BERBERINE vs METFORMIN (Pt 1) - Mechanisms & Biomarkers
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
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Both?
I take both.
I'm on metformin 1500mg, and am now on 1500mg berberine also. My fasting blood glucose figures are down from 8.4 to 5.5 so far. In less than a month. Similar reductions for 2hr post prandial.
This stuff definitely works, I notice a bug difference in glucose 1 and 2 hours after meal
I HAVE BEEN TAKING BERBERINE 1OOOMG A DAY FOR ONLY 10 DAYS. I WILL LET YOU KNOW IN 2 MONTHS WHEN I HAVE MY BLOOD TEST. MY HBC IS DOWN TO 6.2 I WISH TO GO DOWN TO 5.6. A FEW DAYS AGO I HAD DONE A CAC TEST. THE RESAULT WAS ZERO. I AM 64 YEARS OLD AND HAVE BEEN DIABETIC FOR 20 YEARS. SINCE I HAVE BEEN FASTING AND FOLLOWING A KETO LIFE STYLE. I AM OFF MEDICATIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDEOS.
Thank you!
Was becoming insulin resistant ,started using Berberine with olive leaf extract. Unbelievable results. Have not used my insulin shots for a full week. The combination appears to work extremely well with me!!
I use Berberine extensively in my practice. Many of my patients take it with Metformin, but I think there is more efficacy with Berberine. I like the anti microbial properties as well. Thanks for your video. LIndy Ford, RD, LDN
Thanks.
Lindy Ford Nutrition & Wellness you should not keep taking berberine indefinitely. It is an anti bacterial . You will ruin your gut health
How much berberine should I use each day?
It must be Berberine HCL
Deborah Hebblethwaite metformin ruins the gut biome too
I appreciate your unbiased take on this. Great information. Thank you!
Thanks!
I have taken Berberine for 16 years 450 mg with Chromium 3 hours before meals 3 times a day, no side effects. Fasting blood sugar is 4.9 to 5.2 and A1C is 5.4. I don’t eat bread , rice or sugar.....lots of veggies & everything else, no soda !
Peter Viljoen hello ,, I am starting to use Berberine since few weeks back .. but I need to know more details .. How much chromium dose ? Any problem if we take ( Berberine and chromium ) for many years ? And I want to double check with you is it 3 hours before meal ?
Any other advice ? Thanks alot and God bless you
3 hours before meals? But I thought the half life was like 2 or 3 hours? Wont it be out of your system by the time you eat your meal? I thought it was supposed to be present in the blood stream in order to do its work during a meal?
thank you for this video ! i am on metformin. GOSH! i cant deal with the trips to the bathroom. my wife is a health nut. She spoke with me on Berberine. I asked her to order me some and I am excited to try it. I have type 2 diabetes . my A1c is a 8. Im changing my diet and I am hoping that this will be better for me. The Metformin totally wipes me out. im a maintenance Mechanic by trade. I need energy . so i HOPE THAT BERBERINE WILL HELP ME..
Why do they have to be against each other? I take them both together to get that super synergy. Works great.
So do I.
In Australia Berberine is unreasonably expensive, whereas Metformin is subsidised by the government, so it's very affordable.
My mom is diabetic. Got her on Berberine and her A1C has dropped from 8-something to 6.1
That’s great news!
Your work is much appreciated. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
It's 3am and I found your videos about 2 hours ago, and I need to sleep.... damn you. :)
Thank you very much! Sorry to contribute to further sleep loss. But hopefully the information will help in the long run.
Great info Doc!!!! Good show.
Doctor Brewer I don’t remember your saying you are diabetic. Do you take Metformin for insulin resistance?
Dr Brewer. I guess I missed that you are diabetic, or do you take metformin to stay below prediabetic ?
I have read that it is necessary to cycle berberine in order to give the liver a break. 8 weeks on followed by 2-4 weeks off is suggested. Dr. Brewer, what is your opinion?
I haven’t seen the evidence on it. But thanks.
You educated me alot! Thanks for letting me know about Berberine. I sent it back after I thought it didn't do anything to help my dad's prediabetic range. IT was 6.3. Then, it was 6.2 three months later since taking berberine for that long. on the fifth months, I sent it back because I thought it didn't do much to lower the A1C. However, about a week later after he discontinued and for the next three months, his A1c dropped from 6.2 to 5.9. Could it be that Berberine was working for him? I just reordered them.
A lot of people are big believers. I think it may help, but would not count on it alone.
@@PrevMedHealth Thanks for letting me know. I also heard about BenaGene Oxoalacetate and I don't know if you're familiar with that one beside Berberine. I hope you can do a video on that one.
