'Potent' herbal supplement lowers blood sugar as well as drugs within ONE WEEK and cuts cholesterol by 25%

Ordinarily, a hormone called insulin allows glucose to move from the blood into the body's cells where it is absorbed.

When you have type 2 diabetes, your body is resistant to insulin - this causes blood sugar levels to stick around in the blood and rise to dangerous levels.

Uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to all manner of complications, such as heart disease.

Thankfully, research suggests that berberine — a compound found in several plants — can lower dangerously high blood sugar levels. In one study, published in the journal Metabolism, 18 subjects took 500 mg berberine three times daily at the beginning of each major meal or 500 mg metformin three times daily after major meals for three months.

The participants' blood sugar levels were recorded throughout the study. By the end of the trial, the "hypoglycaemic effect" of berberine was found to be similar to that of metformin, the researchers wrote.

In a second study, also published in Metabolism, 48 adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes were treated supplemented with berberine in a three-month trial.

Berberine acted by lowering fasting blood sugar - average blood sugar after not eating anything for eight to 12 hours - from one week to the end of the trial, the researchers found, which led them to conclude that berberine is a "potent oral hypoglycaemic agent".

Numerous studies support these findings. In a review of 27 studies conducted on the effects of Berberine on blood sugar levels, the researchers found that, alongside improvements in lifestyle, supplementing with berberine reduced fasting blood sugar levels without any serious side effects.

According to an older review of 14 studies, berberine may be as effective as certain oral diabetes drugs, including metformin, glipizide, and rosiglitazone.

• Doctor Q&A: What is the best herb for lowering high blood sugar?
• Calls for UK ban on popular kitchen worktop over risk of incurable lung cancer
• Golden spice found to boost memory by 30%

The benefits do not stop there.

According to a review published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, berberine could serve as an alternative for patients who are intolerant to statins - a class of drugs which act to reduce high cholesterol in the blood.

• View Deal | Save on one-month supply of Berberine tablets at Amazon
• View Deal | Buy 1000mg Berberine Supplements from Holland & Barrett
• View Deal | Subscribe to multivitamin gummies from MyVitamins

The meta-analysis of six trials found 229 patients with high cholesterol who took between 900-1,500 mg of berberine supplements per day saw improved LDL cholesterol levels with reductions of 25 percent.

LDL cholesterol is dubbed the "bad" type as it clogs up your arteries, thereby raising your risk of heart disease.

How does it work?

Speaking to GB News, Carolina Goncalves, Superintendent Pharmacist at Pharmica reports, cites research showing that berberine lowers blood sugar by activating an enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK).

This enzyme enhances insulin sensitivity by promoting the movement of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) to the cell membrane, which increases glucose uptake into muscle and fat cells.

Additionally, berberine boosts a system similar to the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which increases insulin production, explains Ms Goncalves.

Extra insulin helps your body become less resistant to it, meaning cells respond better.

This means the liver, muscles, and fat tissues can use the sugar in the blood more effectively, keeping blood sugar levels lower.

Berberine is thought to lower cholesterol by interfering with its absorption in the intestines and its release into the blood.