Metformin has been a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metformin helps to lower blood glucose levels and improves insulin sensitivity, which is helpful for both of these diseases. But it causes side effects, and so some people would rather not stick to the metformin long term because it only works as long as you keep taking it. What about berberine? Is it a better alternative?
More than 25 years ago, people discovered berberine. It’s a natural plant-derived compound from herbs like golden seal and barberry. It’s gained a lot of attention as a potential substitute for metformin—it gives you some of the same results. So several studies have been done over the years and they suggest that berberine can match or even surpass what metformin can do in improving metabolic health (things like glucose control, improving lipid profiles, and even balancing hormones without needing a prescription). These are all possible with berberine.
Research Says…
Let’s take a look quickly at a couple of studies comparing metformin and berberine head to head.
Head to Head Comparison: Berberine vs. Metformin for Diabetes
A 2008 pilot study on adults with type 2 diabetes found berberine (500 mg three times daily) performed comparably to metformin in reducing hemoglobin A1c (from 9.5% to 7.5%, P<0.01), fasting blood glucose (from 10.6 mmol/L to 6.9 mmol/L, P<0.01), and postprandial blood glucose (from 19.8 mmol/L to 11.1 mmol/L, P<0.01) over three months. Berberine even outperformed metformin in lipid management, significantly lowering triglycerides (by 0.24 mmol/L, P<0.05) and total cholesterol (by 0.57 mmol/L, P<0.05). Safety was favorable, with transient gastrointestinal issues in about 34.5% of patients, but no liver or kidney damage observed.
With results like this in 2008, it is surprising that more people don’t use berberine than metformin. But it could just be that there are more salesmen pushing metformin than berberine—and the general public does not know that berberine works just as well as metformin with fewer side effects. But now, at least YOU know.
Berberine for PCOS: 2022 Study
I don’t know what happened in all the years between 2008 and 2022, but finally there’s a great study with women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8890747/). This is a condition that affects up to 1 in 10 women of childbirth age. It causes irregular periods, excess hair, acne, and fertility issues, all due to hormone imbalances and insulin resistance.
So in 2022, this trial from India compared berberine, metformin, and myoinositol, which is a helper-like vitamin for insulin. The trial included 129 women aged 15 to 40. Each group got their treatment twice a day for three months—500 mg twice a day for berberine, or 500 mg twice a day for metformin, or 1000 mg twice a day of myoinositol. There was no recommended change in diet or exercise to limit the results to just what was being tested.
Well, it turns out that the researchers picked three winners: berberine, metformin, and myoinositol—they all worked. But for some aspects berberine actually worked better. Body weight dropped about 4 kilograms in the berberine and metformin groups, and 2 kilograms with Myoinositol. BMI, or the Body Mass Index, improved in all groups.
Better Weight Management with Berberine
But for waist size, berberine won big, shrinking it by 4 cm versus 2 cm for the others. And the waist-to-hip ratio, which is another marker for heart health, improved the most with berberine too. Blood sugar and insulin improved in all the groups. But for just pure insulin sensitivity improvements, myoinositol worked best, falling 46% versus 22% for berberine.
Hormone Improvements with Berberine
Well, what about fixing the imbalanced hormones seen in PCOS? Total testosterone dropped similarly in all groups, but berberine boosted sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG, which binds up free testosterone so it causes less symptoms) more than the others, leading to the biggest drop in free androgen index. So berberine has a slight edge in hormone balancing as well.
Extra Benefits of Berberine: Blood Lipid Improvements
While metformin and myoinositol helped with body weight and blood sugar issues, berberine shined when it came to blood lipids. Berberine slashed total cholesterol by 13%, dropped triglycerides by 6%, and LDL cholesterol by 17%, while raising the HDL cholesterol level by 5%.
This was great, but metformin was better in this study for lowering triglycerides, scoring about a 33% drop. Overall, the study showed that berberine matched metformin’s classic benefits, but also had extra benefits for body shape, improving hormones, and decreasing heart disease risks.
Three women quit metformin because of gut issues, versus none on berberine. The natural berberine treatment is probably gentler for some people.
Wrapping it Up
So, if your doctor is pressuring you to try metformin, now you know that you have an alternative. Berberine, especially the berberine phytosome. works really well. But even standard berberine has been shown to help control blood sugar levels and blood lipid levels, and help normalize hormones in PCOS, and help with weight loss—especially around the middle. So berberine is a solid alternative to metformin.
Of course, you can reverse your diabetes without taking berberine at all. You really just need to lose about 35 pounds of body weight and be disciplined about following a healthy lifestyle. It is the weight loss that will ultimately drive down fatty liver (causes high fasting blood glucose) and fat-inhibited pancreatic action. But meanwhile, if you want a little help to get better results faster, you should talk to your health care provider about using berberine. It might be a great option for you.
If you want the highest possibility of successfully reversing your diabetes in the least amount of time, with the least amount of frustration, consider working with me. Commitment, accountability, and the magic of 1:1 coaching will go a long ways in helping with your success.
