The production of saliva is supposed to be increased by bitter herbs, which encourage the formation of stomach acid and digestive enzymes.

Arayne MS, Sultana N, Bahadur SS. The berberis story: Berberis vulgaris in therapeutics. Pak J Pharm Sci. 2007;20(1):83-92. Specifically, berberine has been shown to improve how your cells respond to the hormone insulin, which regulates the amount of sugar in your blood. In turn, this may help lower your blood sugar levels ( 14, 15).Foster, S; Tyler, VE (1999). Tyler's Honest Herbal (4thed.). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press. ISBN 9781136745010. Mayo Clinic. Cholesterol-lowering supplements may be helpful. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/cholesterol-lowering-supplements/art-20050980 Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines: “Natural alkaloids: basic aspects, biological roles, and future perspectives.” For children, it should only be used under the supervision of a qualified health care provider, if at all. For adults, it’s traditionally used at a dose of two grams three times daily or an equivalent amount in extract form. It is often used as medicine in Iran, especially for biliary issues, including gallbladder illness and heartburn.

Kong WJ, Wei J, Zuo ZY, et al. Combination of simvastatin with berberine improves the lipid-lowering efficacy. Metab Clin Exp. 2008;57(8):1029-37. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2008.01.037 Barberries share a relationship with the medicinally potent Nepalese barberry ( Berberis aristata), Indian barberry ( Berberis asiatica), and Oregon grape ( Berberis or Mahonia aquifolium). Barberry works especially for hepatic portal vein congestion which often correlates with a sluggish liver (12). This can sometimes correspond with varicosities in the body such as haemorrhoids due to the secondary effects of vascular congestion further up the digestive tract. Jaundice and constipation may be symptoms of such a picture. Pabón-Mora, Natalia; González, Favio (2012). "Leaf development, metamorphic heteroblasty and heterophylly in Berberis s. l. (Berberidaceae)". The Botanical Review. 78 (4): 463–489. doi: 10.1007/s12229-012-9107-2. S2CID 15401971.

About Dried Barberry

Type 2 diabetes. Researchers conducted a 3-month study of 36 adults with type 2 diabetes and found that taking berberine significantly lowered HbA1c levels. This is a measure of your average blood sugar (glucose) over the past few months. Berberine was found to be as effective as metformin, a medication used to control high blood sugar.

Nayak CA, Rastogi NK. Effect of selected additives on microencapsulation of anthocyanin by spray drying. Dry Technol. 2010; 28(12):1396–1404. doi: 10.1080/07373937.2010.482705. [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] RHS Plant Selector Berberis × media 'Red Jewel' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Archived from the original on December 24, 2012 . Retrieved 2013-04-07. Barberry has a number of actions that support systemic health. It reduces inflammation, moderating the immune function as well as supporting cardiovascular function, liver function and detoxification. This makes it an excellent herb for debility during convalescence. Although sometimes barberry fruit is used as medicine, the majority of uses discussed below relate to the use of the root and bark unless stated otherwise.

RX Drugs & Medications

Pan H, Li Z, Xie J, et al. Berberine influences blood glucose via modulating the gut microbiome in grass carp. Front Microbiol. 2019;10:1066. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.01066 Nasri H, Bahmani M, Shahinfard N, Moradi Nafchi A, Saberianpour S, Rafieian Kopaei M. Medicinal plants for the treatment of acne vulgaris: a review of recent evidences. Jundishapur J Microbiol. 2015;8(11):e25580. doi:10.5812/jjm.25580 Barberry has also been shown to have a number of effects that make it a beneficial adjunct in the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and to improve pancreatic tissue health (14). Another clinical review discusses further diversity of barberry’s pharmacological effects. Both pharmacological and clinical studies on Berberis vulgaris and berberine were assessed with over 1200 new articles studying the properties and clinical uses. Barberry has been studied for treating tumours, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, inflammation, bacterial and viral infections, cerebral ischemia trauma, mental disease, Alzheimer’s disease and osteoporosis.