This is a guest post by Dr. Lara Briden who blogs about hormones over at LaraBriden.com
As a naturopathic doctor specializing in PCOS and period problems, I treat a lot of acne. I can’t imagine doing it without the herbal medicine berberine.
Berberine simply works for acne, and the best thing is that it works quickly. One clinical study found that berberine improved acne by 45% after just four weeks [1].
What is Berberine?
Berberine not one herb. It is a phytonutrient or active constituent found in a number of different herbs including the much-loved goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), barberry (Berberis vulgaris) and the Chinese herb Phellodendron amurense.
All of those berberine-containing herbs have a long history (centuries) of traditional use.
4 Ways that Berberine Helps Acne
- It’s a natural antibiotic. Berberine has antimicrobial properties so it reduces the number of Propionibacteria that contribute to acne.
- It improves insulin sensitivity [2]. In other words, berberine lowers insulin. This is important because high insulin is a key driving factor behind acne. Insulin triggers the release of a hormone called IGF-1 and an enzyme called mTOR. Both IGF-1 and mTor are a perfect storm for acne because they promote excessive production of sebum, keratin and inflammation. The insulin-acne link is explored in the research paper “Diet in Acne: Further Evidence for the Role of Nutrient Signalling in Acne Pathogenesis” [3].⇒Tip: Berberine lowers insulin, but it’s important to combine it with an insulin-lowering diet, which means reducing or eliminating concentrated sugar and dairy products.
- It reduces testosterone in women. Berberine blocks the production of testosterone by ovarian thecal cells [4]. This makes berberine a particularly good choice for PCOS-sufferers with acne.
- It reduces inflammation. Berberine inhibits the expression of inflammatory cytokines [5], which (together with its anti-microbial effect) explains why it works so quickly.
How to Take Berberine
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Berberine-containing herbs taste quite bitter, so they’re best taken as a tablet or capsule.
A number of supplement brands offer tablets of goldenseal, barberry, or phellodendron extract.
If you use goldenseal, then please choose a sustainably sourced product, as goldenseal is endangered in the wild.
A good product I recommend is Thorne Berberine, sourced from Indian barberry.
What to Expect
Most of my patients report some improvement (30 or 40%) within 6 weeks of starting berberine.
It works best in combination with diet and other acne supplements such as zinc.
Full improvement of acne (with any treatment) can take up to six months or longer. (That’s because it takes that long for the pore to expel the sebum plug.)
Precautions
Berberine is a safe herb, and has a long track record in traditional use. However, it should not be taken during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
And it should be used with caution when combined with prescription medication such as antidepressants, beta-blockers or immunosuppressants, because it can alter the blood levels of those medications.
If in doubt, please seek professional advice.
One final caution is that berberine is anti-microbial, so it will affect intestinal bacteria.
In the short term, this effect is beneficial. Berberine has been shown to improve bowel health [6] and repair intestinal permeability [7].
In the long term, however, I am cautious with berberine. I usually recommend taking it six days per week (one day break), and stopping it for one month after three month’s use.
It can then be resumed, if needed. Often, it is not needed again because the other treatments (diet and zinc) will have had a chance to work.
References
- Fouladi RF. Aqueous extract of dried fruit of Berberis vulgaris L. in acne vulgaris, a clinical trial. J Diet Suppl. 2012 Dec;9(4):253-61. PMID: 23038982
- Kong WJ, Zhang H et al. Berberine reduces insulin resistance through protein kinase C-dependent up-regulation of insulin receptor expression. Metabolism. 2009 ;58(1):109-19. PMID: 19059538
- Melnik BC. Diet in acne: further evidence for the role of nutrient signalling in acne pathogenesis. Acta Derm Venereol. 2012 May;92(3):228-31. PMID: 22419445
- Zhao L, Li W et al. Berberine reduces insulin resistance induced by dexamethasone in theca cells in vitro. Fertil Steril. 2011 ;95(1):461-3. PMID: 20840879
- Wang Q et al. Effect of berberine on proinflammatory cytokine production by ARPE-19 cells following stimulation with tumor necrosis factor-α. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012 Apr 30;53(4):2395-402. PMID: 22427564
- Han J, Lin H, Huang W. Modulating gut microbiota as an anti-diabetic mechanism of berberine. Med Sci Monit. 2011;17(7): 164-167. PMID: 21709646
- Gu L et al. Berberine ameliorates intestinal epithelial tight-junction damage and down-regulates myosin light chain kinase pathways in a mouse model of endotoxinemia. J Infect
Lara Briden is a naturopathic doctor with nearly twenty years experience in women’s health. She is also the author of Period Repair Manual. Read her blog and learn more at www.larabriden.com
Is there a link to buy berberine? Is there a certain brand you would recommend buying? Thanks for the post!
