A compound called berberine is one of the most effective natural supplements available. It has very impressive health benefits, and affects your body at the molecular level. Berberine has been shown to lower blood sugar, cause weight loss and improve heart health, to name a few. It is one of the few supplements shown to be as effective as a pharmaceutical drug.
There are many studies that Berberine is neuroprotective.
Thank you very much Kia for sharing this. I have never used it and your article makes me want to look into this more. I would be very interested to hear from other users.
I remember Art and Bolt posting about berberine and I think LAJ's husband has been taking it. May be it's something to consider adding to our regular supplements like HDT, mannitol, etc. Are you taking it Kia?
Thank you for your input Faridaro.I have been taking it for the past few weeks. It works very well so far with increased focus , stamina and feelings much better in general. I noticed that I can walk faster than before taking it and it keeps my blood sugar steady throughout the day. I think it’s worth researching this beautiful natural supplement.
I've read about berberine before and recall that it is to be taken for a period of time and cycled off for a period of time. What is your schedule for using this supplement?
I wrote about Berberine awhile back. Diabetes seems to be one of its more popular uses, but recent studies point at its benefits in neurodegenerative diseases. In mice it has been shown to increase Levodopa production in the gut.
Very interesting that both Berberine and Mannitol are used for diabetes. Husband takes Mannitol.Balance powder and his facial expressions improved greatly and has less apathy. Also on the HB1 protocol. All good.
Thanks for the link, Art. The link to your post - I'll need 2 cups of coffee to sit down and read all the information - lots of material to go through - thanks for all the time you take in providing info, links and more. Much appreciated.
That sounds great - we all need increased focus and stamina especially as we age. How much berberine are you taking and which brand? Solaray has a good product with no fillers/ flowing agents and many good reviews. Thinking of getting it.
For me with a very fast MAO A activity (75%) more than the wilde type, this small amount done a great job so far.I may try increasing dosage but continue with 250 mg for some more time.
I have been researching it as well. I’ve read that like Metformin it can decrease exercise stamina. Have you experienced that? Some people take metformin just once a week , microdose on days they aren’t training. Are you taking any NAD precursors like NR, NMN, or niacin? Or TMG/Betaine? I just started Trans Resveratrol and 250 mg a day of niacin with the intention of transitioning to NR. Do you know if Berberine is compatible with these?
I amnot taking NAD or niacin regularly, but noticed increased stamina with taking berberine alone. No experience of taking TMG or Betain with Berberine.I recommend looking into Quinolinic acid pathway ( From Tryptophan to one of it’s final metabolites as QUIN acid) before introducing any other supplements with Berberine. Berberine reduces QUIN production so has neuroprotective properties.
Berberine is indeed very powerful and beneficial but I prefer to cycle the supplement that activates AMPK/autophagy and affects mTOR/protein synthesis. See below why.
Yes my husband took it along with Allimed garlic extract for rosacea and acne and potential stomach issues. It worked for the rosacea and acne at least . He used the Thorne brand.
He took :
Berberine 1x2 per day + Alimed 1x 3 per day for 3 days
Then berberine 2x 2 per day + allimed 2x 3 per day for 4 days.
The next week he took a probiotic.
Then back to berberine/ allimed.
He cycled this way for a months until rosacea was gone.
It made him feel quite sick so I would advise cleaning up diet first removing all sugar and gluten or at least reduce carbs for a month or so to decrease bacteria in gut so there isn’t so much die off.
Allimed garlic extract for Rosacea. How interesting. My dermatologist gives me creams and my skin is quite sensitive so creams don't always work - makes rashes etc. worse! I'll have to looked into this Allimed. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this very important information on Berberine. Same goes for Art and Rescuema!
As we all know, most of the good PwP on this forum take various supplements and nootropics. Does one need to drop one of their nootropics and replace it with Berberine? IE, drop Lions Mane and replace it with Berberine? Cycling is not easy for the layperson who is very busy all day long caring for her/his PwP (me ). So, I have my husband cycle EVERYTHING on WEs, and start over on Monday. Is this a kind of cycling?
Hubby is not diabetic and he doesn't need to lose weight. Would be OK to start Berberine?
Hi Despe, I totally understand your concerns. Berberine is very useful but complex compound and I am very new to it. There are thousands of researches about Berberine. If things go on well with taking Berberine, I will do a full liver function test in a couple of months time and see how I am going to cycle off it. In my opinion Berberine isn’t not for everyone. For instance people who are not able to tolerate Sinemet or green tea , Berberine will add more problems to their existing ones. Or people who are hypoglycemic. I wish I was more helpful.
