PSA: Berberine Does Not Work For Weight Loss

You may have heard of it on TikTok: Berberine, a plant-derived supplement, is being touted as “nature’s Ozempic,” with people suggesting it can help with appetite control and weight loss. The catchy comparison to the buzzy diabetes drug is helping the supplement skyrocket in popularity, with “#berberine” racking up nearly 97 million views and counting on TikTok.

But, does berberine for weight loss really work, and is it safe to take? Here’s what you need to know.

What is berberine?

Bitter-tasting berberine is a compound found in a number of plants like barberry and tree turmeric.

It's been used in traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine and Indigenous medicine for centuries, says Jennifer Lake, an assistant professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto. “Not for weight loss, but for eye conditions, jaundice, things like that,” she says, noting that it has also been used in in traditional Chinese medicine to treat gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea.

Why is berberine so popular right now?

Berberine’s online fans claim that the supplement, like Ozempic, can help users lose weight—and fast.

Lake says that berberine has gotten a boost in popularity lately because people are desperate to find Ozempic alternatives. While the drug has been around since about 2017 in the U.S., at that time it was primarily marketed to diabetics as it stimulates insulin release to help lower blood sugar levels.

In recent years, Ozempic and other semaglutide injectable drugs like Wegovy have skyrocketed in popularity as people are using them for weight loss. As Ozempic became more buzzy—largely due to celebrities using it and flaunting slimmer figures—shortages of the drug have been reported. As more and more people seek out Ozempic for weight loss, Lake says that they’re turning to alternatives like berberine. (Another likely component to berberine's popularity? The fact that it's far less expensive than semiglutide.)

Does berberine work for weight loss?

“This nature’s Ozempic thing, it’s a good marketing tool,” Lake says. “But there’s no basis for it. It doesn’t work the same way.”

Semaglutide, the active ingredient drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, mimics the hormone GLP-1, which is released from our intestines when we eat and signals to our brain that we’re full. It works as an appetite suppressant. Berberine, meanwhile, doesn’t mimic GLP-1, meaning it won’t work for those looking to lose a lot of weight.

That being said, a review from the U.S. National Institutes of Health found that berberine can help with bacteria-associated diarrhea, but the review also noted that the “quality of evidence of included trials was moderate to low or very low.”

In western clinical medicine, some research has also found that berberine can help lower blood sugar and decrease insulin resistance, which might be why people are associating it with Ozempic, a drug that was first created as a diabetes treatment. Other research has found that berberine can lower cholesterol. But Lake says that while these effects might lead to weight loss, studies point to a very small amount.

What are the other effects of berberine?

Some of the most common side effects of berberine are GI-related, like nausea and diarrhea. “And, that might be one of the short-term reasons people lose some weight in a short trial,” Lake says. (Yes, berberine can both cause and treat diarrhea depending on the situation—the former occurs when there is an imbalance of gut bacteria.)

Berberine has poor bioavailability, meaning that it’s not easily digested and absorbed by your body, so you need to take a lot. And that might actually be what's leading to the gastro symptoms—and the weight loss.

“It’s really because of the toxicity that you’re losing weight,” says Gregory Steinberg, a professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University and co-director of the McMaster Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research. “Not because the berberine is doing anything.”

Is berberine safe to take?

Aside from the potential for toxicity, berberine (like other dietary supplements) isn’t well-regulated in Canada. This means that it’s possible for berberine supplements to contain ingredients other than what is listed on the packaging. It also means the claims made by supplements like berberine likely aren't backed by science.

“[Supplements] don’t require the same research as prescription drugs, or even over-the-counter [medications],” Lake says, adding that the lack of research involved means that supplements can end up on shelves despite their claims not being fully backed-up by science. “[Manufacturers] can come out and say whatever they want about the health outcomes.” 

Even worse, weight loss supplements are actually one of the top reasons people get sent to the emergency room, she adds. “They’re often contaminated with other substances, like amphetamine, a stimulant, which can cause a lot of problems.”