Hi Sarah,
My naturopath carries the Thorne Research Berberine and that’s what I’ve taken. Thorne is a pretty great brand and their products are top notch.
Meagan
Yay! So happy to see two of my favourite health bloggers in one space. Great post, Lara. I’m looking forward to reading your book.
You mentioned in the post that berberine is not just one herb so when I looked up Thorne Research Berberine it only contains one active compound (Berberine HCl 500mg). Is this right? Help!
Hi Jas,
Berberine is the active ingredient derived from a number of different herbs (depending on the product). The Thorne Research product is berberine derived from Indian Barberry. I do like Thorne Research, and I often prescribe their berberine.
Hi Lara
This is an interesting article Are there other pill brands you would recommend besides Thorne that I might be able to get at a vitamin store?Are Berberine and Barberry the same thing?
What is a standard amount of daily milligram for the 6 days per week for the first three months?
Hey JaRae, I’ve seen Lara say that you should just take it as directed on the particular Berberine supplement you’re taking!
I recently bought Estroblock (regular),THORNE RESEARCH – S.A.T. and Evening Primrose oil for my hormonal adult acne. Can I take berbarine along with all of them? I’m afraid I will take too much supplements together that somehow they will hurt my stomach even worse.. or thoes scary side effects will occur due to mix of bunch of supplements..
Hi! You mentioned berbarine is not recommended for someone who is pregnant or breastfeeding. Can you explain why, as I am a nursing mother and have had a hard time finding many products/supplements that claim to be safe while breastfeeding? I am more so just curious. Thanks!
Hi Ashley,
I believe the reason it’s contraindicated is because it can cause jaundice in infants.
I started my natural skin care journey while I was breastfeeding my son because my skin was AWFUL, and your best bet is probably seeing a naturopath to help guide you and ensure what you’re taking is safe for you and baby. I did candida cleanses while nursing, and my naturopath put me on Formula SF722, an antifungal from Thorne Research that is safe while breastfeeding. I noticed the inflammation cut down significantly within a few days of started the pills. I took them for a year. I also took FCLO/Butter oil and one Estroblock regular strength tablet. I hope this helps!
Meagan
Hi there!
I started taking berberine for a bit but forgot about it. The 3 month, 6 day/week guideline sounds more helpful!
Here is my question: for a 400 MG supplement brand, which says to take 1 capsule 15 minutes before a carb – containing meal, will one capsule a day be sufficient for the 3 months?
Hey Kay, I personally don’t know, but I’ve seen Lara say to just take it as directed on the particular Berberine supplement you’re taking
I really want to take this supplement. What is a good brand that I can buy online or at a health food store? I don’t want to waste my money on something that isn’t good quality. I wanted to purchase the berberine offered by Thorne Research, but I didn’t realize that their products aren’t available to order online. I really need some advice!
Hey Audrey, you can definitely buy Thorne products online! Here’s the link to buy it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1F2TB8y
That’s great! Thanks so much!
Can you tell me if it is safe to take berberine while I am still taking Metformin? I am weaning off the Met, but of course it is taking awhile. I would like to try this, but afraid my blood sugar might get too low of I do both at the same time? Thank you!
-Sarah-
How much zinc would you reccomends to take along with the berberine? And should I worry abut supplementing with copper? I’ve read too much zinc can interfere with copper absorption.