There are also a lot that are fake or not great. Thorne is really a good one.
I purchased some yesterday from vitamin shopp. 500mg, says to take just 1 a day with meal.
I know I'm late to the party but this is fascinating , I'm a type 2 diabetic on Janumet which as you know is a form of metformin but you just take it once a day as opposed 3 times daily after meals anyways I think I'm going to give berberine a try I've been using ashwagandha for the last few days now and it seems to be doing wonders on my readings ( 2 hrs after meals). I need to do some more research on the two herbs to see which might be the better out of the two.
Thanks for sharing
I totally, totally love ur videos and the comments of your subscribers. I just subscribe too
but does it have the anti aging effects that metformin does?
Just started taking this, I have noticed immediately, I dont get tired at all after a heavy meal, definitely works, but watch out for fakes.
Thanks for sharing
Dr. Brewer, how about sprinkling a few dried barberry berries on plain yogurt? That would be more like consuming a food. Amazon sells them in small bags. I think the product is from Iran, a major source of barberry fruit, because the labelling looks Arabic.
Hmm. That’s interesting. I suppose that could help with carb metabolism support.
I’ve had a1c last year and it was fine. Do u think combo Berberine metforman would be good preventative?
There is a good case to be made for these, especially as we get beyond 60 yo.
WHY - would a pharmacy give a drug like metformin out for free?
"free" and "pharmacy" are NOT used in the same sentence in America.
Cause it's now a cheap generic and many insurance plans cover it.
billytheweasel it’s a $1.50 copay. Probably would be $8 a month without insurance. This is what liberals don’t get about pharma- yes they make a ton on successful drugs for the patent period- but then it’s nearly free.
How do you avoid blocking the mTOR growth pathway while using berberine? It's almost impossible to build muscle without enough mTOR expression. It's a problem for diabetics who train with weights.
It doesn’t block mtor
I watched a second time. So did you end up taking Metformin and Berberine, I am considering do this. I will keep taking the Metformin ER. 500 mg twice a day.
Yes. I do.
Dr does it lower free and total testosterone in males like what metformin do , because i am really concerned about that , cz i dont want to lower my testosterone levels
Hi, just wondering your results?
If thinking of using berberine, it may be an idea to do some research into particular brands that have achieved higher solubility levels in water. 🕺🏼
Been on metformin now for about a yr. My numbers only get down to around 150-160 on average and my doc wanted me to start taking januvia which I won't do. The maker of that is currently being sued by people claiming it increases and causes pancreatic cancer risks. I've heard bad things about metformin too but of all the drugs for type 2 it seems to be the 'safest'. I was wondering how a person should go from using metformin to using berberine... should you just stop the met and start the berb but after this video I will try both at once and see if the numbers come down and then maybe wean myself off the met.
Good luck! Keep us posted on your progress. And share the vids.
Personally I have been a big follower of Dr. Whitacker who has been a big advocate of natural therapy. His main approach to type 2 has been diet, exercise and weight loss to get people off drugs. Well, my diet is atrocious at best lol and I really need to lose 50-60 lbs and have known that for quite some time. Exercise is mostly out because I have osteoarthritis in my feet and hips. I guess it's time to bite the bullet instead of the pizzas!!
LOL! You’re funny...rarely you exhibit humor. But I appreciate your intellect more. But that was funny. Stay serious and life saving...I’ll take it with a toothy healthy smile.
Thanks
I am of mixed feelings that metformin is free at Walmart. For those that need it and use it as intended - great, but many will just use it to avoid making important life-style changes that would help them avoid the need for it altogether.
That's such a good point. The vast majority of prescriptions, procedures, & supplements are used to avoid the real thing: lifestyle changes.
@@PrevMedHealth Thanks for your reply - enjoy your channel very much! Take care.
You still cannot eat carbs and sugar taking Metformin.
Does Metformin work for pre-diabetes? My dad had one for years, but his doctor wouldn't prescribe it to him. Is there a good reason for that?
It’s very common not to use it. I think that needs to change.
@@PrevMedHealth I agree! Most doctors would rather wait until it become diabetes before giving him metformin. Prevention is better.
My TG:HDL ratio is 1.
But both values are 0.98 mmol/L.
Is this good news or bad news?….
you mentioned you need to see more "clinical trials", so you going to try, is that one of the trials?
Do you need a prescription for Metformin? Thanks!
Yes. Thanks
There are over 4000 studies on Pub Med. On Berberine.
Thanks! Links? Citations?
