How to Take Berberine

Co-authored by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS and Jennifer Mueller, JD

Last Updated: July 3, 2024 Fact Checked

If you have type 2 diabetes, obesity, an inflammatory condition, or a metabolic condition, you might benefit from the short-term usage of berberine. It may also protect against autoimmune conditions, heart disease, and common complications of aging. This chemical is found in several plants, including goldenseal, Oregon grape, barberry, and Chinese goldthread. Essentially, it activates an enzyme in your body that is responsible for regulating how energy is produced and used. The way it activates this enzyme is similar to the way exercise triggers increased strength and weight loss.^{[1]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health

Go to source} Before you start taking berberine, talk to your doctor about it to make sure it won't interfere with any medications you're currently taking. If you make lifestyle modifications while taking berberine, you'll likely have better results.^{[2]
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Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Determining Berberine's Benefits for You

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1
Evaluate your health and any chronic medical conditions you have. Berberine has been studied and found effective to treat a number of medical conditions related to metabolism and inflammation. Specifically, you might benefit from a berberine supplement if you have:^{[3]
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- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity
- Metabolic syndromes
- High cholesterol
- Fatty liver disease, specifically nonalcoholic fatty liver disease^{[4]
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- Congestive heart failure
- Inflammatory and autoimmune conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis or irritable bowel syndrome)
- High blood pressure^{[5]
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Tip: Berberine can also help treat obesity if combined with lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise. The chemical might also reduce the risk of cancer.
2
Ask your doctor about taking a berberine supplement. Before you start taking berberine, ask your doctor if the supplement would benefit you or improve your condition. If your doctor is not familiar with berberine, you might want to seek out a different healthcare provider who specializes in holistic, natural, or alternative medicine.
- If you're seeing specialists for the treatment of a particular condition, make sure they're on board with you taking the supplement as well.
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3
Tell your doctor about all drugs and supplements you're currently taking. Berberine has the potential to interact with many different prescription drugs, particularly antibiotics. Before you start taking berberine, make sure that any drugs you're currently taking will continue to achieve their desired effects.
- If you're only taking a medication temporarily, you might want to wait until you finish taking it before you start taking berberine. For example, if you're taking antibiotics to clear an infection, it's best to wait until after you've finished the round of antibiotics before you start taking berberine.
- If you're taking any medications that act in the same or a similar way that berberine does, the two might interact with one another. You may experience more significant side effects than you would otherwise because the effects of both the medication and the supplement would be intensified.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Administering Berberine

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Choose a quality berberine oral supplement. Berberine typically comes in a capsule form that you take orally. However, as with any type of supplement, different brands can vary in their dosage, purity, and overall value. Supplements that contain other chemicals or inactive ingredients may cause additional side effects that you wouldn't experience with a purer variety. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend a brand.
- If a supplement contains other active ingredients, make sure those herbs or chemicals will not interact with any other medications or supplements you're currently taking. For example, you might find a supplement for type 2 diabetes that includes berberine along with other herbs that have shown promise in treating diabetes, such as cinnamon.
- Search the supplement's brand on the internet and read reviews about their products. This will help you better evaluate the brand's reputation.
Tip: Look at reviews on third-party websites. The reviews on the brand's website are hand-picked and used for marketing purposes. You will seldom find a negative review on a brand's website, even though there may be plenty out there.
2
Take 500 mg of berberine 3 times a day. Berberine typically comes in 500 mg capsules. The most common dosage is 1 capsule taken 3 times a day with meals, for a total of 1500 mg of berberine each day.^{[6]
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Cleveland Clinic
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- Always take berberine with food. This will cut down on stomach pain and discomfort that you might otherwise experience.
- You may want to start with a lower dosage and gradually increase your dosage to the full 1500 mg. For example, you might start with 500 mg a day for a week, then increase your dosage to 1000 mg taken in 500 mg doses twice a day for the next week, then start the full dosage in the third week.
- If your doctor tells you a different dosage to take, follow their instructions, even if they differ from the instructions on the supplement bottle.
3
Monitor yourself for side effects. Gastrointestinal side effects, including diarrhea, constipation, and bloating or intestinal discomfort, are the most common side effects of taking berberine. However, depending on your general health and other drugs you're taking, you may experience different side effects after taking berberine.
- Typically, your side effects will go away if you decrease your dosage. If you're taking only 500 mg or less per day and still experiencing bothersome side effects, you might want to stop taking berberine.
4
Stop taking berberine after 6 months. Clinical trials of berberine generally don't last any longer than 6 months and researchers have not evaluated the long-term use of the supplement. For this reason, it's probably safest to stop taking the supplement and monitor your health after 6 months.^{[7]
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- If any symptoms return that disappeared when you were taking berberine, you might consider taking it again for another 6-month cycle. However, talk to your doctor again before you do this.
- If you decide to start another cycle of berberine, wait at least 2 months between cycles.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Lifestyle Modifications

