Berberine

What this is. A yellow compound from plants like barberry and goldenseal. It is taken for blood sugar and metabolic support — that is where nearly all the research sits.

Berberine, with the number that matters on the front. A two-capsule serving contains 800 mg of berberine extract — but those extracts are standardised to 8% and 97%, so the actual berberine works out at about 73 mg. Here is the arithmetic.

What you are actually getting, per 2-capsule serving

• Berberine HCl Extract, standardised to 8% — 790 mg, which is about 63.2 mg of berberine
• Berberine HCl Extract, standardised to 97% — 10 mg, which is about 9.7 mg of berberine

63.2 mg plus 9.7 mg is 72.9 mg of actual berberine, from 800 mg of total extract weight.

Worth knowing before you buy

Most of the research on berberine uses 500 mg of berberine itself, two or three times a day. About 73 mg is well under that — roughly a twentieth of a full research day.

Plenty of bottles print the 800 mg and stop there, because 800 mg is a true number and it is the bigger one. We would rather show you the smaller, truer number and let you decide. If you want a research-level dose, this is not the bottle, and we will tell you that before you order rather than after.

Why sell it at all? Because some people want a low daily amount of berberine, and because a label that shows its own arithmetic is worth something. But go in knowing which number you are buying.

How to take it

Two capsules daily with 6–8 oz of water, ideally with a meal. 60 capsules — a 30-day supply.

Other ingredients

Cellulose capsule.

The capsule is plant cellulose, so this one is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Cautions

Berberine has real drug interactions, not theoretical ones. It inhibits the CYP3A4 enzyme, which is how a large share of prescription medicines are cleared, so it can raise blood levels of those drugs — check with your pharmacist before adding it to anything you take regularly. It can also lower blood sugar, so speak to your prescriber first if you take medication for diabetes. Do not take berberine if you are pregnant or nursing, and do not give it to infants or children.

Keep out of the reach of children. Do not use if the safety seal is damaged or missing. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not exceed the recommended dose. If you are taking prescription medication or living with a medical condition, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting this or any supplement.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.