Don't forget alpha lipoic acid. The R form is the best. This is also very useful in controlling glucose and insulin release.
Thanks
Metformin causes my tongue to get a yellowish cast and causes little white sores to develop in my mouth...maybe I should substitute Berberine, what is the beginning dose?
Probably with insurance payment first.
Great video thank you 🙏
Thanks!!
what about the difference in side effects?
Ford Brewer, do you know if it affects the natural bacterial flora of the GI tract?
JOHN, I just started a combination of both Met/Berb and I definitely have seen a significant difference. I would like to continue with the combination and at the same time further my knowledge on the subject. I'll sent you a link regarding GI biome and berberine. Hopefully it helps us expand our knowledge on the matter and thank you for the reply.👌
czcams.com/video/yzuBrcft3-g/video.html
Grazie molto interessante. It’s the first time I’ve heard it . Thanks
Grazie!
some doctors says that metformin and berberine are conflicting each other, you need to take only one of them.
did you ever post a follow up?
Sorry, got butter fingers. I would like to include a few berries with my breakfast to help lower hba1c, but I became a bit worried to do this because Jenny Ruhl on her website Blood sugar 101, expresses concern about berberine which is considered part of Chinese herbal medicine. She said that some Chinese herbs turned to harm the liver even when they lower blood sugar which can be the case with berberine.
Thanks for making me aware of that. I had not seen it.
He prescribed 4 pills a day but I only take 2.Now I've stopped altogether.
Dr Brewer, you said in this video you'd test out Berberine on yourself. That was more than 1 year ago. So what;s your personal experience with Berberine?
I'm impressed. I didn't see a significant difference. I'm not giving up metformin yet, except sometimes when fasting.
@@PrevMedHealth You're impressed but didn't see a significant difference? Then how were you impressed?
THANK YOU!
Have you updated your study on this? Lost my insurance, which means I lost my Metformin.. Pcos with insulin resistance. Looking at other means... Why is a rx needed for metformin besides the big Pharmaceuticals want more $$?
@John Lorscheider: Thank you sweetie! The cost of Metformin isn't the problem without ins. It's the $65 a visit for the Dr appt every 3 months. Sighhhhhhh... Thank you for your time sweetie!
@John Lorscheider: Thank you sweetie.. I will ask.. If not, maybe I can find one that will do this!
@John Lorscheider lol.... I just figured they wanted that $ lol... I called them (voice mail), MAYBEEE they will respond..
berberine, inositol should work good with pcos
Berberine and a blood sugar support capsule should help. Based on reviews they work better or the same at metformin for about $30 per month for capsules.
Thanks doc
Thanks.
nowadays everything is as good as metformin. i wonder how people could get even diabetic in first place ^^.
to name a few:
- vitamin d or calcium
- vitamin C
- B vitamins especially b1, b3
- ubiquinol / q10
- resveratrol / pterostilbene
- pepper and other spices
- dark chocolate (pure no milk and no sugar)
- some fatty acids , and this i observed, when i combine carbs with like saturated fats like bacon my sugar is much lower after 1h than it is with plain carbs or proteins. so there must be some truth to it.
- omega 3's
No one seems to be asking here: 'Why, if you are insulin resistant, would you want to artificially augment the conveyance of insulin into cells that are insulin resistant in the first place...*for a reason*, i.e. too much ingested glucose, taken too frequently?' Tricking the body into accepting even *more* insulin - in an already overloaded system -- seems, prima facie, to be a recipe for disaster. Comment, Doctor?
Do I look like I’ve got too much sugar in my cells? I’ve got a size 32 waist and a BMI of 21. It’s not just people with a lot of fat.
What’s your experience for use?
If you're asking have I used them - yes. Have I taken them nonstop for years? No.
is there a follow-up?
Anyone guide me how to take berberine powder?
Metformin has unbearable never ending diarrhea, for me at least. Berberine has the opposite effect, so I'm taking both and they work well together for me. Also taking gynostemma, you should do a video about that herb as well.
Yes. I've seen several combinations like that out there. Re: gynostemma. I thought at first you meant to say gymnema. It's an old Ayuvedic med for IR. Have you tried that? I put gynostemma on the list for future study. But it's a few months long.
czcams.com/users/edit?o=U&video_id=7YDo0N_cChM
Same here,met keeps me house bound!would give berberine a try,as met is killing us anyways...
Ever take Metformin with food? It might help.
I take 3 Metformin a day for 13 years I have a lot of side effect there is anything else to replace it
We use Metformin XL for a lot of patients.
Ummm yeah, Berberine?
