health and other surprising benefits.
Berberine Activates Fat Burning and AMPK Signaling
Berberine has a fantastic reputation and track record for supporting blood sugar and metabolism. It naturally increases thermogenesis in brown and beige fat and enhances AMPK signaling. Activation of brown fat in adipose and other tissues increases the rate you burn glucose. Additionally, Berberine enhances the metabolic rate at which your liver burns and clears triglycerides, other lipids, and blood sugar from the blood stream. You can learn more in the article Berberine Activates Fat Burning.
Blood Sugar and Lipids
Metabolically, berberine speeds up the burning of glucose in muscle and fat cells. Simultaneously, it inhibits the absorption of glucose in the intestinal tract, creating a dual effect on blood sugar management. Furthermore, a recent clinical trial demonstrated berberine’s safety and efficacy for cardiometabolic health in ways other than the traditional manipulation of the HMG CoA-reductase. Berberine healthfully manages lipid levels by boosting the rate of cholesterol metabolism in the liver.
Endothelial Lining, Blood Vessels, and Antioxidant Support
Another aspect of cholesterol and cardiovascular health involves protecting the endothelial lining and smooth muscle cells of blood vessels. These tissues are highly sensitive to free radicals, cytokines, and other compounds that can irritate the lining. Antioxidants are required for their protection. Studies show that berberine provides powerful antioxidant protective effects for these delicate tissues.
Lipid Peroxidation
Berberine also provides antioxidant protection to lipoproteins like LDL and other lipids from peroxidation, i.e. oxidative stress. Protecting cholesterol from free radicals is essential to the management of your health. Both historical use and present-day research demonstrate that berberine supports healthy cholesterol and blood sugar within normal levels for cardiometabolic health.
Berberine Supports Brain Health with Healthy Aging
Brain health, focus, memory, concentration, communications with autonomic nervous system function, and more require many nutrients, compounds, and neurotransmitters for optimal life and function. Berberine provides support for cognitive function, brain health, and healthy aging by influencing numerous functions related to choline, mitochondria, beta protein management, glial cell activation, and the gut-brain connection. Here are some recent findings that demonstrate berberine’s profound effects on brain health.
Berberine and the Memory Neurotransmitter
Berberine inhibits the activity of two enzymes, acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, that affect acetylcholine levels in your brain. These enzymes metabolically break down acetylcholine, which can lead to depletion of this memory neurotransmitter. By inhibiting these enzymes, berberine helps maintain healthy acetylcholine levels in your nerves and organs.
Reduction of choline and acetylcholine impairs nerve transmission and activity within your brain and nervous system. This affects your memory recall and agility, cognitive function, mood, stress tolerance, nerve communications, autonomic nervous system, gut motility, digestion and more.
Berberine Crosses the Blood Brain Barrier
Berberine can cross the blood brain barrier, providing significant neurometabolic support within your central nervous system. It modulates signaling and docking mechanisms that affect beta protein management. In animal studies, this resulted in enhanced memory and recognition, improved speed of mental function and calming effects even when stressed. Study results also showed that nerve structures within the hippocampus, the memory and emotional processing center of the brain, were neatly organized and dense with good boundaries, reflecting good nerve vitality.
Neuroprotective Antioxidant Support
Additional brain health benefits of berberine include inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) and upregulation of heat shock proteins, which help brain tissues manage tau protein metabolism that can impair function. Berberine strengthens the thioredoxin antioxidant defense system and protects mitochondria, creating neuroprotective effects. These functions are crucial for brain health, cognitive function, and longevity.
Berberine Influences Gut-Brain Axis and Butyrate Production
Another benefit of berberine is its impact on the gut-brain axis. Historically, berberine has been used to support a healthy gut microbiome. Recent research demonstrated that mice given berberine experienced increased production of butyrate by the beneficial gut bacteria. Furthermore, berberine’s effect on the gut microbiome created a crosstalk effect via the vagus nerve and immune system to the brain. It modulated microglial cell activity in the brain and inhibited the production of TNF-a, IL-6, and IL-1B, reducing oxidative stress to tissues. Thus, berberine helped butyrate production, substantially aiding gut and brain health.
Butyrate is a crucial short chain fatty acid in the gut, vital for gut-brain-immune activities, neutralizing immune-inflammatory responses, intestinal barrier repair and much more. It is fascinating and powerful for health to see this connection between berberine and butyrate, as both compounds provide immense health benefits separately and as a team.
Aging well is a desirable goal. Berberine is a powerful, remarkable phytonutrient that can help you enhance your health span goals with cholesterol, heart, AMPK and brown fat activation, brain health, and the brain-gut axis and so much more.
