Ingredient Spotlight: Berberine HCL
Here at HPS Supplements, we believe in using ingredients that are multi-dimensional, potent, and clinically backed for our customers. That’s exactly why we’re excited to introduce this next ingredient, Berberine HCL.
Berberine has been used for centuries and dates all the way back to ancient Chinese medicines. Berberine is an alkaloid that is extracted from various plants, most notably a series of shrubs called Berberis. This extract is generally a yellowish color and has also been used as a dye or coloring for foods. Used in Glucose Dispoal Agents (GDA’s) most frequently, Berberine has a long list of positive benefits including:
• Blood sugar regulation and lipid metabolism (fat oxidation)
• Activation of AMPK (also known as the Metabolic Master Switch)
• Reduced Visceral Fat and central obesity
• Improvement of triglyceride and good cholesterol levels
• Increased glycolysis (breaking down of sugars in cells)
• Mimics the effects of diet and exercise / being in a caloric deficit
• Increase beneficial bacteria in the gut
• Decrease insulin resistance (Making the insulin more effective)
• Anti-cancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties
• About 50 other things we don’t have time to list off!
We are going to touch on a few of the major results you will see with berberine as it relates to our product GlycøShield.
One of the greatest things about Berberine is its potency, even at a modest dose. In a 2008 study, 116 patients with diabetes were given 1g of Berberine per day to test its ability to lower blood sugars. The results of the study showed that the average resting blood sugar level decreased by 20% from 7.0 to 5.6 mmol/L or 126 to101 mg/dL (1). For those that may not be up to date on blood glucose numbers, 126 is considered to be in the “diabetic range” whereas 101 is on the higher end of normal levels. Essentially, after 3 months of berberine use, this study suggested that berberine, an over the counter natural supplement, is as effective as other oral type II prescription diabetes drugs.
Although anecdotal, there are many users of berberine who post their before/after blood glucose readings online that prove supplementation of berberine can bring blood sugars back to a normal range. Due to its potency, some type II diabetics have avoided using prescription medications such as Metformin, Glibenclamide due to the effects of berberine. So, what does this mean? With the inclusion of Berberine into Glycøshield, our goal is to help users keep their blood sugars in a healthy, normal range, when the meals they are consuming would otherwise elevate blood sugar into ‘diabetic ranges’; thereby eliminating the dreaded blood sugar spikes that are responsible for that sugar rush and crash, weight gain, inflammation, and other unwanted effects from high carb / sugary meals. Whether it is taken as a staple before meals containing carbohydrates or used to prevent massive spikes after cheat meals, berberine is key to keeping blood sugars regulated.
Aside from its amazing ability to lower blood sugar and regulate blood glucose levels, berberine’s main action is to activate the enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK, in simplest terms, is the enzyme that gets energy moving at a cellular level. AMPK is responsible for glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation in the body while also decreasing energy consuming processes such as protein and lipid synthesis (2). This means AMPK not only creates energy by revving up the glucose and fat burning systems, but it also is responsible for sparing proteins and healthy fats within the body! Essentially AMPK plays a MAJOR role in the regulation of your metabolism, hence its name as the “Master Switch”. Studies suggest that berberine stimulates AMPK activity within the body and enhances GLUT4 translocation (the insulin-regulated glucose transporter) in muscles and reduce lipid mass in adipocytes (fat storing cells) (3). What is all this biology nomenclature saying? Simple; berberine enhances the burning of glucose as fuel and reduces the amount of fat being stored in fat cells. In the long term, supplementation with berberine is going to help your body burn excess glucose and fat which will help you to maintain a lean figure. This is what we meant when we created the bullet point stating that it mimics putting your body in a caloric deficit or mimicking diet and exercise. Berberine has the ability to put your body in a state that is very similar to someone who diets and exercises regularly. Alone, berberine and Glycøshield can mimic diet and exercise, but when combined with even a modest training routine and sensible eating, can elevate your results rapidly.
