Main image courtesy of Prevention.com.
One of the most difficult things that anyone can do is try to lose weight, or maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI). Stubborn fat can seem to linger and take forever to shed off, but by maintaining a healthy diet everyday, regularly exercising, getting a good night’s sleep, and taking supplements, it can be possible to achieve the results you wish to see.
There are many supplements and health aids to take whenever you’re struggling to lose weight for a better and healthier you. One of the many weight loss supplements that many people lean towards is berberine, specifically because it helps to enhance your metabolism, which can help you to eat less, or just to avoid any unnecessary snacking.
If losing weight is crucial to you, then berberine may be the right supplement to get you started on your weight loss journey, but what are the risks to the supplement and can it affect the health of your kidneys?
If exercising daily, eating a healthy diet, or getting good sleep at night isn’t helping you to shed the weight you want, supplements may be your next step in the process. Out of the many supplement brands available, it can be hard to find one that only provides natural ingredients. Dr. Emil’s brand is different because not only does he use high-quality ingredients for all of his supplements, but he focuses on holistic health and how important it is. There is a wide selection of supplements that he provides with tons of positive benefits, including his berberine supplement, which can help to promote healthy weight loss!
In this article, we’ll discuss the following topics:
- How Berberine Can Help You Shed Weight
- Is Berberine Bad For Your Kidneys?
- How Safe is Berberine?
How Berberine Can Help You Shed Weight
Know how berberine can help you get the body of your dreams, along with other positive benefits!
Being in shape is something that a ton of people work towards. Berberine is a supplement that can help you to achieve the body goals that you wish to achieve, along with supporting the health of many other important parts of your body.
What Exactly is Berberine?
When starting a supplement, many often wonder where it comes from or what it was derived from. With berberine, it is derived from a plant, specifically from the European barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, the Oregon grape, tree turmeric, and the phellodendron. Berberine is a chemical that is found in these plants and is the main ingredient that promotes weight loss, among other positive benefits.
Berberine itself can activate an enzyme in the cells in your body called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which functions specifically to help regulate metabolism and energy levels within your body. AMPK is also responsible for turning specific genes in your body on or off. This means that it may help prevent a chronic health condition that can cause long-term damage to your body.
Berberine is a supplement that has been a part of Chinese medicine for years and it has often been used to treat patients who struggle with weight loss, are diagnosed with diabetes, or heart issues. For many people, it has helped to alleviate the painful symptoms for certain disorders and diseases.
It is important to note that this is a supplement that is available in a capsule or pill form, but it can also be applied topically through your skin if you prefer this method.
What Are the Benefits of Taking Berberine?
There are a ton of positive benefits to consider when it comes to taking berberine that can affect many different parts of your body .
Some of the common benefits to berberine consist of:
- Supports metabolism
- Aids in weight loss
- Increases energy levels
- Lowers high cholesterol
- Lower high blood pressure
- Strengthen the heartbeat
- Regulates sugar in blood
- Helps reduce swelling
- Prevents the build-up of a fatty liver
- Helps with symptoms of diabetes
- Helps aid with certain heart conditions
- Reduces risk of heart disease
- Reduces the risk of heart failure
- Reduces the growth and the spread of certain types of cancers
Is Berberine Bad For Your Kidneys?
Just like any supplement, there are always going to be some negatives, but can berberine affect your kidney health?
Learning more about berberine is not only important for your own health, but it can also play a deciding factor on if this is the right supplement for you or not. There is no better feeling than losing weight, but if there are potential long-term effects of using the supplement, especially on your kidneys, it may be something to stay away from.
What Are the Side Effects of Using Berberine?
When it comes to any supplement, there are always going to be side effects. How your body responds to berberine will play a part in if it’s the right supplement for you or not, and it’s always important to consult your doctor first before taking any medication or supplement.
Some of the most common side effects to taking berberine include the following:
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Gas
- Upset stomach
It’s also important to consider who can take berberine and who can’t. Berberine is usually recommended to obese individuals, along with people who are diagnosed with diabetes or a type of heart condition.
