How people get it: Sold as a supplement.
The basics
What it is
- Berberine is a substance found in several plants, such as goldenseal, barberry, and Oregon grape.
- Plants that contain berberine have a long history of use in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine.
- Today, berberine is often sold as an herbal dietary supplement.
Sources: NCCIH (NIH): Berberine and Weight Loss: What You Need To Know ↗ · NCCIH (NIH): In the News: Berberine ↗
How it's thought to work
In animal and lab studies, berberine is thought to act partly by raising a liver protein that clears LDL (bad) cholesterol. In animal studies, berberine lowered LDL and total cholesterol, similar to statin drugs.
What the research has found so far
There is some evidence that berberine may modestly lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes and may reduce cholesterol. A few studies and an expert panel suggest berberine may help lower some risk factors for heart disease.
Sources: NCCIH (NIH): In the News: Berberine ↗ · Memorial Sloan Kettering (About Herbs): Berberine ↗
On Berberine and aging, PubMed lists 36 trials in people, 6 studies that watched people over time, 247 animal and lab studies. See the counts and searches
Stage 3 because 5 large randomized trials in people for aging, the heart and blood sugar or weight have been published.
A stage shows how far research has got, not whether it will work for you. How stages work
Side effects and risks
- Research studies mainly report stomach and gut symptoms: nausea, belly pain, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea.
- The most common side effects also include vomiting.
- Mild side effects listed include appetite loss, upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation, and rash.
Sources: NCCIH (NIH): Berberine and Weight Loss: What You Need To Know ↗ · NCCIH (NIH): In the News: Berberine ↗ · Memorial Sloan Kettering (About Herbs): Berberine ↗
Who should be careful, and drug interactions
- Berberine is likely unsafe for infants and may be unsafe during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Berberine can cause or worsen jaundice in newborns and could lead to kernicterus, a life-threatening problem.
- Berberine has been shown to interact with cyclosporine, a drug that prevents rejection of transplanted organs.
Sources: NCCIH (NIH): Berberine and Weight Loss: What You Need To Know ↗ · NCCIH (NIH): In the News: Berberine ↗
Amounts used in studies
What studies or labels describe, not a recommendation.
A 2022 review found weight effects mainly in people taking more than 1 gram a day for more than 8 weeks. The amounts and forms of berberine used in studies have varied widely.
Source: NCCIH (NIH): Berberine and Weight Loss: What You Need To Know ↗
Roughly what it costs
The 5 products we list that contain Berberine cost from $19.95 to $49.95, as read from the makers' pages. See the products
Questions to ask your doctor
- Is Berberine a sensible option for me, given my health and the medicines I take?
- Could Berberine interact with any medicine or supplement I already take?
- What side effects should I watch for, and when should I stop or call you?
- Supplements aren't checked by the FDA before sale. Is there a brand or a third-party test seal you would trust?
- How would we tell whether it is helping, and when should we review it?
This is general information gathered from the sources listed, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting anything new.
Products that contain it
Read from each maker's page. The research stage is for the ingredient, not proof that a product works.
| Product | Form | Berberine per serving | Price | Per serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berberine Pro - 600 mg, 60 capsulesProHealth Longevity · maker's page ↗ | capsule | See labelserving: 1 Capsule | $29.9560 servings | $0.50 |
| Berberine 1000, 1000 mg, 60 tabletsLife Extension · maker's page ↗ | tablet | 1000 mgserving: 2 tablets | $29.9930 servings | $1.00 |
| Berberine - 30 ServingsThorne · maker's page ↗ | capsule | 450mgserving: 2 Capsule(s) | $44.0030 servings | $1.47 |
| Berberine SupplementDoubleWood · maker's page ↗ | — | See label | $19.95 | — |
| BerberineRenue By Science · maker's page ↗ | — | See label | $49.95 | — |
Amounts, servings and prices are as each maker lists them on its own page, checked Oct 16, 2026. Price per serving is the price divided by the servings per container on the label; “—” means the page didn't say. A serving is the maker's serving size, not a recommendation.
What experts say
No expert views collected yet. Each one we add names the person and links to where they said it.
What others are writing
Recent articles about Berberine from health journalists, hospitals and universities. We link to them; we don't write or endorse them.
Berberine: What It Is, Benefits and Side Effects ↗
“But berberine, a traditional Chinese medicine, may be a promising supplement.”
The article describes berberine's uses, possible benefits, side effects, and safety concerns, and advises talking to a healthcare provider first.
Does berberine really help with weight loss? ↗
“Berberine is a bioactive compound found in various plants including barberry and goldenseal.”
The article says berberine produces modest weight loss and blood sugar lowering but is less effective than GLP-1 medications.
Can berberine help me lose weight? - Harvard Health ↗
“I saw on social media that a supplement called berberine produces the same weight-loss benefits as medications like Wegovy. Is that true?”
The article says berberine does not match weight-loss drugs, lacks rigorous evidence for appetite suppression, and can interact with medications and cause side effects.
Recent research
New studies that mention Berberine appear here after the morning update.
Trials
None of the registered trials of Berberine is one we have linked as aging-related yet.
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 128 registered trials that mention Berberine, for any condition (the count in The science below). Here we show the ones about aging. See them all ↗
The science
Counted from PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov on Oct 17, 2026, using one search for Berberine in relation to aging. Each link opens the exact search.
- Randomized trials in people
- 34 search ↗
- Large trials (multicenter or phase 3)
- 6 search ↗
- Phase 3 trials
- 0 search ↗
- Trials in people
- 36 search ↗
- Studies that watched people over time
- 6 search ↗
- Animal and lab studies
- 247 search ↗
- Registered trials
- 128 search ↗
PubMed search used
berberine[tiab] AND (aging[tiab] OR ageing[tiab] OR longevity[tiab] OR lifespan[tiab] OR "life span"[tiab] OR healthspan[tiab] OR "Aging"[mh] OR "Longevity"[mh] OR metabolic[tiab])
Counts are search results, so they include some records that only mention Berberine. How we count
Cite or share this page
Longevity Verdict. (n.d.). Berberine: Research stage and evidence. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://longevityverdict.com/treatments/berberine
<iframe src="https://longevityverdict.com/embed/stage/berberine" title="Berberine: research stage on Longevity Verdict" width="340" height="72" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
The badge shows this treatment's current research stage and links back here. It updates by itself when the stage changes.