Lastly, we want to touch on berberine’s ability to lower cholesterol in humans. This has been studied on humans specifically and not just rats. These studies stem from the high cholesterol western diet that so many Americans fall victim to. A 2004 study used berberine with 32 hypercholesterolemic patients and administered berberine orally for 3 months. At the end of the 3 months, serum cholesterol was reduced by 29%, triglycerides by 35%, and LDL (bad) cholesterol by 25%! Berberine also slows the release of free fatty acids, which can lower your overall lipid levels and prevents harmful fat from being deposited. Since cholesterol plays a big part in a healthy heart, its important to mention that berberine can also reduce apolipoprotein B, a risk factor for heart disease by up to 15%. As if berberine doesn’t already do enough for us, know it can directly benefit heart health rather than just factors that can improve heart health. This golden colored ingredient may just be the golden standard for overall health supplements!
All of these benefits from berberine can improve overall health and make it much more than just something we put in Glycøshield to help you achieve the body of your dreams while still being able to enjoy your favorite foods and beverages. Berberine has so many positives that its thought of to be a key preventer of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is known as a cluster of medical conditions that can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. We mentioned some of the effects earlier, but in order to be classified as someone with metabolic syndrome, you must show signs of 3 of the following (5):
• Increased blood pressure
• High blood sugar
• Excess bodyfat around the midsection
• Abnormal cholesterol
• Abnormal triglyceride levels
Every single point on the list above can be aided directly by the supplementation of berberine.
Since most Glycøshield users will be consuming multiple servings per day, you can ensure that you are reaping the positive benefits that come along with berberine supplementation. Even with dosages of just 500mg per day (that’s under 6 Glycøshield capsules!), you can be sure to yield all of these benefits and more. If you are curious about the loads of other benefits that berberine can provide for you, checkout some of these articles listed below to read more for yourself!
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/berberine-powerful-supplement#section2
https://examine.com/supplements/berberine/
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/06/22/berberine-benefits.aspx#_edn11
Studies:
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18397984
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2779044/
3 http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/55/8/2256.full /https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10409121
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15531889
5 https://www.medicinenet.com/metabolic_syndrome/article.htm#what_is_metabolic_syndrome
Berberine has been used for centuries and dates all the way back to ancient Chinese medicines. Berberine is an alkaloid that is extracted from various plants, most notably a series of shrubs called Berberis. This extract is generally a yellowish color and has also been used as a dye or coloring for foods. Used in Glucose Dispoal Agents (GDA’s) most frequently, Berberine has a long list of positive benefits including:
• Blood sugar regulation and lipid metabolism (fat oxidation)
• Activation of AMPK (also known as the Metabolic Master Switch)
• Reduced Visceral Fat and central obesity
• Improvement of triglyceride and good cholesterol levels
• Increased glycolysis (breaking down of sugars in cells)
• Mimics the effects of diet and exercise / being in a caloric deficit
• Increase beneficial bacteria in the gut
• Decrease insulin resistance (Making the insulin more effective)
• Anti-cancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties
• About 50 other things we don’t have time to list off!
We are going to touch on a few of the major results you will see with berberine as it relates to our product GlycøShield.
One of the greatest things about Berberine is its potency, even at a modest dose. In a 2008 study, 116 patients with diabetes were given 1g of Berberine per day to test its ability to lower blood sugars. The results of the study showed that the average resting blood sugar level decreased by 20% from 7.0 to 5.6 mmol/L or 126 to101 mg/dL (1). For those that may not be up to date on blood glucose numbers, 126 is considered to be in the “diabetic range” whereas 101 is on the higher end of normal levels. Essentially, after 3 months of berberine use, this study suggested that berberine, an over the counter natural supplement, is as effective as other oral type II prescription diabetes drugs.
