It's no mystery that obesity is a major health issue in the United States. It affects millions of people and contributes to a range of serious health problems.
Obesity is a complex issue influenced by various factors including diet, lifestyle, genetics, and environment. The urgent desire to lose weight has led many to turn to Semaglutide-based medications like Ozempic and Wegovy as quick fixes. However, these medications can have serious side effects.
Interestingly, Berberine is a natural alternative that offers similar benefits without the associated risks.
Let's first take a closer look at the obesity epidemic in the U.S.
Why Obesity Has Become a Pandemic
Obesity rates in the U.S. are alarmingly high. According to the CDC, over 42% of adults and 19% of children and adolescents are obese, and that doesn’t include all of the people who are overweight! This isn't just about a few extra pounds; it's a widespread obesity issue that impacts nearly half of the population.
According to the Diabetes Institute, a third of the U.S. population has insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, and that number is growing fast.
Insulin resistance is the leading cause of other
chronic metabolic diseases.
Insulin Resistance is linked to numerous health conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver, PCOS, estrogen dominance, stroke, and certain types of cancer. Insulin resistance also contributes to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and respiratory problems. The strain on the body can lead to chronic pain and mobility issues, significantly affecting quality of life.
What is Insulin?
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that is crucial in regulating blood sugar levels. When you eat, carbohydrates in your food break down into glucose, which enters your bloodstream. In response, the pancreas releases insulin to help transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells, which can be used for energy.
What is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin resistance is when your body’s cells become less responsive to insulin. To compensate, the pancreas produces more insulin to overcome this resistance. At first, this increased insulin production can keep blood sugar levels normal. However, over time, the pancreas may struggle to keep up, leading to high blood sugar levels and a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Insulin resistance can lead to different metabolic diseases, all stemming from one root problem:
- Diabetes: Insulin resistance of the liver
- Heart Disease: Insulin resistance of the heart
- PCOS: Insulin resistance of the ovaries
- Alzheimer’s: Insulin resistance of the brain
Causes of Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance didn’t exist in children before 1980. So, what changed? The prevalence of this condition has worsened because of several issues:
Processed Foods: Processed foods are full of harmful components like fructose, seed oils, GMO grains, and artificial sweeteners, and they lack essential natural fiber. These factors contribute significantly to the rapid increase in insulin resistance.
- Fructose: Unlike glucose, fructose is metabolized in the liver, converting directly into liver fat and reducing ATP, the energy in cell mitochondria. This leads to insulin resistance, elevated blood triglycerides, hypertension, and high uric acid levels.
- Fiber: Fiber helps regulate blood sugar when paired with carbs and natural sugars. Processed foods lack fiber, causing significant blood sugar spikes and hastening insulin resistance.
- Seed Oils: Oils like canola, corn, and soybean induce a pro-inflammatory state in the body, worsening insulin resistance.
- Artificial Sweeteners: These heighten cravings for sugar and carbs, encouraging overeating and worsening insulin resistance. They also cause leaky gut and hinder fat and protein metabolism.
- Hyper-Palatable Foods: These foods desensitize normal taste buds, prompting overconsumption of sugary foods and leading to insulin resistance.
- Lack of Amino Acids: Essential amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids are missing in processed foods, preventing the release of CCK, the hormone that suppresses appetite, and leading to overeating.
- Emulsifiers: These extend shelf life but harm the gut's mucosal lining, disrupting hunger signals and promoting cravings for sugary foods.
- Gluten and Grains: Foods with gluten and grains can cause leaky gut and harm the gut microbiome, disrupting nutrient absorption.
- Dopamine Dysregulation: Processed foods disrupt the brain's dopamine regulation, creating strong sugar cravings, making sugar addiction challenging to overcome.
Radiation: Radiation from sources like smartphones, 5G, smart meters, X-rays, and EMFs increases insulin resistance by attacking the nervous, endocrine, and hormonal systems, producing oxidative stress and free radical damage. This radiation puts the body into "Survival Mode," lowering the metabolic rate, increasing insulin resistance to store more fat for emergency energy, and lowering ATP and energy.
Increased Toxicity: Our bodies now deal with a toxic burden unimaginable to our ancestors. GMOs and glyphosate in our food, heavy metals in dental fillings, vaccinations, and fluoride, chloride, and bromide in food and water contribute to hormonal disruption and worsen insulin resistance and obesity.
Spike Protein: The spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus causes worsened health conditions, including higher rates of insulin resistance. It affects the ACE2 receptor responsible for insulin regulation, hormonal balance, oxidative stress, water retention, and inflammation. It also increases cholesterol, gut issues, and mental illness.
Copper Depletion: High-fructose and processed foods, along with the spike protein, deplete copper levels. Copper helps reduce uric acid, a key factor in preventing insulin resistance. Copper inhibits the Polyol Pathway, regulates triglycerides and liver fat, and controls iron levels in the blood. Without sufficient copper, uric acid levels rise, leading to insulin resistance and obesity.
Insulin resistance is a multifaceted issue influenced by our diet, environment, and the presence of toxins. Understanding these factors can help us make better choices to combat this growing problem.
Berberine as Nature’s Ozempic
In the wake of the Ozempic frenzy, Berberine has attracted attention as a natural alternative without the dangerous side effects that Ozempic comes with.
In this video I explain the how Berberine helps with weight loss.
