Berberine

Berberine is a chemical found in some plants like European barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, Oregon grape, phellodendron, and tree turmeric. Berberine is a bitter-tasting and yellow-coloured chemical. The genus Berberis is well-known as the most widely distributed natural source of berberine. The bark of B. vulgaris contains more Berberine alkaloids are bitter in taste. This bitter taste, when taken in small doses, stimulates the digestive tract through the vagus nerve, promoting increased saliva, stomach secretions, bile production and flow, and pancreatic enzyme secretions; it stimulates peristalsis and overall enhances both digestion and assimilation, as well as elimination. When taken in larger doses, the bitter qualities can be too cooling and may shut down digestive system functioning. Herbal practitioners of the 19th century, including the eclectic physicians, considered the medicine of H canadensis to be primarily a bitter tonic, taken in small doses to “stimulate the mucous membranes of the digestive tract to greater activity, promoting tissue feeding and rebuilding while strengthening the heart and nervous system.” Through this digestive tonification, which greatly influences the nervous system, many chronic conditions can be corrected. Being bitter, these plants high in the yellow berberine alkaloids have alterative action, that of cleansing the blood. The lymphatic system function is activated. Bile flow is stimulated, freeing the energy of the liver, moving stagnation. When the liver is flowing, there is better digestion and improved elimination through the colon. Berberine plant medicine can increase kidney filtration and elimination. Increased excretion from the liver and kidney, 2 major organs of elimination, lightens the burden on the skin, so skin conditions like acne, impetigo, eczema, and psoriasis are supported to resolve and heal. In herbal preparations, berberine-rich plants can resolve diarrhea and dysentery through altering the gut terrain, creating an environment where the pathogenic organisms are unable to exist. Rudolf Steiner,23 through anthroposophic medicine, connected the use of berberine and cardiovascular health. He said that berberine gives the heart strength, useful primarily in congestive heart failure. It works to balance lipids and improves glucose levels and insulin sensitivity. Each plant that contains the berberine alkaloids brings its own unique signature to the healing process. In the body, the affinity is for tonifying mucous membranes, moving the liver, and, through these actions, effecting tonification throughout the entire system. Dose is important, with small doses being more stimulating and larger doses being more cooling and potentially suppressive. So, whether you are considering the use of H canadensis (goldenseal), one of the species of Mahonia (Oregon grape, algerita, or Japanese mahonia), Berberis spp (barberry), Coptis spp (goldenthread), or X simplicissima (yellow root), tapping the healing power of the berberine alkaloid plants can bring not only antimicrobial support but also improved overall function. And as with all plant medicine, all levels of healing are influenced, including physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. https://ndnr.com/naturopathic-news/yellow-medicine-the-berberine-alkaloid-plants/

Q: What does Leyla say about Berberine? A: Berberine is a chemical found in some plants like European barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, Oregon grape, phellodendron, and tree turmeric. Berberine is a bitter-tasting and yellow-coloured chemical. The genus Berberis is well-known as the most widely distributed natural source of berberine. The bark of B. vulgaris contains more Berberine alkaloids are bitter in taste. This bitter taste, when taken in small doses, stimulates the digestive tract through the vagus nerve, promoting increased saliva, stomach secretions, bile production and flow, and pancreatic enzyme secretions; it stimulates peristalsis and overall enhances both digestion and assimilation, as well as elimination. When taken in larger doses, the bitter qualities can be too cooling and may shut down digestive system functioning. Herbal practitioners of the 19th century, including the eclectic physicians, considered the medicine of H canadensis to be primarily a bitter tonic, taken in small doses to “stimulate the mucous membranes of the digestive tract to greater activity, promoting tissue feeding and rebuilding while strengthening the heart and nervous system.” Through this digestive tonification, which greatly influences the nervous system, many chronic conditions can be corrected. Being bitter, these plants high in the yellow berberine alkaloids have alterative action, that of cleansing the blood. The lymphatic system function is activated. Bile flow is stimulated, freeing the energy of the liver, moving stagnation. When the liver is flowing, there is better digestion and improved elimination through the colon. Berberine plant medicine can increase kidney filtration and elimination. Increased excretion from the liver and kidney, 2 major organs of elimination, lightens the burden on the skin, so skin conditions like acne, impetigo, eczema, and psoriasis are supported to resolve and heal. In herbal preparations, berberine-rich plants can resolve diarrhea and dysentery through altering the gut terrain, creating an environment where the pathogenic organisms are unable to exist. Rudolf Steiner,23 through anthroposophic medicine, connected the use of berberine and cardiovascular health. He said that berberine gives the heart strength, useful primarily in congestive heart failure. It works to balance lipids and improves glucose levels and insulin sensitivity. Each plant that contains the berberine alkaloids brings its own unique signature to the healing process. In the body, the affinity is for tonifying mucous membranes, moving the liver, and, through these actions, effecting tonification throughout the entire system. Dose is