Although anecdotal, there are many users of berberine who post their before/after blood glucose readings online that prove supplementation of berberine can bring blood sugars back to a normal range. Due to its potency, some type II diabetics have avoided using prescription medications such as Metformin, Glibenclamide due to the effects of berberine. So, what does this mean? With the inclusion of Berberine into Glycøshield, our goal is to help users keep their blood sugars in a healthy, normal range, when the meals they are consuming would otherwise elevate blood sugar into ‘diabetic ranges’; thereby eliminating the dreaded blood sugar spikes that are responsible for that sugar rush and crash, weight gain, inflammation, and other unwanted effects from high carb / sugary meals. Whether it is taken as a staple before meals containing carbohydrates or used to prevent massive spikes after cheat meals, berberine is key to keeping blood sugars regulated.
Aside from its amazing ability to lower blood sugar and regulate blood glucose levels, berberine’s main action is to activate the enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK, in simplest terms, is the enzyme that gets energy moving at a cellular level. AMPK is responsible for glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation in the body while also decreasing energy consuming processes such as protein and lipid synthesis (2). This means AMPK not only creates energy by revving up the glucose and fat burning systems, but it also is responsible for sparing proteins and healthy fats within the body! Essentially AMPK plays a MAJOR role in the regulation of your metabolism, hence its name as the “Master Switch”. Studies suggest that berberine stimulates AMPK activity within the body and enhances GLUT4 translocation (the insulin-regulated glucose transporter) in muscles and reduce lipid mass in adipocytes (fat storing cells) (3). What is all this biology nomenclature saying? Simple; berberine enhances the burning of glucose as fuel and reduces the amount of fat being stored in fat cells. In the long term, supplementation with berberine is going to help your body burn excess glucose and fat which will help you to maintain a lean figure. This is what we meant when we created the bullet point stating that it mimics putting your body in a caloric deficit or mimicking diet and exercise. Berberine has the ability to put your body in a state that is very similar to someone who diets and exercises regularly. Alone, berberine and Glycøshield can mimic diet and exercise, but when combined with even a modest training routine and sensible eating, can elevate your results rapidly.
Lastly, we want to touch on berberine’s ability to lower cholesterol in humans. This has been studied on humans specifically and not just rats. These studies stem from the high cholesterol western diet that so many Americans fall victim to. A 2004 study used berberine with 32 hypercholesterolemic patients and administered berberine orally for 3 months. At the end of the 3 months, serum cholesterol was reduced by 29%, triglycerides by 35%, and LDL (bad) cholesterol by 25%! Berberine also slows the release of free fatty acids, which can lower your overall lipid levels and prevents harmful fat from being deposited. Since cholesterol plays a big part in a healthy heart, its important to mention that berberine can also reduce apolipoprotein B, a risk factor for heart disease by up to 15%. As if berberine doesn’t already do enough for us, know it can directly benefit heart health rather than just factors that can improve heart health. This golden colored ingredient may just be the golden standard for overall health supplements!
All of these benefits from berberine can improve overall health and make it much more than just something we put in Glycøshield to help you achieve the body of your dreams while still being able to enjoy your favorite foods and beverages. Berberine has so many positives that its thought of to be a key preventer of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is known as a cluster of medical conditions that can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. We mentioned some of the effects earlier, but in order to be classified as someone with metabolic syndrome, you must show signs of 3 of the following (5):
• Increased blood pressure
• High blood sugar
• Excess bodyfat around the midsection
• Abnormal cholesterol
• Abnormal triglyceride levels
Every single point on the list above can be aided directly by the supplementation of berberine.
Since most Glycøshield users will be consuming multiple servings per day, you can ensure that you are reaping the positive benefits that come along with berberine supplementation. Even with dosages of just 500mg per day (that’s under 6 Glycøshield capsules!), you can be sure to yield all of these benefits and more. If you are curious about the loads of other benefits that berberine can provide for you, checkout some of these articles listed below to read more for yourself!
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/berberine-powerful-supplement#section2
https://examine.com/supplements/berberine/
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/06/22/berberine-benefits.aspx#_edn11
Studies:
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18397984
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2779044/
3 http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/55/8/2256.full /https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10409121
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15531889
5 https://www.medicinenet.com/metabolic_syndrome/article.htm#what_is_metabolic_syndrome