A quick update: For the past days I noticed I was more focused with more energy which was amazing but feeling something wasn’t okay and I became irritable gradually and yesterday had much more irritability and mood swings that I have not had for years.I didn’t take Berberine today and feel totally normal. I think Berberine has cumulative effects and keep dopamine and norepinephrine much longer in the body. My first guess is Berberine might not be everyday supplement. I will update if I resume with lower dosage or notice any changes.
Yes! You are right. Sorry for asking Kia, are you pre- or diabetic? Heart problems or weight problems? You don't have to answer, but I am trying to determine how Berberine will affect these health issues.
Pharmacological effects of berberine on mood disorders
"Either acute or chronic administration of berberine at low doses results in increased levels of NE, 5‐HT, and DA in whole‐brain samples. Kulkarni et al showed that acute administration of berberine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice caused increased levels of norepinephrine (31%), serotonin (47%), and dopamine (31%). Chronic administration of berberine (5 mg/kg, ip) for 15 days significantly increased the levels of norepinephrine (29%), serotonin (19%) as well as dopamine (52%).12 These increases in biogenic amine levels are attributed to the inhibition of monoamine oxidase by berberine."
I have investigated berberine but have not taken it. I set a limit on the amount of herbs I take and my two favorite 2 are Scutellaria baicalensis/Chinese skullcap and Olea Europaea/olive leaf extract. Scutellaria baicalensis is a used in 51 different Chinese herbal combinations to combat disease. I take it as the whole herb and a separate dose of its main ingrediant, baicalin. Think of it this way, tumeric is to curcumin as scutellaria baicalensis is to baicalin. Baicalin is a powerful antiinflammatory which is good for osteo arthritis (and number other conditions). If you want to know more about the herb scullcap here is a fine study.
Flavones from the Root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi – Drugs of the Future
in Neurodegeneration and Neuroprotection?
"Therefore, baicalin, baicalein, oroxylin A, and wogonin
have been widely used in therapy of oxidative stress in aging and immunological
disorders; also, they are considered as promising medicines in the treatment
of acute cerebral ischemia and in prevention and alleviation of symptoms in
neurodegenerative diseases, especially in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and
If you take this herb you should not take it with NAC (N-acetylcysteine) or ascorbic acid/vitamin C.
"This is an important observation which proves that in addition to their strong antioxidant effect, the Scullcap flavones exert also a pro-oxidative activity, which could be revealed in the presence of reducing compounds. Thus, in general, their application together with reducing agents (N-acetylcysteine, ascorbic acid, etc.) should be avoided."
The only potential problem with the herb is the component wogonin.
"Even if some authors announce that wogonin
could increase the glutamate neurotoxicity and the effect remains to be precisely
evaluated, current human use of Scullcap crude extract seems to be safe, since the
wogonin content in the extract is very low (about 20-fold lower than baicalein).
However, an attractive future strategy aimed to regenerate neuronal tissue in brain
damage and neurodegenerative diseases will need an application of higher doses of
pure wogonin (currently available is synthetic wogonin), and in this case, wogonin
should be used together with glutamate receptor inhibitors."
Having read this I take the non-protein amino acid L-theanine (derived from white, green, black, oolong and pureh tea(s) in conjuction with the herb. Not only with theanine a calming anti-anxiety agent, it....
L-theanine protects the APP (Swedish mutation) transgenic SH-SY5Y cell against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity via inhibition of the NMDA receptor pathway
This, (and other studies) have noted that skullcap has a mild sedative effect plus anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties so the best time to take it (and theanine) is prior to bedtime. Scutellaria baicalensis is a fine herb and I have taken it (with baicalin/baicalein) for years.
He does not have to quit taking vitamin C or NAC - just take them at lunch time. Considering the downstream product of NAC is glutathione and glutathione helps the body recycle vitamin C they should be taken together. Vitamin C is metabolized by the body in about an hour and a half. I do not know how long it takes NAC to be converted into glutathione by the liver but every science study I read says NAC is converted 'rapidly'. I take whole skullcap (and baicalin, theanine) about an hour prior to bedtime so there is plenty of time difference between taking NAC/C and skullcap/baicalin.
