Article Summary:
- Glutathione and berberine are antioxidants with proven health benefits.*
- Studies indicate that berberine restores glutathione (GSH) levels, including total GSH and reduced/oxidized GSH levels.*
- Tesseract’s proprietary CyLoc® – DexKey® nutrient delivery technology enables optimal absorption and bioavailability of glutathione and berberine.
The role of glutathione as the body’s “master antioxidant” is well-established. This potent tripeptide compound plays a key role in antioxidant defense, nutrient metabolism, and regulation of cellular events.* A glutathione deficiency is associated with oxidative stress, an underlying cause of several degenerative health conditions. Although glutathione supplementation has recently gained popularity for promoting skin health, its beneficial effects on overall health and wellness are also widely recognized.
Berberine, a compound derived from various plant sources (such as Oregon grape and goldenseal), has both antioxidant and immunomodulatory activity that promote optimal functioning of the heart, liver, gastrointestinal system, immune system, and endocrine system.* Notably, berberine is becoming immensely popular as a nutritional supplement for supporting weight management, although clinical evidence is currently inconclusive.
With the many wellness-promoting benefits of glutathione and berberine, can these two compounds be taken together to better achieve health outcomes? In this article, we will specifically focus on the benefits of glutathione and berberine on glucose metabolism* and why you should include an advanced supplement formulation in your diet.
Glutathione and Berberine Help Maintain Blood Glucose Levels*
One reason for having an undesirable blood glucose level can be attributed to oxidative stress and inflammation in liver cells. Dietary antioxidants, especially glutathione and berberine, promote optimal glucose metabolism, enhance insulin secretion, and lower insulin resistance, thereby achieving healthy levels of hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) and oxidative stress markers.
The following describes the individual effects of glutathione and berberine on helping to maintain healthy blood glucose levels.*
Benefits of Glutathione on Glucose Metabolism
Glucose metabolism modulates the responses of the insulin-secreting pancreatic islet beta-cells. The enzyme pyruvate carboxylase is required for glutathione synthesis in these islet beta-cells, promoting their antioxidant capacity to counter the stress associated with high blood glucose levels. A 2021 study found there is a direct interplay between glucose metabolism and glutathione synthesis via pyruvate carboxylase.*1 As glucose metabolism and pyruvate carboxylase enhance glutathione synthesis, it coincidingly helps restrict oxidative stress in pancreatic islet beta-cells.
Benefits of Berberine on Glucose Metabolism
Berberine stimulates glucose breakdown, inhibits glucose synthesis from non-carbohydrate sources, promotes insulin secretion, and limits the digestion of carbohydrates in the intestine.* A 2019 study that assessed the effects of berberine on glucose-lipid metabolism and insulin resistance found that the combined application of berberine in individuals experiencing metabolic conditions helped regulate blood glucose and blood lipids and alleviated insulin resistance.*2
The following table highlights two studies that explored how berberine influences glutathione activity to better promote glucose metabolism
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Studies Exploring Berberine’s Effects on Glutathione Activity to Promote Glucose Metabolism |
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| Protective effects of berberine on antioxidant enzymes: A 2011 animal study investigating the protective effects of berberine in liver tissue of type 2 diabetic animal models found that berberine increased the levels of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione activity in liver tissue and serum.3 |
| Impacts of berberine on the regulation of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)messenger RNAs: In a 2012 comparative study on diabetic and normal animal subjects, berberine recovered depleted levels of GPx, copper-zinc SOD, and manganese SOD m-RNA in the diabetic mice to nearly the same levels as the normal mice. The GSH level, including the total GSH and reduced/ oxidized GSH levels, were restored to normal by berberine.4 |
Although the individual benefits of glutathione and berberine, as well as the synergistic effects of these compounds, on glucose metabolism are well established,* there is ongoing research on co-supplementation of glutathione and berberine.
Can Glutathione and Berberine Be Taken Together? It Depends.
Whether glutathione and berberine can be together depends on several factors:
- Consult your healthcare provider: Your healthcare provider knows your medical history and whether co-supplementation of glutathione and berberine would be beneficial for you.
- Understand the potential side effects and contraindications: Although glutathione and berberine are considered safe in supplement form, you should be aware of potential side effects, as well as contraindications with prescription medications.
- Select a supplement formulation that optimizes absorption: Always select a nutritional supplement that optimizes the absorption and bioavailability of glutathione and berberine, because both have poor natural bioavailability.
Tesseract Medical Research has developed glutathione and berberine supplement formulations that promote endocrine health.* Tesseract’s proprietary CyLoc® —DexKey® nutrient delivery nanotechnology enables unprecedented absorption of both compounds, thus achieving their health-promoting benefits and supporting healthy glucose metabolism.*
The power of Tesseract supplements lies in enhancing palatability, maximizing solubility, bioavailability, and absorption, and micro-dosing multiple nutrients in a single, highly effective capsule. Shop products on our website and learn more about how they can support your endocrine health.*.*
1Fu A, et al. Glucose metabolism and pyruvate carboxylase enhance glutathione synthesis and restrict oxidative stress in pancreatic islets. Cell Reports vol. 37,8 (2021):110037. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110037
2Cao C, Su M. Effects of berberine on glucose-lipid metabolism, inflammatory factors and insulin resistance in patients with metabolic syndrome. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine vol. 17,4 (2019):3009-3014. doi:10.3892/etm.2019.7295
3Zhou J-Y, Zhou S-W. Protective effect of berberine on antioxidant enzymes and positive transcription elongation factor b expression in diabetic rat liver. Fitoterapia vol. 82,2 (2011):184-189. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2010.08.019
4Lao-ong T, et al. Alteration of hepatic glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase expression in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice by berberine. Pharmaceutical Biology vol. 50,8 (2012):1007-1012. doi:10.3109/13880209.2012.655377
