Berberine – a centuries old herbal medicine being turned into a pharmaceutical
It’s fascinating – and somewhat disturbing – the way that herbal medicine is being “colonised” by the pharmaceutical industry.
The latest example to reach my Inbox was a study on the use of Berberine to tread blood sugar and diabetes. The study discussed the way that a pharmaceutical product called Berberine Ursodeoxycholate – was helpful for blood sugar management without actual making any significant reference to its history.
And the jargon! I’m glad that science is catching up, but the language is a bit dense:
“By incorporating novel natural derivatives [my emphasis added] like HTD1801 into our therapeutic armamentarium, we can address patient preferences and potentially improve adherence …,”
Berberine has a centuries-long history in herbal medicine. It is a derivative of the roots of the plants barberry, goldenseal, phellodendron and Oregon mountain grape (amongst others).
It’s been known to be useful in lowering HbA1C (a reliable marker of your body’s ability to manage blood sugar levels over the previous 3 months) with little side effects and no hypoglycemia. It’s good to have further evidence that this “novel natural derivative” is effective.
Here’s a useful, broader systematic review (with many studies combined) of the positive effects of berberine:
Glucose-lowering effect of berberine on type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
You don’t have to wait until some new “wonder drug” is released – just get in touch with your your friendly online herbal medicine practitioner today.
