Berberine is hailed online as 'nature's Ozempic.' Why experts say 'it's not accurate.'
Conversations about weight loss medications are "everywhere," according to one New York-based dietician, Marissa Meshulam, who has seen growing discussion and interest around Wegovy and Ozempic — two medications with the active ingredient semaglutide, which was originally created for type 2 diabetes.
Since semaglutide is also proven to have weight loss effects — and was granted FDA approval for this use in qualifying patients — people everywhere have been wanting to get their hands on it.
For many, it's unattainable, which leaves some seeking out a more affordable alternative — namely, a plant-derived supplement called berberine.
Medications with semaglutide are "so expensive," Savannah Crosby tells Yahoo Life. The 34-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, says that she looked into the medication after experiencing inexplicable weight gain, despite years of effort trying to lose weight. "I was doing all the 'right things' — tracking my calories, prioritizing protein, working out and all that. And my scale was increasing. It was going up," she says. "That was a red flag to me that there is something not right with my body."
When she was researching what she could take as an alternative to a medication with semaglutide, she came across berberine. "I saw that it helps with insulin resistance, it helps PCOS [polycystic ovary syndrome]— some of the things that I do struggle with," she says.
As of April 11, she has been taking the supplement.
Nature's Ozempic
In the months since Crosby first began her journey with berberine, the supplement, which comes from the barberry plant, has acquired the nickname "nature's Ozempic."
Dr. Priya Jaisinghani, a clinical assistant professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine specializing in obesity medicine, tells Yahoo Life that this is largely because of "appetite-suppressive effects people are describing anecdotally," as well as weight loss.
The science surrounding berberine, however, doesn't make those claims.
"It is used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda to treat a variety of ailments, including infections, inflammation and gastrointestinal issues. As a supplement, it is marketed to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels," Jaisinghani clarifies.
In fact, the supplement might be more accurately compared to Metformin — a medication that's also used for patients with type 2 diabetes, but unlike semaglutide, is not approved for weight loss management.
The Mayo Clinic advises that "Using Metformin alone, with a type of oral antidiabetic medicine called a sulfonylurea, or with insulin, will help to lower blood sugar when it is too high and help restore the way you use food to make energy."
Michelle Cardel, a nutrition scientist and dietician, and head of clinical research and nutrition at WeightWatchers, tells Yahoo Life that berberine's medical efficacy isn't proven, as the aforementioned treatments are.
"There is some preliminary data suggesting that berberine may help with glucose control for individuals living with diabetes, though the magnitude of the effect on glucose control does not parallel that which we see with Ozempic," she explains. "Additionally, there is not sufficient high-quality data to support that berberine is an effective mechanism for weight loss. Based on the scientific data that is currently available, it’s not accurate to compare the effectiveness of Ozempic to berberine."
Experts have been discussing the effectiveness of Ozempic in mitigating symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome, and some research has focused on berberine's ability to do the same. Cardel says the findings are limited.
"Many of the studies conducted to date are of low quality and use small sample sizes, so additional research is needed before we can confidently establish berberine as a safe and effective method for improving these conditions," she says.
Meanwhile, Crosby says that the supplement is helping her.
Why are people taking it?
"In that first week, when I weighed myself and the scale went down, as opposed to going up, I was like, 'This is working.' And I was sold on it," Crosby says.
She's been sharing her experience with the supplement on her TikTok account — including reports that she "wasn't really craving any sweets or wanting to snack all day" and has lost somewhere between 7 and 8 pounds in two months. She's found a following as a result of people's interest in those updates, as they contemplate taking the supplement themselves.
"I do get a lot of questions of people asking me what dose should they take or telling me the symptoms that they're feeling and [asking] what should they do. Which is super interesting, because they know I'm not a doctor," Crosby says. "But I guess because I have been so upfront and honest about my entire experience, they just feel comfortable in asking me."
Joey Zauzig, a 30-year-old social media creator and star of The Real Friends of WeHo on MTV, has followed suit.
He tells Yahoo Life that he had been watching other people's berberine journeys on the short-form video app before deciding to try the supplement himself and to document his own experience. Zauzig's first video on the topic, from May 23, has 3.3 million views. "I thought it would be helpful, and then it ended up, you know, blowing up into what it has been now," he says.
Zauzig has uploaded vlog-style updates since, talking about how he's adjusted his dose of the supplement, when he takes it and how it's impacted his bowel movements ("I really do share everything," he adds). On June 6, Zauzig noted that he had lost 7 pounds.
"Berberine definitely wasn't a weight loss journey type of thing for me," he maintains. "I just always focus on having a healthy gut and making sure my body is as healthy as it can be. I'm not someone who really focuses on weight. ... So for me, it was just a way to feel my best. Then guess what? It worked, and it cleared out my gut and it made me digest."
He acknowledges that the "Ozempic craze" has contributed to people's interest in anything that might be touted as a weight loss solution. "Kind of feeling like there's a quick fix for people with body image issues," he says. "And that's not true, and that's not the way it should be looked at."
Meshulam additionally warns readers that "Weight loss at any cost can be really dangerous."
The verdict
While people have anecdotally shared positive experiences with the supplement, experts advise against relying on any sort of health or medical information from social media platforms. "Along with reliable information, there is also misinformation, disinformation, personal experiences on these platforms," Jaisinghani says. "Always be sure to contact your doctor to discuss health or medical information seen on social media, and come up with a plan jointly regarding your health, that is safe and individualized to you."
Crosby and Zauzig have spoken to the personal decisions they've made in their continued use of the supplement. While both plan to keep berberine in their rotation of supplements, they have both also discussed taking breaks from it.
"I can't really speak to how other people take it, or tell or guide people how to take it," Zauzig says.
This is of utmost importance when someone is looking to achieve weight loss, according to Cardel.
"Focusing heavily on a number on the scale, rather than overall holistic and preventative health, is a recipe for people to misuse medications and supplements," she says. "Prescription medications for weight loss have strict FDA criteria, but there are significantly less restrictions with supplements, so I would highly encourage anyone considering taking berberine as a supplement to first discuss it with your health care provider."
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please visit the National Eating Disorders (NEDA) website at nationaleatingdisorders.org for more information.
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