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Work up to 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. Berberine works on your body's metabolism similarly to the way exercise does. You can enhance this effect by getting a half-hour of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week.^{[8]
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American Heart Association
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- If you aren't in the habit of regular exercise, brisk walks are a good place to start. Walk for 5 or 10 minutes in the morning, then take another walk after lunch and another in the evening after dinner.
- Consider taking a yoga or Pilates class. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be super-flexible to start a yoga or Pilates practice—there are many modifications available to correspond to your flexibility and fitness level.
Tip: Enlist a friend to walk or work out with you so you can socialize while you get your exercise. Working out with a friend also makes you more accountable so you'll be less likely to skip a session simply because you don't feel like it.
2
Eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. A healthy diet with fewer processed foods will improve your overall health and help ensure that you get the most benefit from a berberine supplement. Vegetables and fruits also add fiber to your diet, which will make any gastrointestinal problems easier to manage.^{[9]
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- For protein, choose lean meats, such as chicken and turkey. For example, you might have a skinless chicken breast with broccoli and whole grain rice for dinner, followed by some fresh fruit for dessert.
- Grill or steam most of your food, rather than frying it. If you prefer the taste of fried foods, use olive oil or vegetable oil.
3
Develop a plan to gradually lose weight if you are obese. Losing a lot of weight quickly adds stress to your body. However, a gradual weight loss plan will help you lose the excess weight and keep it off. Work with your doctor or a nutritionist to come up with a healthy diet and weight loss plan that you can stick to.^{[10]
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- Losing weight typically involves changing your eating habits and making a commitment to a healthier lifestyle overall. Crash diets are overly restrictive and typically result in you gaining back all the weight you lost and then some.
4
Get help to quit smoking if you smoke. Smoking worsens any health condition that you might try to treat with berberine. If you continue to smoke, your habit may well erase any benefit you would've gotten from the supplement. Talk to your doctor and develop a smoking cessation plan that you can follow.^{[11]
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American Heart Association
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- If you're a regular smoker, your doctor might recommend that you taper off your smoking before quitting entirely. They might also prescribe medications to help decrease your craving for nicotine while you're weaning yourself off the substance.
- Talk to your friends and family and get them involved with your plan to quit. They can help support you and distract you or talk you down when you're having cravings.
5
Practice healthy stress management techniques. Unhealthy coping strategies can worsen your health condition and place additional stress on your body. Try some deep breathing techniques or meditation to help manage your stress.^{[12]
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- You might also talk to a counselor or therapist about stress management. They can give you other options for managing stress in a healthy way.
- Finding a stress management technique that works for you might involve a little trial and error. The same techniques don't work for every person. However, once you find something that works for you, you'll notice a difference in your overall health as well as your outlook on life.

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Tips

Berberine may be beneficial for your health even if you haven’t been diagnosed with a medical condition. For example, some studies show that it might help reduce bad cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar. Talk to your doctor about whether berberine supplements might benefit your overall health.^{[13]
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Warnings

Always talk to your doctor before you start taking any nutritional supplements. Even supplements that are "natural" can still interfere with medications you're already taking or cause harmful side effects if administered improperly.

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