While many supplements are recommended for women who are pregnant, it is advised that berberine is one to avoid as it is not necessary when carrying a child, but also because of the damaging effects it can have on an unborn child.
If berberine is taken while pregnant, it can come into contact with the placenta and harm the baby before it is ever born. One of the most serious long-term health conditions that can affect unborn babies is kernicterus. Causing irreversible damage to a newborn, it can cause hearing loss and even cerebral palsy in serious cases. It is also recommended that any mother who is currently breastfeeding should not take berberine to avoid passing any of these health issues to your growing baby.
One of the most important factors to consider with any supplement are the potential side effects and how they can affect you. The best thing that you can do is contact your doctor to get an expert medical opinion on the supplement you wish to try and see if it is right for you, or if your doctor has any other recommendations.
Can Berberine Cause Damage to Your Kidneys?
When it comes to taking any supplement, it is important to know if it can cause any long-term effects on your kidneys. Your kidneys are an important organ in your body that are responsible for filtering out harmful substances in your body, and they help to remove waste in your blood and your urine. They help to control the many levels of substances in your blood, and they also help to control your blood pressure as well.
For many who are interested in taking berberine, it is crucial to know if it will cause potential damage to your kidneys over time, especially since the recent popularity of taking Ozempic for weight loss revealed the damaging effects it can have on your kidneys.
Taking berberine is a healthier and safer option for helping to lose weight and it can actually improve your kidney health and the way it functions. For example, for those who suffer from chronic kidney disease, it has helped to relieve some of the discomforting symptoms that many people experience.
Berberine helps to alter the composition of potentially bad gut microbes, which can include bacteria, fungi, viruses, and even other organisms. These microorganisms can be good for your kidneys when they can support digestion, help improve your immune system, or even help to increase your energy levels.
How to Take Berberine Supplements
According to the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), it is recommended to take 900 to 1,500mg of berberine per day. This is the recommended dosage since berberine should only be taken for six months at a time.
While it is up to you to pick the best dosage for you to start out with, start small until you get to the recommended dosage needed for you. Once your body starts to become accustomed to the berberine dosage, then you can raise it as necessary. Many doctors recommend for anyone interested in taking berberine to start by taking 500mg dosages three times a day and to slowly raise it from there.
When it comes to taking any medication or supplement it is important to listen to your body and how you are reacting to it. If your starting dosage feels like too much or it’s not enough, you can slowly decrease or increase the amount needed, but talking to your doctor first can help to get an insight into what is recommended for you.
How Safe is Berberine?
Supplements can be healthy to take, but many, like berberine, should only be taken during a set period of time.
When taking certain supplements, it’s crucial to look at the long-term effects of them and to know if they are safe to take. Many doctors recommend that berberine is not a long-term use supplement and should only be taken for a certain time span, and it’s important to know when that is.
Is Berberine a Safe Supplement to Take?
Overall, berberine is a safe supplement to take and it can only cause a few minor side effects. It is crucial to talk to your doctor before taking berberine to see if there are any potential long term effects it could have on your body.
How Long Should I Take Berberine For?
As stated previously, it is recommended to take 900 to 1,500mg of berberine daily depending on what either your doctor recommends, or what works best for your body, but it should only be taking in increments of six months at a time.
After taking it for six months, you should take a break from it for a few weeks before restarting it again. Berberine should not be taken long-term due to the potentially undesirable side effects and antimicrobial effects in your gut. It can cause a malabsorption of glucose and other important ingredients your body needs to absorb to stay healthy.
Overall, berberine is a safe supplement to take, but it is important to take breaks from it once in a while to get your body back on track.
Supplements are a great aid to add into your daily diet to ensure that you are getting all of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs. If you wish to lose weight, berberine is a great one to consider taking, where it is safe to take short-term and it doesn’t have any negative effects on your kidney health.