What is Berberine
Berberine is a compound found in several plants, including the barberry shrub, goldenseal, and various herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. It has gained attention in recent years for its potential health benefits, including its effects on weight loss.
While research on berberine's weight loss effects is still limited, some studies suggest that it may have a positive impact on body weight and metabolism. Here are a few key findings:
- Improved Insulin Sensitivity: Berberine has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, which can help regulate blood sugar levels and potentially lead to weight loss. By enhancing insulin sensitivity, berberine may promote the uptake of glucose into cells and reduce excessive glucose production by the liver.
- Increased AMPK Activation: Berberine can activate an enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which plays a crucial role in energy metabolism. Activation of AMPK may increase fat burning and reduce fat storage, potentially contributing to weight loss.
- Reduced Appetite: Some studies suggest that berberine may help suppress appetite and reduce food intake. It may influence the release of hormones involved in appetite regulation, such as ghrelin and leptin.
- Foreign Pathogen Control: It is antiparasitic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal. Doesn’t negatively affect good gut bacteria.
- Aids in Fatty Liver Management: Reduces cholesterol and triglycerides which helps to reverse fatty liver.
- Natural Antioxidant and Anti Inflammatory: Because of this, it improves cardiovascular health
- Improves Gut Health: Improves leaky gut by improving the tight junctions.
Conditions Helped by Taking Berberine
The following are conditions that berberine may help support, according to research.
Bacterial infections
Berberine could be an effective antimicrobial agent. A 2016 laboratory study found that berberine helped inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus.
-
aureus can cause many health problems, including:
- sepsis
- pneumonia
- meningitis
- a range of skin conditions
Another study found that berberine can damage the DNA and protein of certain bacteria.
Inflammation
Inflammation is a key factor in several health conditions, including heart disease and diabetes. Some 2014 research suggests that berberine has anti-inflammatory properties, which means it could help treat diabetes and other inflammation-related health conditions.
Diabetes
Research has shown that berberine may work as a diabetes treatment. Studies have found that it can have positive effects on:
- blood sugar
- triglycerides
- insulin
One literature review indicated that berberine was better than a placebo at lowering blood sugar.
The same analysis found that a combination of berberine and blood-sugar-lowering drugs is more effective than the drugs alone.
According to 2014 research, berberine shows promise as a potential diabetes treatment, especially for those who cannot take existing anti-diabetic drugs due to heart disease, liver failure, or kidney problems.
Another literature review found that berberine combined with lifestyle changes worked better to lower blood glucose than lifestyle changes alone.
Berberine appears to activate AMP-activated protein kinase, which can help regulate how the body uses blood sugar. Researchers believe this activation can help treat diabetes and related health issues, such as obesity and high cholesterol.
High Cholesterol
High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Some evidence suggests that berberine could help lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. According to one review, studies in both animals and humans indicate that berberine has cholesterol-lowering effects.
It may help reduce LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol, and increase high-density lipoprotein, or “good,” cholesterol.
They observed that berberine helps move excess cholesterol to the liver, where the body can process and remove it. This, in turn, helps lower total cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Researchers believe that the effects of berberine might be similar to those of drugs that reduce high cholesterol, while berberine does not cause the same side effects.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease. A literature review found that berberine combined with a blood-pressure-lowering drug was more effective than the drug alone. Also, results of a study of rats indicate that berberine could delay the onset of high blood pressure and, when it does develop, help reduce its severity.
One review reported that people who took 750 milligrams (mg) of berberine twice a day for 3 months had a significant decrease in weight. They observed that berberine may activate brown adipose tissue. This tissue helps the body turn food into body heat, and increased activation may help treat obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Research suggests that berberine works similarly to the drug metformin, which doctors often prescribe to treat type 2 diabetes. Berberine may have the ability to change the bacteria in the gut, which could help treat both obesity and diabetes.
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) occurs when a female has high levels of certain male hormones. The syndrome is a hormonal and metabolic imbalance that can lead to infertility and other health issues.
PCOS is linked with many issues that Berberine may help address. For example, a person with PCOS may also have:
- high levels of insulin, diabetes, or both
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- more body weight
Doctors sometimes prescribe metformin, a diabetes drug, to treat PCOS. As berberine appears to have similar effects to metformin, it may also be a good treatment option for PCOS.
A systematic review found that berberine has promise as a treatment for PCOS with insulin resistance.
Cancer
Berberine can create changes within the molecules of cells, and this could have another potential benefit: fighting cancer.
One review found that berberine has “clear inhibitory effects” on the following cancers:
- colorectal cancer
- lung cancer
- ovarian cancer
- prostate cancer
- liver cancer
- cervical cancer
Another study states that berberine helps treat cancer by interfering with its progression and its typical life cycle. It may also play a role in killing cancer cells.
Based on this evidence, the authors state that berberine is “highly expected to be effective, safe, and affordable” as a cancer-fighting agent.
However, it is important to remember that researchers have only studied berberine’s effects on cancer cells in a laboratory, not in people.
Gut Health
If Berberine can help treat cancer, inflammation, diabetes, and other conditions, it may be because of a beneficial effect on gut microbiota, according to research published in 2020. Scientists have found links between the gut microbiome — colonies of bacteria in the gut — and these conditions.
Berberine has an antibacterial action that seems to remove the harmful bacteria in the gut, and thus enhance the growth of healthy bacteria.
Berberine has far-reaching benefits without the side effects weight loss or other medications have. Incorporating it into your daily regimen may improve your overall health.
