Approximately one in three American adults has metabolic syndrome— a combination of conditions that can include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, cholesterol imbalance, and high triglyceride levels. These represent some of the most prevalent—and preventable— disorders in the modern world, and they may, unfortunately, affect many of your patients.

Fortunately, berberine, a beneficial compound found in many medicinal plants, can effectively address these concerns and strengthen health in many ways:

• Stop the dysfunction of metabolic syndrome
• Reduce triglycerides
• Balance cholesterol
• Fight hypertension
• Normalize blood sugar
• Assist in weight loss
• Protect the liver
• Reduce DNA damage and stop tumors
• Inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress

Berberine, an alkaloid compound–and the plants in which it is found–has been a part of Ayurvedic and Chinese medical practice for thousands of years. Research is just starting to catch up, showing that berberine fights tumors, fatty liver disease, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimer’s, and more. But one of the most pressing reasons to recommend berberine to your patients is that it can address the combined disorders that contribute to metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic Syndrome: Common and Potentially Deadly

Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of disease factors: high blood pressure, imbalanced cholesterol levels, elevated triglycerides, high blood sugar, and excessive weight. All of these conditions are related to inflammation and oxidation.

The extra weight so prevalent in metabolic syndrome is influenced, in part, by blood sugar levels and stress hormones. Additionally, these conditions both cause inflammation and are affected by inflammation. The good news is berberine can address each of these disease problems.

Berberine Addresses the Various Factors of Metabolic Syndrome

Berberine addresses some of the key identifying traits of metabolic syndrome, including those listed here:

1. Extra Abdominal Weight

It can’t be emphasized enough that a sensible diet is not just a matter of “calories in and calories out.” It’s what’s in those calories that count. A moderate-protein and high-fat diet (like a ketogenic diet) doesn’t cause inflammation and spikes in blood sugar. Make sure it is rich in wholesome (not processed) animal proteins and fats, seafoods, fruits, berries and vegetables, and seeds and nuts.

Additionally, physical activity is a must for maintaining a healthy weight. However, if chronic conditions like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis are a limiting factor for getting appropriate exercise, berberine may help. Because berberine moderates immune responses that would otherwise damage joints, it may be a valuable addition to a daily protocol that centers on weight loss.

In clinical research, berberine helped lower weight, blood sugar, and triglyceride levels. It also cut the levels of enzymes associated with fatty liver disease almost in half.

2. Type 2 Diabetes | Insulin Resistance | High Blood Sugar

If any of your patients have elevated fasting glucose, they could be on track to getting type 2 diabetes and by extension, metabolic syndrome. Berberine can help.

In a clinical trial, berberine lowered fasting and postprandial glucose right from the very beginning of the study through its entire three months. It also lowered A1C levels from 8.1 percent to 7.3 percent, reduced fasting plasma insulin by 28 percent, and insulin resistance by 44 percent. The results were similar to the group treated with metformin, a commonly used drug for type 2 diabetes but one that can cause unwanted side effects, including nausea, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.

Berberine works in multiple ways to normalize blood sugar levels. First, it stimulates glycolysis, the process of releasing the energy from sugars so they are used up by the mitochondria as fuel rather than overloading the bloodstream or being converted into triglycerides stored as fat. Berberine also inhibits alpha glucosidase, an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates in the intestines. That, in turn, slows sugar absorption and reduces spikes in the bloodstream.

3. High Blood Pressure

Healthy blood pressure numbers for a resting adult have generally been considered 120/80, although that may change. Higher than 140/90 is considered high blood pressure, and the range of 121-139/80-90, prehypertension, may not be elevated enough to classify as high blood pressure, but it can still damage arteries and shouldn’t be ignored.

Scientific research shows that berberine acts as a vasodilator, opening up blood vessels due to its effects on calcium channel pathways. In people with type 2 diabetes, berberine lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels more effectively than lifestyle changes alone. If patients’ numbers are in the “high-normal” range, they may benefit from berberine added to their protocol.

A clinical study found that for individuals with high blood pressure, berberine combined with changes to diet and exercise lowered blood pressure more effectively than lifestyle interventions alone or placebo. Researchers believe that berberine is a better choice for patients because it appears to be effective, but without causing the problematic side effects of conventional blood pressure drugs.

4. Poor Cholesterol Balance

Our bodies and minds need appropriate levels of cholesterol to function at their best. But in cases of metabolic syndrome, those numbers tend to be skewed heavily toward high LDL cholesterol readings. While boosting HDL levels can yield powerful benefits for cardiovascular health, it can seem like a frustratingly long time before those numbers increase. Here again, berberine can be a useful addition to your patients’ protocols. In clinical studies, berberine was found to help raise levels of HDL cholesterol and can be used in conjunction with conventional treatments they may be using already.

5. High Triglyceride Levels

Although triglyceride levels get lumped in with cholesterol levels, these stored fats are different. Much of the cause of high triglyceride levels in the American diet is most likely due to refined grains, sugars, and other highly processed carbohydrate foods. As such, they are one of the primary causes of heart disease. As in other aspects of metabolic syndrome, berberine can assist your patients who need to get those numbers in a better place.

In one clinical study, berberine reduced triglyceride numbers in just three months by 35 percent. In another, berberine dropped triglyceride levels by an average of 50 mg/ dL in the same amount of time. Those are significant changes, especially if your patient is simultaneously trying to boost their HDL levels.

Berberine is a Smart Choice

Berberine is well known to practitioners and certainly to their patients who have appreciated the way it keeps them feeling healthy over the years. It is a powerful natural medicine that can be a patient’s valuable ally for dealing with metabolic syndrome or any of its associated diseases.

Look for a formula containing a root and bark extract of berberine from Indian Barberry (Berberis aristata) as either 500 mg per capsule as many practitioners have used, or consider a newer form that combines the botanical with gamma cyclodextrin at 250 mg levels for enhanced absorption and a more convenient daily protocol.