Researchers at the University of South Dakota have been looking for natural products that can help people lose weight, instead of the drugs that often have adverse side effects. In a preliminary study published in the June 2012 issue of the journal Phytomedicine, the researchers were pleasantly surprised to see that the plant extract berberine significantly improved markers of heart disease in obese study participants.

The participants took 500 mg of berberine three times a day for three months. Not only did they lose an average of five pounds each, but their triglyceride levels dropped 23 percent and their cholesterol decreased 12.2 percent.  

Berberine is found in barberry, Oregon grape, goldenseal, California poppies and other plants. It has many traditional medicine applications—in China, berberine is often used as an antibiotic, and   in the United States, it has long been used to treat intestinal infections and diarrhea.

In the last decade, research on berberine has expanded. In 2004, Chinese researchers reported that a three-month trial of berberine lowered hemoglobin A1c —a measure of blood sugar levels—by almost a full percentage point in people with type 2 diabetes.

Berberine also compares favorably with the diabetic prescription drug metformin in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome. And both metformin and berberine are being researched for the treatment of ovarian cancer. 

In addition, some naturopaths, myself included, use berberine to prevent and treat damage from radiation therapy in oncology patients.