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Isoquinoline plant alkaloid that activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK); trials show blood-glucose-lowering effects in type 2 diabetes approaching those of metformin, though GI side effects are common.
Insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Also known as: Berberine HCl
Every published result for this pair, extracted and audited.
These charts group published studies by what they reported and how they were run — green marks studies that reported a benefit for this pairing. Tiers run from pooled analyses of many trials (strongest) to one-off observational reports.
Direction of reported outcomes for Berberine in blood sugar control.
Study designs behind these findings.
Every measured outcome, one row per finding - numbers exactly as reported.
| Study | Design | n | Duration | Outcome measured | Reported result | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PMID 36999891 2023 | Systematic review | - | - | blood glucose levels | reported qualitatively | Benefit |
| PMID 36999891 2023 | Systematic review | - | - | blood lipids | reported qualitatively | Benefit |
| PMID 36999891 2023 | Systematic review | - | - | body parameters and composition | reported qualitatively | Benefit |
| PMID 36999891 2023 | Systematic review | - | - | colorectal adenomas | reported qualitatively | Benefit |
| PMID 36999891 2023 | Systematic review | - | - | gastrointestinal symptoms | reported qualitatively | Harm / risk |
| PMID 36999891 2023 | Systematic review | - | - | Helicobacter pylori infections | reported qualitatively | Benefit |
| PMID 36999891 2023 | Systematic review | - | - | inflammatory markers | reported qualitatively | Benefit |
| PMID 36999891 2023 | Systematic review | - | - | insulin resistance | reported qualitatively | Benefit |
| PMID 30393248 2019 | Meta-analysis | 2,313 | - | fasting plasma glucose (FPG) | -0.54 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.77 to -0.30) | Benefit |
| PMID 30393248 2019 | Meta-analysis | 2,313 | - | glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) | -0.54 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.93 to -0.15) | Benefit |
| PMID 30393248 2019 | Meta-analysis | 2,313 | - | postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) | -0.94 mmol/L (95% CI: -1.27 to -0.61) | Benefit |
| PMID 37679692 2023 | Randomised trial | 34 | 12 weeks | 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (2 h-OGTT) | 10.44 ± 0.52 to 8.12 ± 0.40 mmol/L (p<10- 5) | Benefit |
| PMID 37679692 2023 | Randomised trial | 34 | 12 weeks | Fasting insulin (FI) | 9.81 ± 0.36 to 7.88 ± 0.52 mmol/L (p<10- 5) | Benefit |
| PMID 37679692 2023 | Randomised trial | 34 | 12 weeks | Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) | 6.75 ± 0.23 to 5.33 ± 0.28 mmol/L (p<10- 5) | Benefit |
| PMID 37679692 2023 | Randomised trial | 34 | 12 weeks | Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) | 6.40% ± 0.20-5.43% ± 0.21% % (p<10- 5) | Benefit |
| PMID 37679692 2023 | Randomised trial | 34 | 12 weeks | Homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) | 3.61 ± 0.31 to 2.41 ± 0.14 (p<10- 5) | Benefit |
Hand-selected PubMed studies, linked to the originals.
Ordered by strength of evidence, then result direction.
01Adjunctive berberine for schizophrenia with metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysisXie K, et al. · Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026PMID 42433212 ↗02Clinical Efficacy of Curcumin, Resveratrol, Silymarin, and Berberine on Cardio-Metabolic Risk Factors Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systemic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-AnalysisMiao R, et al. · Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2025PMID 40439602 ↗03Efficacy and safety of berberine on the components of metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trialsLiu D, et al. · Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025PMID 40740996 ↗04The Effect of Berberine Supplementation on Glycemic Control and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Metabolic Disorders: An Umbrella Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled TrialsBe the first to share what you noticed with Berberine for blood sugar control. How we calculate this.