in today's video we are going to be talking about using berberine for insulin resistance
what it is how it works and if it's a more effective treatment for insulin resistance
than metformin now i've shared a lot of videos on my channel on the topic of insulin resistance
and one question i am frequently asked is what do i think of berberine
and how does it compare to metformin now if you are not familiar metformin is one
of the most commonly prescribed drugs for everything from type 2 diabetes to pcos
basically anything that's a lifestyle disease that is caused by insulin resistance
because the way metformin works is it improves our insulin sensitivity which is the capacity
our cells have to use glucose and yes metformin is a really effective treatment for a lot of
people it reduces many of the symptoms however it does have a catch and that is the side effects
some of these side effects include bloating fatigue low testosterone and hair loss berberine
on the other hand is a chemical compound that is extracted from certain plants including turmeric
it is not a prescription drug and can be bought over the counter as a supplement and it is said
to improve insulin sensitivity lower blood sugar and aid in weight loss but does it really work and
does it come with any side effects we're going to answer these questions and more in today's video
hey guys welcome back to my channel if you're new here my name is kait i'm a health coach and i post
videos on a high fat nutrient dense way of eating if you like this video please give it a thumbs up
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and facebook where i shoot new posts every single day we're going to start off talking about what
berberine is then we'll get into how it works for insulin resistance and finally we will discuss the
downsides and any side effects and make sure to stick around until the end because if you
do decide that berberine is for you i'm going to tell you the most effective way you can take it
what is berberine berberine is a bitter tasting bioactive compound that comes from certain plants
some of these plants include european barberry goldenseal oregon grape and most well known
turmeric because of its yellow color it is also often used in dye but of course it is used as
a supplement as well berberine has long been used in chinese medicine but modern scientific research
has confirmed its health benefits a 2012 review that looked at 14 studies found berberine to be
just as effective as metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and this is far from the only
research that supports the health claims that are made about berberine how does berberine work
now as previously mentioned berberine has been shown in many studies to lower blood sugar and
aid in weight loss and it does this by improving insulin sensitivity it works in a lot of the same
ways that metformin does it makes insulin more effective so our cells can accept more blood sugar
it decreases the amount of sugar that the liver releases it also slows down the breakdown of
carbohydrates in the gut and increases the amount of beneficial bacteria in the gut
so the short answer is yes berberine is an effective supplement for insulin resistance
but are there any side effects now before we get into those i'm just going to take a quick moment
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the side effects of berberine now unfortunately berberine does come with some side effects
a lot of the side effects that are related to digestion that we see with metformin
we also see with berberine these include constipation gas and diarrhea and for some
people it can also cause headaches nausea and even rashes but honestly it depends
on the individual some people experience all the side effects and some people none
so if you do want to give berberine a try what's the best way to go about it how to take berberine
now i just want to say that this is not medical advice if you are prescribed metformin or any
other drug please do not stop taking it or swap it for berberine without talking to your doctor first
anyways as i previously said berberine is extracted from certain plants and put into a
supplement most supplements contain a dose of 500 milligrams and it's a good idea to spread out your
dosage throughout the day for best results most people find that taking 500 milligrams before
their meals is the most effective way to use it which makes sense because taking it before meals
can help your body process the meal better and get the glucose to yourselves so like
i said taking 500 milligrams before meals is a good place to start now before i wrap up i just
wanted to say that there are other ways to improve insulin sensitivity and reverse insulin resistance
that don't rely on a supplement or a drug i have a whole other video that goes over three
easy steps you can take to improve your insulin sensitivity which i'm gonna link above i've gotten
a lot of messages and comments from people who have implemented the tips i talk about in that
video and some people ended up no longer needing their metformin prescription so it's definitely
worth checking out that video if you have insulin resistance because at the end of the day no drug
or supplement is going to be a cure all there are usually going to be side effects and the reality
is most of these things are just a band-aid fix unless you are addressing the root cause you are
not going to get long-lasting results anyways guys that's all i have for you today let me know
in the comment section down below if you currently take berberine or if you have taken it in the past
what was your experience let me know down below i love chatting with you guys in the comment section
and any comments you make help to support my channel and while you're down there make sure to
check out today's sponsor squarespace the link will be in the description box if you guys did
enjoy this video you might also enjoy my video on inositol for pcos which is another supplement
that helps to improve insulin sensitivity so you can check that out here if you want to catch up
on my most recent upload you can find it here and if you want to check out my keto diet and
carnivore diet coaching programs you can find this here thanks guys i'll see you next time bye