I don’t know what Lara would say, but I recommend zinc picolinate no more than 50 mg per day or whatever it says on the bottle. And I might be wrong about this but I think the more common problem is people having too much copper and it depleting their zinc. So taking zinc should balance it
I wondered if berberine increases estrogen? Thanks for your thoughts!
I’m not aware of it having any direct effect on estrogen
I started taking DIM-plus about a month ago for my acne. I’ve seen a little improvement, but I still have tons of acne all over my face (mainly under my cheekbones). I was wondering if I could take berberine at the same time, or would it mess with my hormones too much?
Thanks,
Lauren
Hi Lauren, I believe you can take them at the same time with no problem (also make sure you give DIM a chance for a good two or three months before giving up, it can take a few months to really show the full results)
Hi there! Any link between berberine and spotting? I started taking it last week (for acne, I do not have PCOS that I know of) and after about 5-6 days I started having heavy bleeding which is extremely unusual for me. Since it reduces testosterone I wondered if maybe it could be the cause? Thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Brooke, I hope Dr. Briden sees this and answers your question as I am not sure
Hey! I recently started taking Estroblock and vitex, will is cause any problems to take berberine too?
Thanks,
Sarah
Hi,
I am Amir from India. I am myself suffering from Type II Diabetic since past 5 years. Had been taking oral medicines to
control my blood sugar (Metformin). Recently heard about berberine. Since India is an Ancient country and in earlier days
before western medicine Ayurvedic treatment was the only option. I started taking berberine recently in 3 doses of 500mg
before each meal. The results are amazing. My sugar levels dropped down. Giving it bit of more time and then I will get my
Hba1c tested. I have also lost 1kg in one week. It has also helped me in maintaining my cholestorol levels.
Berberine is a herb found in India and since I have found out so many people inquiring about berberine, I thought it would
be better to share this with others.
I have tried searching for Berberine capsules online and surprisingly its being sold at a very high price. Here in India,
this particular medicine is not that expensive.
If you would like to order it from India, I can help in the same. Just drop me a mail at 1981.amir@gmail.com.
100% genuine product. It would not be of any brand since I would be getting it directly from the Ayurvedic Herb Collectors
accross Himalaya mountain ranges. These people are from small villages.
If you would like to order just drop me an email and I would enquire about the cost and shipping it to your country.
You can order it in form of 50/100 capsule(500mg) bottles.
Hope to see you benifited from this amazing herb.
Hi,
Can i use Berberine if i am trying to conceive?
When I was trying to conceive I took berberine for the first two weeks of my cycle prior to ovulation and then waited until my period arrived to start the next cycle. This was what my naturopath advised.
Is it a good idea to take probiotics along with this?
Lara, thank you very much for a wonderful post!
While reading this, I got one question: I do have PCOS (very manageable), but do believe my acne may be from it as well as am looking for a natural way on how to get rid of those cysts on one of my ovaries.
Would you suggest taking Berberine for treating PCOS?
Thank you very much for your time in advance.
My 12 year old daughter has acne that is starting to get pretty bad. She is begging me to buy her all these different face washes and creams and I have been hesitant because of how bad they are for the skin and body. Would this supplement and a zinc supplement be a good choice for her? I don’t think she would be able to swallow a large capsule so do you think we could open it up and pour the contents into something she could eat, like applesauce or yogurt?
Hi Heather, sorry to hear that! The creams and washes will only make it worse, but I understand her desire of course.. we’ve all been there. Sometimes you just have to try all the stuff that doesn’t work before you can see for yourself that there are better options. However, I can’t say which supplements would be effective for her! Everyone is so different
Hi Heather, I agree with Tracy that everyone is so different so it may work for her, but it may not. I’d recommend taking her to see a naturopath, if you’re able to afford it, to recommend what she should try. Berberine is crazy bitter-tasting, so pretty much swallowing a pill is the only way to go. I think it would be hard to mask in food.
Hi I have a question. If I start taking berberine, will I breakout more while acne is healing or will the acne stop getting worst right away? Thankyou very much.
Acne sufferer