While "natural" / plants sounds good, Chinese (but others as well) that are big on these plant based treatments have higher incidences of liver cancer that makes me wonder about possible correlations with something such as Berberine. Everything you take whether natural or pharmacological has risk of course but which is greater is the question I suppose..
Good points.
Do intermittent fasting to get blood sugar down..cheap and effective
Thanks
My A1C has dropped to 5.1 My doctor lowered my metformin from 500 twice a day to 500 once a day. I'm doing everything in my power to get my A1C even lower. I'm interested in gradually switching from metformin to berberine but wondered about known side effects. I've been fortunate that the dose of metformin I've had did not produce any diarreah though sometimes about an hr after a meal I would have about 15 mins of stomach ache. I suspect it was because my body had less need of the metformin over time. A previous doctor had put me on a higher dose 1000 twice a day. That gave me nausea, vomiting, frequent diahrea and stomach pains. The dose was too much for me body.
What would be a good dose of berberine in place of the metformin?
Molly D why are you taking anything with a normal A1C?
Dr. Brewer, thank you for replying to my question regarding dried barberry berries. From watching your video and reading your reply, I deduce that you intend to try berberine yourself
I have tried it.
@ Dr Ford Brewer, did you find Berberine did help you?
Maybe some. I’m still taking it.
i take 1500 mg of berberine daily. im not diabetic but my father is and I worry that its hereditary. do u think id be better off taking metformin
Have you had an OGTT? Or A1c?
a1c yeS
czcams.com/video/O_BudMZ_ZNw/video.html
Text on pages can’t be read on a phone very easily :-(
Thanks. I understand. Sorry. But I’ve had major problems trying to get better visuals.
I have heard frightening things about Metformin, mainly that it can cause rhabdomyolysis, especially if used at the same time as alcohol. A doctor once told me that Metformin can do this after exercise because of the buildup of lactic acid. In addition, a pharmacist told me absolutely not to eat any foods with sugar. It was so confusing that in spite of the fact that Metformin had done almost miraculous things for me for PCOS, I quit taking it because of all the dire warnings and the fact that I do exercise, sometimes drink alcohol and sometimes eat high carb food. Now I hear these wonderful things about it and apparently rhabdomyolysis doesn't happen every time someone does any of these things.
It sounds like your sources have confused Metformin, statins & Flagyl. Please check their facts.
I will give Berberine a try. Metformin made my muscles very weak. I do not know why. May be I should try a combination with low dose Metformin?!
+Erhard Dinges Keep us posted on that. And watch your glucose levels as you get started.
Erhard Dinges You may have low b12 level.
Have you thought of Gemnema and Cinnamon as well? I agree to try B12. But usually it takes years for the B12 problem.
Could you please share your experience with berberine, am asking I was on metformin then stopped because of muscles weakness but rest of the symptoms of insulin resistance has come back. Does it has similar effect on muscles?
Same thing happened to me in just the first couple days. I also got lactid acidosis. Now on berberine. Works like a charm.
Order KETO FIRE 1200 on eBay. Take 2 a day with medication. You're sugar will really drop.
Metformin is a beast.
Yes. So is pio.
What about the liver, it has to deal with the metformin but I guess the berberine is not?
Not sure what you mean by that. Berberine is extensively metabolized by the liver. So much so that the metabolites appear to be a major part of the effect. See the quote below from an article on this.
Metabolic pathways of berberine are demethylation, demethylenation, reduction, hydroxylation and subsequent conjugation in vivo. Active metabolites such as columbamine, berberrubine and demethyleneberberine also exhibit similar pharmacological effects by comparison with berberine, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects. Overall, berberine together with its metabolites formed the material basis of berberine in vivo.
Ford Brewer is that good or bad lol
Ken Rach LOL, I really did laugh out loud....unfortunately a lot of people don't realize that the liver has to pretty much metabolize everything you put in your body. They are so convinced Metformin is evil because it is a drug. Just this morning as I was pawing thru my rather large box of supplements, I had to ask myself, really? I am taking all of this just to avoid taking medication? And trying intermittent fasting, giving up gluten and dairy the same week? Actually I caved after one week, and went out and bought half and half. Still sitting on the fence about Berberine and long term use.
mommalisa52560 I just purchased it and it seems to work, but will keep you posted
@ Dr Ford. Brewer. Let us know how Berberine worked for you.
It helps. But it's not like weight management or metformin.
Berberine might be more expensive but you need prescription to get Metformin, last I checked. So if you don't have an informed Dr. then you have to resort to spending more money.
Yes.
I ordered berberine 500 mg. Gave me horrible diarrhea?
Sorry to hear that!
