Users say berberine, which is found in a number of plants, including barberry plants, helps curb appetite and improve blood sugar levels, resulting in weight loss.A Chinese barberry plant.Berberine is rising in popularity as demand increases for medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, known for their weight loss effects., which mimic a hormone that helps reduce food intake and appetite. They are highly effective, but they are in short supply in the U.S.
By comparison, berberine appears to be widely available online, and it usually ranges in price from $15 to $40 for a month’s supply. "You don’t have to deal with a doctor, and it’s going to be a lot less expensive,” said Dr. Pieter Cohen, who researches supplement use at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Somerville, Massachusetts. “So from an advertising perspective, it’s perfect.”
But that doesn’t mean berberine is effective, or safe, for weight loss. Here’s what to know about it, including how well it works and whether it’s safe.Many of the claims about berberine haven’t been verified by large, peer-reviewed studies — and the bulk of the research has been conducted in mice, not humans, experts say.