Ozempic and Wegovy are usually prescribed for diabetes, however in current months they’ve made headlines following endorsements from celebrities and billionaires like Elon Musk, who say the medication are fast weight reduction options.
The rise in the use of Ozempic for causes past treating diabetes has led to a national shortage. Now, consideration has shifted to a dietary supplement known as berberine, which is being touted on social media as “nature’s Ozempic.”
“Berberine is a natural compound found in a multitude of plants,” Dr. Carl Giordano, a surgeon in New Jersey, tells CNBC Make It. “The most common plants are barberry, goldenseal, Oregon grapes [and] Chinese goldthread.”
Similar to Ozempic, berberine decreases blood sugar and might lead to weight discount, says Giordano who is additionally co-founder of Rebesana, an organization that researches healthspan and lifespan.
But not like Ozempic, the pure drug is not injectable and will be taken orally.
Berberine differs from Ozempic in different methods as properly. “[Berberine] doesn’t help with stopping the body from feeling hungry [or] stopping cravings,” says Neil Paulvin, a NY-based longevity and regenerative drugs physician. “It doesn’t slow down how the stomach empties, which is one of the main ways that Ozempic and Mounjaro work.”
Using berberine, “patients maybe lose two to four pounds a month at max, if not less,” says Paulvin. “With Ozempic, people are losing five to 12, sometimes up to 16 pounds a month.”
Berberine is cheap in contrast to Ozempic’s month-to-month price of $1,000 or extra. A 90-count bottle of the supplement prices round $40. It is additionally extra simply accessible, and will be purchased over the counter in drugstores like CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens.
But Giordano says berberine seems to have nice well being advantages that far exceed weight reduction: “I don’t know why doctors don’t recommend this regularly.”
Here’s how berberine might have an effect on your well being
The massive query that folks want answered is “can berberine aid in weight loss?” The reply is perhaps.
Berberine might assist an individual shed just a few kilos as a result of it could possibly enhance “the way insulin works and the way your body can use carbohydrates. It makes people less insulin-resistant,” he says.
Berberine may assist “the body bring sugar out of the system and into the cells, which in some cases helps with weight loss,” Paulvin provides.
It’s necessary to notice that the majority scientific trials testing berberine’s impact on weight reduction have been done on mice.
According to Giordano and Paulvin, extra potential well being advantages of berberine are:
- Decreasing how a lot glucose cells ingest
- Working on mobile pathways that affect longevity
- Healing the intestine and eliminating an infection
- Inhibiting the development of dangerous micro organism in your intestine
- Reducing irritation
- Slightly reducing levels of cholesterol
“I find that talking about berberine and weight loss is frivolous and cosmetic. I like to talk about berberine as a real mechanism to work on chronic issues today that we see. We live in a state of chronic inflammation which leads to chronic illnesses as we get older,” says Giordano, who takes berberine day by day.
“I’m happy to talk about berberine as a weight reduction compound, but I think what’s really great about this is that that’s a springboard to get us to talk about the real health benefits of berberine.”
What else ought to you know about berberine?
Drugs derived from crops are fairly frequent and usually efficient, together with aspirin. Similar to these medicines, berberine is an over-the-counter supplement that may be bought and not using a prescription, says Giordano.
Berberine is not accepted by the Food and Drug Administration to deal with circumstances, however dietary dietary supplements aren’t required to bear the FDA’s approval course of. Like all dietary supplements, you ought to know that, relying on the place you buy berberine, there is a risk it will not be in its purest kind and components could possibly be current.
For your security, Giordano recommends speaking to your physician earlier than including any drug to your weight-reduction plan. Some individuals have allergic reactions to sure dietary supplements; and relying on different medicines you’re taking, you can have an adversarial response to berberine.
People who’re diabetic or are on the petite aspect can expertise hypoglycemia signs from taking berberine as properly, says Paulvin. Hypoglycemia happens when an individual’s blood sugar falls decrease than the wholesome vary.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, signs of hypoglycemia can embody:
- Fatigue
- Sweats
- Dizziness
- Shaking
- And in excessive instances, seizures
There is additionally a risk that taking berberine may cause bloating or irritable bowel syndrome, Giordano says. To keep away from this as a lot as doable, he suggests taking berberine with meals.
“I think the health benefits of berberine are so good that it’s one of those things that everybody should consider taking, not just for the blood sugar [which can impact weight loss], but again, for longevity,” says Giordano.
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