The supplement berberine is being touted as a natural alternative to Ozempic, a prescription medication used to stabilize blood sugar and aid in weight loss for people with type 2 diabetes.

Social media users claim berberine can lower blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, and even promote weight loss. Some even say it could be a viable option for people who can’t access Ozempic or Wegovy. Is berberine really an effective weight loss supplement?

Is Berberine Really ‘Nature’s Ozempic’?

Berberine is a natural compound called an alkaloid that’s extracted from a variety of plants, including goldenseal, European barberry, Oregon grape, phellodendron, and tree turmeric. However, it does not have the same effect as Ozempic, said Lisa Kroon, PharmD, chair of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy in the School of Pharmacy at the University of California in San Francisco.

“It’s absolutely not nature’s Ozempic and does not work like Ozempic, which is a GLP-1 inhibitor,” Kroon said. “Manufacturers of these supplements are just kind of creating a hype to try to be appealing for people looking for a magic potion to help them lose weight.”

Ozempic, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, helps the pancreas release insulin when blood sugar is high, lowering glucose levels. GLP-1 medications also help slow gastric emptying, which can reduce appetite and lead to weight loss.

“Berberine doesn’t work anything like that; it is a completely different mechanism,” Kroon said. Berberine activates an enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which can help regulate glucose metabolism, improve insulin sensitivity, and impact blood sugar levels.

While the drugstore supplement has recently increased in popularity due to social media, it’s been used for centuries, especially in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, said Mir B Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast.

In fact, providers may recommend berberine for people with diabetes to help lower their blood sugar and cholesterol.“It has also been shown to have some antimicrobial effects so it can affect the normal intestinal bacteria,” Ali said.

Can Berberine Help With Weight Loss?

Although berberine may help reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels, it’s not clear if the supplement is effective for weight loss, Ali said.

There’s no real evidence to show that berberine is the equivalent of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. “It was shown to have some modest amount of effect on weight loss, but it’s not the same effect as the prescribed medications,” Ali added.

Still, a bit of research on berberine’s effectiveness for weight loss and diabetes does exist. One meta-analysis of 27 studies found that the supplement may be just as effective as certain oral diabetes medications, such as metformin and glipizide, when it comes to blood glucose control.

A small 2012 study involving seven participants with obesity found that those who took 500 milligrams of berberine three times per day for 12 weeks lost on average 5 pounds of weight. More recently, a review of 12 studies in 2020 suggested that berberine supplements can potentially impact body weight, body mass index (BMI), and belly fat.

More research is needed to draw meaningful conclusions about whether berberine is effective for weight loss.

“I don’t think berberine would be harmful for the majority of patients, but it’s still not clear how effective it is for weight loss,” Ali said. “I think it’s reasonable to try it as a supplement to healthy lifestyle and diet changes, but I don’t want people to think that it’s the equivalent of prescribed medications.”

Is Berberine Safe?

Some people who use berberine may experience minor side effects, including diarrhea, constipation, nausea, bloating, and other gastrointestinal issues.

“Berberine does appear to be safe for adults to use in the short term. But long-term use has not been studied and some animal studies report some severe side effects with long-term berberine use like enlarged liver/kidneys, muscle tremors, and gastric ulcers,” Megan Hilbert, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian specializing in gut health nutrition at Top Nutrition Coaching, told Verywell in an email.

Kroon said it’s important to remember that these supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and have not been studied on a large scale.

“Medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy are FDA-regulated and well-studied for indications like diabetes or weight loss, whereas nutritional supplements like berberine are not FDA-regulated,” Kroon said. “I would really advise not to jump on the bandwagon here and think that berberine is going to work like a prescription medicine, because it’s not going to. You could be spending a good $50+ out of pocket.”