Barberry

Barberry

What is Barberry?

Barberry is a small shrub that grows bright red berries. The barberry shrub, known scientifically as Berberis vulgaris, is native to central and southern Europe, western Asia, and northwest Africa. For hundreds of years, the berries, bark, and roots of barberry have been used in traditional herbal medicine systems. Today, barberry remains a popular herbal supplement ingredient.

The brightly coloured red berries of barberry contain several active plant compounds. These include anthocyanins, which act as antioxidants in the body, and berberine, an alkaloid compound with numerous medicinal properties. Modern research has shown that barberry and its compounds, especially berberine, can offer various health benefits.

Why is Barberry Used in Supplements?

Barberry is often included as an ingredient in herbal supplements to take advantage of the medicinal properties offered by its beneficial plant compounds. A few of the reasons barberry is used in supplements include:

• Source of Antioxidants – Barberry berries contain anthocyanins and other antioxidants that help combat oxidative damage from free radicals in the body. This supports overall health.
• Supports Immune Health – Berberine in barberry has natural antimicrobial activity. Some research shows it may help stimulate the immune system and defend against viruses and bacteria.
• Aids Digestion – Studies link berberine to improved digestion and gut health. Barberry extracts help promote healthy digestion.
• Eases Inflammation – Chronic inflammation contributes to many diseases. The anthocyanins and antioxidants in barberry help reduce inflammation throughout the body.
• Supports Healthy Blood Sugar – Berberine has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels already in the normal range and support overall metabolic health.

So in supplements, standardised barberry extracts provide concentrated forms of active compounds like berberine and antioxidants that offer these evidence-based health benefits.

What are the Active Compounds in Barberry?

The beneficial medicinal effects of barberry come from its main bioactive compounds:

Anthocyanins These antioxidant pigments give barberry berries their bright red colour. They help protect cells from oxidative damage, reduce inflammation, and support healthy blood flow.

Berberine This is a key active alkaloid found in the roots, bark and berries of barberry. Berberine has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and blood sugar regulating effects documented in research.

Tannins Also concentrated in barberry berries, these plant compounds have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects as well.

Flavonoids Barberry also contains flavonoid antioxidants like quercetin that reduce oxidative stress and protect cells from damage.

Together, these compounds give barberry supplements their immune boosting, inflammation easing, blood sugar regulating and digestion supporting benefits. High quality barberry extracts are standardised to contain specific levels of antioxidants and berberine.

What Does Barberry Taste Like?

The barberry berries have a very tart, acidic taste. Unripe green barberries have a sour and very astringent, mouth-drying taste from their high tannin levels. As barberries ripen into their bright red colour, they develop a fruitier tartness with less astringency.

When eaten raw, barberries have a strong sharp tartness - more sour than sweet - that people often describe as having a cranberry-like taste. Their lip-puckering flavour softens when cooked by heat or cold. Dried barberries tend to retain more sweetness than fresh ones.

So barberry as an ingredient tastes quite sharp, sour and astringent. These berries lend those tart fruit qualities along with subtle floral notes into jams, drinks, rice dishes and other barberry foods. But as an extract in supplements, barberry’s taste is not really noticeable nor impactful overall. Capsules and tablets would not have any particular flavour from the barberry extracts.

How is Barberry Used Medicinally?

For centuries, traditional practices of herbal medicine have utilised all parts of the barberry shrub for its health benefits. Historical medicinal uses of barberry include:

• Bark and Root Bark Tea – Steeped for a bitter tonic drink used to treat infections, diarrhoea, fevers, arthritis, liver and gallbladder disorders.
• Berry Juice – Expressed juice consumed to stimulate bile flow for improved digestion and laxative action of the bowels. Also used externally for inflammatory skin conditions.
• Topical Salves – Made from bark, roots and leaves for antimicrobial skin infections, wounds and inflammation issues.

Now modern research has confirmed many of barberry’s traditional medicinal actions. Most medicinal applications today focus on using it for its high berberine content. Standardised barberry extracts provide concentrated, consistent dosing of beneficial berberine.

Key medicinal uses of barberry supplements today include:

• Stimulating immunity against bacteria, viruses and fungi due to antimicrobial berberine.
• Relieving indigestion, diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal issues it helps resolve.
• Lowering already normal blood sugar levels and improving metabolic parameters.
• Reducing inflammation markers underlying conditions like arthritis, infections and poor blood flow issues.

So barberry extracts provide the compound berberine in supplements to take advantage of these research-backed health benefits.

What are the Main Health Benefits of Barberry?

Modern clinical research provides good evidence that barberry extracts offer a variety of health benefits. Here are some of the top scientifically-supported wellness advantages of taking barberry supplements:

Supports Immune Defences Barberry’s key compound berberine demonstrates natural antimicrobial effects against various pathogens. Supplements with barberry may help stimulate white blood cell activity, enhance immune function and fight viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.

Eases Indigestion and Improves Gut Health
Barberry extracts improve digestion on multiple fronts - increasing bile production, speeding digestion, reducing gut inflammation and inhibiting bacterial overgrowth. This helps resolve issues like indigestion, diarrhoea, ulcers and poor nutrient absorption.

Lowers Already Normal Blood Sugar Levels Berberine in barberry helps regulate blood glucose metabolism through various mechanisms. Barberry supplements support healthy blood sugar levels already in the normal range and can aid metabolic parameters like insulin sensitivity.

Provides Antioxidant Protection Against Cell Damage Anthocyanins and other antioxidant compounds in barberry berries help combat oxidative damage from free radicals in body tissues. This assists overall health and may protect against disease.

Reduces Chronic Inflammation Compounds in barberry like berberine and anthocyanins demonstrate natural anti-inflammatory activities. By lowering markers of inflammation, barberry supplements may help defend against inflammatory conditions.