Posted on 10/20/2023 2:46:18 PM PDT by nickcarraway
— An obesity medicine specialist shares his insights on the new social media craze
Welcome to Culture Clinic, MedPage Today's collaboration with Northwell Health to offer a healthcare professional's take on the latest viral medical topics.
Social media is chock full of posts promising the next best weight-loss method. One of the latest trends is berberine, a bitter-tasting quaternary ammonia compoundopens in a new tab or window found in many botanical products, including goldenseal, barberry, and Oregon grape.
Indeed, many on social media are calling berberine supplements "nature's Ozempic," in a comparison to the highly popular prescription drug semaglutide (also known as Wegovy and Rybelsus), used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
MedPage Today spoke with Jamie Kane, MD, director of Northwell Health's Center for Weight Management and chief of the section of obesity medicine at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in Long Island, New York, to find out whether berberine's wholesome roots really make it the ideal candidate for shedding pounds safely.
"Berberine has been around a long time," Kane said. In the past, he said he has seen it used by patients in an effort to address conditions ranging from irritable bowel syndrome to elevated blood sugar.
But is berberine actually worth it for weight loss, or otherwise?
"Almost always, I tell people to stop taking them," Kane said of supplements. "And berberine would be no exception to that."
That's not to say that berberine doesn't have any potential benefits under the right circumstances, he added. It just hasn't been studied on a large scale.
Supplements are not FDA-regulated, Kane pointed out. "And the safety and reliability of supplements are always questionable."
"If you don't know exactly what you're taking, and you're not sure of the efficacy, the whole thing makes it very difficult to recommend," he said.
While berberine may have potential benefits in terms of blood sugar levels, eating certain foods -- such as those high in fiber -- can contribute even more, he noted. And it's not entirely clear whether any meaningful weight loss is being reported.
Additionally, there can be side effects associated with berberine, including effects on gut microbial function and liver enzymes. And it can pose certain risks to children, including from being ingested through breast milk, Kane said.
"Generally speaking, when people ask me about supplements, if it's a whole herb that is used in cooking, eat it in its whole form," he advised. "I generally would stay away from these products, period."
Some brands tend to be more reliable, especially if they allow third parties to observe the manufacturing and testing of products, he added. However, uncertainties remain without large-scale studies.
In terms of berberine or other supplements being touted on social media, that can be "alarming," Kane said, noting that he hopes people aren't initiating treatment based on "20-second snippets" or "doctored-up photos."
"I think there's a tremendous amount of anti-obesity bias," he added.
Pointing out that it remains difficult for patients to access prescription medications for weight loss, Kane said, "it's a tough spot to be in, if you feel you need help, and you're struggling. But it's not necessarily worth it, putting yourself in harm's way."
"I know it's part of the conversation for other treatments in the complementary medicine field," he said of berberine. But, "when it comes to replacing heavy-duty weight-loss medications, it's not going to be remotely comparable."
"When you look at the risk-benefit ratio, the benefit can be quite minimal, and so for most people, it's not worth the risk," he noted.
Jennifer Henderson joined MedPage Today as an enterprise and investigative writer in Jan. 2021. She has covered the healthcare industry in NYC, life sciences and the business of law, among other areas.
I took Berbine for a while.
I’m not overweight and i’m in really good shape (12.9% body fat at 209 pounds at 60YO), working out 7 days a week.
I primarily took it because i wanted to cut down on my sugar intake- i eat a ton of sweets. I found it did little for me. Started taking/eating raw honey every day to see if that will work.
In short, NO!
I am type 2 diabetic and tried berberine. No impact.
Went on Ozempic. Lost 40 lbs and it better regulated my fasting bloos glucose reading allowing my to lower my insulin to less than half.
PLEASE don’t buy the berberine hype.
My wife dropped her total cholesterol by 40 points in 90 days. I dropped my LDL by 15 in the same timespan with no diet modification.
I heard berberine is close to metformin
With Berberine? Or working out?
bbb
12.9% is underweight and unhealthy. At 209 lb. you would have to be well over 7 foot tall to be at 12.9%.
LOL- not even close. 7ft tall/209lbs is an issue. I go about 6-2.
When i trained for the Olympics i was 5.6% at 190lbs. Under 5% is considered risky for some people.
I’m much rather be 12.9% than 21.9%
Just berberine. We have always been fairly active.
I remember in the 90s, during a football game they were talking about how Jerry Rice had lowered his body fat percentage. I can’t remember the exact number, but it was lower than 5%. They showed him eating a hot dog at half time. and he said he realized that body fat percentage was too low.
Under 5% could be a problem, as i mentioned.
When i was 5.6% almost 40 years ago they started checking me often to make sure i didn’t go much lower. I used it a good excuse to drink beer!!
I’m sure it works for some people- just not me.
I never took the kung flu vax rather a host of vitamins (D, C, zinc, niacin, Quercetin) for prevention. I never got the kung flu yet vaxxed people around me have gotten it multiple times.
Point being- its not one size fits all despite what a clown like Fauci pushes. People have to find out what works for them.
As a rookie in 1985 he came to the 49ers at a muscular 208 pounds, but now he weighs 196. He is so lean that you wonder if he's sick. He likes to mess with his body fat, wants it to know that he is its master. For Rice, fat is a cornerback in man coverage with no safety in sight, a minor and ultimately irrelevant nuisance. Eschewing dietary fat, he got down to 189 a year or so ago, but the weight loss was too much. His starved body was literally eating up his muscles. His trainer ordered him to start eating things like ice cream. ''Under four percent body fat and I don't feel good,'' Rice says. ''I'm a health-food fanatic, but getting that low hurt my performance. I'm at 4.8 percent now, and I feel good.''
I did meet Rice once, but long before this article came out.
The doctor says what the men pulling the strings say to say. I WOULDN’T TAKE ANY SUPPLEMENTS...roflmao..... I don’t believe that one bit. I bet that he doesn’t give vitamins to pregnant women, or C in cold seasons either.
‘’I’m a health-food fanatic,
Definitely not me.......
Folic acid to pregnant women?
Completely agree. No potential remedy is ever fool proof.
How did you wife drop hers?
Just by introducing Berberine. You need to read up on it. It also can have a positive effect on regulating blood sugar. We found out about it from Robert Malone’s newsletter.
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