Would love to see a part 2 where blood markers are tracked! So similar to metformin (and exercise), berberine is a weak AMPK activator (the energy sensor of the cell) complex-1 inhibitor, that reduces glucose output from the liver.. isn't berberine also a weak pcsk9 inhibitor (pcsk9 degrades ldl receptors)?
According to a recent HumanOS Podcast with Ben Miller, it seems the benefits of metformin are different for the sedentary vs active individual. In the later, it appears to actually *blunt* the positive mitochondrial respiration changes in the muscle, vo2 max, and increased insulin sensitivity that usually occur long-term with aerobic exercise. So while metformin mimics exercise in the initial pathways that are activated, the long-term adaptations to exercise (increase in ppar-gamma/ppq-alpha) seem to be missing with metformin, and possibly be hindering! There was an interesting episode of Freakonmics (Zero-Minute Workout) that is also a good listen for anyone interested in the subject.
Thanks! That is interesting.
I took berberine for three months after taking a break from metformin after seven years. Met depleted my b12 so my doctor put me on a supplement for it. I've read that berberine is highly beneficial with no diarrhea or any bad side effects. My waist looked slimmer as well. But one should ideally take a break from it every few months. It causes muscles to become weak so one needs to exercise a lot. I stopped it and just tried to manage with lifestyle changes but I already eat healthy do mild exercise. I have pcos with insulin resistance. Since past few months I noticed weight gain. Now back to metformin 🙄 . Don't know what to do now.....I'll keep taking metformin till I find something else.
I also have PCOS... I also was taking metformin till a loss of insurance, I was curious how much & often did you take the Berberine? Did it help.. I eat one meal a day, keto & starting to gain weight not having my Metformin... Thank you for your time sweetie
Thanks. Yes. This is not simple.
@@KatrinaTrys The ideal dosage for berberine is 500 mg thrice a day after meals. One after each meal basically. If you are doing one meal a day then I cannot say how you can split these up, since any reduction in dosage won't be able to make any impact. You cannot take all of it at once either since the body won't absorb more than 500 mg at a time. Take for three months and then take a break for a couple of months and restart. Or maybe take for five days a week and give a break on weekends. Let me know how it goes. Exercising rigorously will help.
Exercise impacts the cell membranes the same as insulin; but it doesn’t require insulin to have its impact.
@@PrevMedHealth Yes Doctor...that's my only hope now. Have started high intensity interval training and running. I'm witnessing a change in my body. Feeling positive now.
someone experience with berberine + pioglitazone combo?
Good question! Yes, for me. But I was also taking Metformin as well. Just a few weeks at the time.
@@PrevMedHealth does berberine + pio work out? what about mucle atrophy?
I certainly didn’t get that.
Berberine will block metformin and berberine not potent enough. Berberine may be good for pre diabetics.
Thanks.
I've read some articles that claim Berberine has very poor bioavailability, perhaps less than 5%. Reportedly, taking it with milk thistle or coconut oil (1 tablespoon) helps absorption. Anyone else come across this info.
Not me. But it’s not surprising. If any of the supplements has a big impact, big pharma will try to turn into a drug. That’s what happened with red rice yeast. It became statins.
Walmart metformin is free. Sometimes a dollar
Thanks. I’ve gotten pushback from stating exactly that.
@@PrevMedHealth but you need a script right?
IT FREE AND WHEN YOU GET THE SIDE EFFECTS, YOU WOULD NEED MORE MEDICATIONS AND THAT IS HOW THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY.
but colour printers are so cheap now!
I tried berberine with 1000 mg metformin. I could not get my sugar down. I eat no carbs no sugar and less than a 1000 cal a day. Normally 1000 mg of metformin would give me a number before bed of 115-120. With metformin and 1000 mg of berberine my numbers were 150 - 160. Stopped beberine and numbers came back down.
Thanks for sharing that.
Not true metformin is not free anywhere
P Des13 this is what I thought. I wonder why our dear friend told such a fib? Strange. Infact very strange.
Interesting. Several companies I’ve worked with offer it for free.
I'm currently getting it free at Meijers in Michigan.
Metformin gives me the wicked shits.
Sorry to hear that. Have you tried pill splitting down to 250 mg daily?
i take 1500 mg of berberine daily. im not diabetic but my father is and I worry that its hereditary. do u think id be better off taking metformin.
if you are not hyperglycemic why would u treat it?
better do sports and eat no fastfood. try ketogenic or something like 60% fat. low carb
Its not a good idea to be on Met
I am borderline diabetic I take Berberine and I'm ok metformin makes me feel funny.