Writing in the International Journal of Clinical Trials, researchers from the Zeus Hygia Life Sciences in India conducted a small-scale study of its proprietary berberine, Metaberine, and found GLP-1 increased by 29% during fasting and 22% postprandially after participants took 200 mg daily.
“We believe Metaberine was able to show in the research that it is the first for any berberine extract to actually be able to influence your GLP-1 hormone level,” said Colleen Madden, vice president of innovation at CK Nutraceuticals, the North American distributor of Metaberine. “We haven’t been able to find any other [low-dose] berberine that has GLP-1 data on it.”
The researchers identified two prior human clinical studies conducted using standard berberine extract at 900 to 1,000 mg a day showing 12% to 20% increase in GLP-1 levels, respectively. Madden noted that higher doses of berberine come with increasing side effects.
Metaberine uses BioSOLVE, a proprietary aqueous processing technology designed to improve solubility and bioavailability, allowing the ingredient to be delivered at a lower dose.
Enhancing endogenous GLP-1
Globally, overweight and obesity impact more than one billion adults. These individuals can also suffer from impaired lipid metabolism and increased cardiometabolic risk.
“Postprandial metabolic disturbances, characterized by exaggerated glucose excursions and impaired metabolic disturbances and impaired metabolic flexibility, contribute to insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation and progressive weight gain, thereby accelerating the transition toward metabolic disease,” the researchers wrote.
They also explained that GLP-1 is a regulator of postprandial metabolism and can maintain glycemic stability and energy balance. Strategies that can “enhance endogenous GLP-1 responses” can also support metabolic resilience and cardiometabolic health in at-risk populations.
Berberine is a naturally occurring alkaloid derived from botanical sources and studies show it can demonstrate beneficial effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. However, conventional berberine has poor bioavailability. High daily doses of typically 500 to 1,500 mg are often required to see meaningful effects, but it comes at a cost. At those doses, many people experience nausea, diarrhea and constipation.
Study details
The low-dose berberine investigation was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study that evaluated 36 participants with a mean BMI of 25.8 with fasting glucose levels of 100 to 125 mg/dL. Participants received Metaberine 200 mg or placebo once daily for 14 days, followed by a seven-day washout period.
Beyond the GLP-1 findings, Metaberine significantly improved measures of fasting and postprandial glucose and favorably changed lipid parameters. Metaberine decreased fasting glucose by 9.08 mg/dL while the placebo reduced levels by 1.36 mg/dL. Peak glucose levels also dropped significantly, LDL-C decreased and HDL-C notably increased.
No adverse events were reported during the study.
The researchers are engaging in additional Metaberine studies—a larger-scale human clinical trial to further prove the GLP-1 and blood glucose benefits and another to additionally confirm bioavailability.
The ongoing research around Metaberine may also fit into the public’s narrative surrounding berberine.
“The awareness is very high for berberine,” Madden said. “It really hit the standard consumer consciousness when it was unfairly dubbed ‘Nature’s Ozempic’ by rouge influencers. It’s not a pharmaceutical. However, people really understood what the benefits of it could be.”
Source: International Journal of Clinical Trials. doi: doi.org/10.18203/2349-3259.ijct20262501. “Metaberine (bio-optimised berberine 200 mg/day) improves metabolic health markers in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled crossover trial”. Authors: Shankaranarayanan Jeyakodi et al.