As for purchasing baicalin, in my opinion, there is only 1 supplier for my money:
The scoop included with the purchase can hold 250 milligrams which equates into 200 servings..in other words it is pretty cost effective. In a Chinese study of kidney disease patients were given 2,200 mg/day of baicalin so 250 mg is very safe. In a covid-19 study Chinese researchers suggested that 1,600 mg/day of injected baicalin could be a treatment. I have been taking this supplement for years.
As for taking the whole herb, the field of potential online retailers is much wider. I purchase the whole herb from Swanson because their products are good and economical - but this brand is not organic. Because of shipping cost I usually purchase several items (or several bottles of skullcap) at the same time.
Ebay is the place to buy bulk organic skullcap. Note there are 2 types of skullcap you can purchase: Chinese skullcap/Scutellaria baicalensis or American skullcap/Scutellaria lateriflora. I use Chinese skullcap because it has more baicalin than the American skullcap.
If you are interested in purchasing theanine the best bargain online is here:
I have investigated berberine but have not taken it. I set a limit on the amount of herbs I take and my two favorite 2 are Scutellaria baicalensis/Chinese skullcap and Olea Europaea/olive leaf extract. Scutellaria baicalensis is a used in 51 different Chinese herbal combinations to combat disease. I take it as the whole herb and a separate dose of its main ingrediant, baicalin. Think of it this way, tumeric is to curcumin as scutellaria baicalensis is to baicalin. Baicalin is a powerful antiinflammatory which is good for osteo arthritis (and number other conditions). If you want to know more about the herb scullcap here is a fine study.
Flavones from the Root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi – Drugs of the Future
in Neurodegeneration and Neuroprotection?
"Therefore, baicalin, baicalein, oroxylin A, and wogonin
have been widely used in therapy of oxidative stress in aging and immunological
disorders; also, they are considered as promising medicines in the treatment
of acute cerebral ischemia and in prevention and alleviation of symptoms in
neurodegenerative diseases, especially in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and
If you take this herb you should not take it with NAC (N-acetylcysteine) or ascorbic acid/vitamin C.
"This is an important observation which proves that in addition to their strong antioxidant effect, the Scullcap flavones exert also a pro-oxidative activity, which could be revealed in the presence of reducing compounds. Thus, in general, their application together with reducing agents (N-acetylcysteine, ascorbic acid, etc.) should be avoided."
The only potential problem with the herb is the component wogonin.
"Even if some authors announce that wogonin
could increase the glutamate neurotoxicity and the effect remains to be precisely
evaluated, current human use of Scullcap crude extract seems to be safe, since the
wogonin content in the extract is very low (about 20-fold lower than baicalein).
However, an attractive future strategy aimed to regenerate neuronal tissue in brain
damage and neurodegenerative diseases will need an application of higher doses of
pure wogonin (currently available is synthetic wogonin), and in this case, wogonin
should be used together with glutamate receptor inhibitors."
Having read this I take the non-protein amino acid L-theanine (derived from white, green, black, oolong and pureh tea(s) in conjuction with the herb. Not only with theanine a calming anti-anxiety agent, it....
L-theanine protects the APP (Swedish mutation) transgenic SH-SY5Y cell against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity via inhibition of the NMDA receptor pathway
This, (and other studies) have noted that skullcap has a mild sedative effect plus anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties so the best time to take it (and theanine) is prior to bedtime. Scutellaria baicalensis is a fine herb and I have taken it (with baicalin/baicalein) for years.
Despe, Thank you for asking. I have resumed taking Berberine with lower dose(100mg) once a day from today. I plan to take every other day and see how it goes on. Berberine has additive effects once taken with other foods, supplements and medications with the same properties. I will update here if I notice something new.
I have been taking berberine for a few months upon recommendation of my pharmacist friend Igor after the doctor spotted that I was prediabetic. I have lost 12lbs. Hopefully it will alsobenefit the pd. (I am in year 12 and my balance is rather bad). Best Wishes.
Berberine, both improves insulin sensitivity and reduces insulin resistance while protecting the kidneys against damage seen in diabetes as well as protecting against diabetic retinopathy, which are two very important attributes of berberine when it comes to diabetes. At the right dose it should have shifted you away from prediabetic and back toward the normal range.
If Berberine alone has not triggered that shift, adding a bioavailable form of Magnesium like magnesium glycinate should do it. Magnesium helps to control blood glucose, and if constipation is an issue, magnesium citrate may be a better choice than magnesium glycinate.
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). So, I have my husband cycle EVERYTHING on WEs, and start over on Monday. Is this a kind of cycling? 
Starting fresh - probiotics 
