Article Summary:
- As an antioxidant, berberine positively influences several biochemical pathways associated with glucose metabolism.*
- Unformulated berberine is bitter and has low bioavailability, resulting in poor patient compliance and absorption in the body.
- Tesseract’s BerberActiv® is a unique formulation with enhanced palatability and bioavailability to support optimal glucose metabolism in your body.*
Berberine, a natural compound found in the roots, rhizomes, and stem bark of plants, such as Berberis aristata (tree turmeric), Berberis aquifolium (Oregon grape), and Berberis vulgaris (barberry), is known for its significant therapeutic potential. The antioxidant properties of berberine and its role in supporting the body’s natural inflammatory response have long been associated with promoting endocrine health, particularly in benefiting glucose metabolism.*
Below, we discuss berberine’s glucose-supporting properties and how including a berberine supplement in your diet can help maintain optimal glucose metabolism in your body.
How Does Berberine Promote Glucose Metabolism?
Glucose is integral to energy production in the body. All carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins that we consume are ultimately broken down into glucose, which serves as the final substrate entering tissue cells and converting to adenosine triphosphate or ATP — the compound that drives energy production in our cells.
The level of blood glucose in your body increases after you eat, which simultaneously increases insulin secretion from the pancreas. Insulin converts glucose to glycogen that is then deposited in the liver. As the blood glucose concentration falls gradually during the next few hours after a meal, the liver releases glucose back into the blood, thereby decreasing fluctuations. Several different organs participate in glucose metabolism in the body, including the nervous system, pancreas, liver, gut, and adipose cells or adipocytes.
Glucose metabolism involves various biochemical pathways, including:
- Glycolysis: The breakdown of glucose by the action of different enzymes to convert the glucose into pyruvic acid and release energy.
- Gluconeogenesis: Glucose synthesis from non-carbohydrate components in the mitochondria of liver cells.
- Glycogenesis: The process of storing excess glucose as glycogen in the liver.
- Glycogenolysis: The breakdown of glycogen into glucose, stimulated by the glucagon hormone secreted by the pancreas.
Glucose tolerance in the body is regulated by our circadian cycle, with peak glucose tolerance for metabolism in the mornings and peak glycogen storage in the evening. The varied timings of fuel utilization by the body throughout the day create the glucose metabolism cycle.
Let’s look at how berberine helps support glucose metabolism.*
| Berberine’s Glucose Support Properties* | |
| Addressing Insulin Resistance: Berberine enhances1 the physiological stimulation of glucose through a cascade reaction of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a critical stimulant to induce insulin secretion and reduce insulin resistance.* Berberine also enhances the sensitivity of the liver, muscle tissues, and fat to insulin.* | |
| Promoting Insulin Secretion: The antioxidant properties of berberine protect pancreatic islet cells and promote insulin secretion by enhancing the activation of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signal pathway.* | |
| Inhibiting Gluconeogenesis: Berberine promotes2 glucose uptake and inhibits gluconeogenesis by inhibiting protein SIRT3 and regulating mitochondria-related pathways.* | |
| Stimulating Glycolysis: Berberine-induced activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway is likely3 a consequence of mitochondrial inhibition of glucose oxidation, resulting in stimulation of glycolysis.* | |
| Limiting Intestinal Absorption of Glucose: Berberine reduces4 the activity of the enzyme disaccharidase and slows the digestion of carbohydrates in the intestine.* | |
| Modulating Gut Microbiota: Berberine positively influences5 the gut microbiota, enriching the population of butyrate-producing bacteria.* Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) help enhance insulin secretion to improve blood glucose levels.By promoting the population of butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut microbiota, berberine indirectly helps in glucose metabolism. |
Several clinical studies suggest berberine’s beneficial effects on glucose metabolism. However, the poor bioavailability of berberine and its bitter taste hinder its efficacy and can pose challenges to patient compliance. A nutritional supplement containing nano-formulated berberine shows more promising results than unformulated berberine.
A Supplement Utilizing Berberine’s Glucose-Support Properties
BerberActiv® is a unique hypoallergenic berberine supplement formulation developed for quick and sustained release and enhanced bioavailability. The proprietary CyLoc® – DexKey® nutrient delivery technology ensures targeted delivery of the active ingredient molecules in the intestinal tract for optimal absorption. The CyLoc® technology isolates and encases each berberine molecule individually in a dextrin fiber matrix, creating nanosized particles. The DexKey® technology accompanies the CyLoc® molecules and breaks the dextrin fiber cage at the desired point in the intestinal tract to release one molecule at a time for maximum absorption and efficacy. The unprecedented absorption of berberine in your body translates to promoting glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, gastrointestinal health, and liver function.*
Visit Tesseract Medical Research to learn more about berberine’s glucose-support properties and how to incorporate BerberActiv into your diet to support your endocrine health.*
Citations:
1Li M, et al. Integrative analysis of metabolome and gut microbiota…… Journal of translational medicine 2016;14(1):237. doi:10.1186/s12967-016-0987-5
2Zhang B, et al. Berberine promotes glucose uptake and ….. Endocrine 2018;62(3):576-587. doi:10.1007/s12020-018-1689-y
3Yin J, et al. Berberine improves glucose metabolism… American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism 2008;294(1):E148-E156. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00211.2007
4Liu L, et al. Berberine suppresses intestinal disaccharidases with beneficial metabolic effects…… Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s archives of pharmacology 2010;381(4):371-381. doi:10.1007/s00210-010-0502-0
5Zhang L, et al. Effects of Berberine on the Gastrointestinal Microbiota. Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 2021;10;588517. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2020.588517
