There’s a lot of talk about it: it’s an excellent supplement for treating cholesterol, or at least that’s what they say. Is it really like that? What the experts say.
Often a food or in this case a substance can become fashionable as a beneficial and healthy element. Word spreads and the curative and super effective fame of a product spreads through the web and the world of social media.
Sometimes it really is something useful and healthy, but just as often it happens that it is not so, so you have to pay attention and investigate thoroughly before believing everything that is said. As regards food supplementation with beneficial substances, there is one that has become famous with the function of keeping cholesterol at bayto lower its levels.
It is berberine, a substance obtained from various plants of the Berberidaceae family. I’m there Berberis vulgaris, Berberis aquifolium, Iodendrom amurense, Beris aristatathose in which this element with almost miraculous properties is found. Does it really perform such a prodigious action?
Berberine and its properties: is it anti-cholesterol and anti-glycemic?
In addition to lowering blood cholesterol levels, it seems that berberine can also reduce glycemic levels. In 2004, a study was conducted that considered berberine to be on a par with statins in carrying out these functions, and therefore presented itself as an alternative to them.
Definitely an interesting option since these sometimes produce side effects in therapies and are not well tolerated. The study highlighted the reduction of so-called bad cholesterol valuesas well as triglycerides with taking berberine for a period of 3 months.
Healthy properties and side effects of berberine – buttalapasta.it
While statins lower endogenous cholesterol, berberine works by increasing the activity and number of hepatic LDL receptors, thus facilitating the separation of bad cholesterol from the blood. The limitation of berberine, however, is that it has poor absorption, that is, a low oral bioavailability. This occurs due to cellular extrusion mechanisms that expel large quantities from the intestinal cells. To avoid this effect, berberine must be combined with other substances such as silymarin extracted from milk thistle.
In addition to reducing cholesterol, positive effects of berberine are also observed on blood sugar levels as it reduces glucose absorption and increases the expression of the insulin receptor. It also promotes antioxidant enzymatic activity and therefore helps to counteract the free radicals responsible for the oxidative process of cells.
Also recommended in slimming diets, it is useful for athletes and for those who follow a high-calorie and high-glucid diet. The side effects it can produce are heartburn, constipation, bloating and flatulence because it acts like a spice and was born as an antidiarrheal.
