Supplementing with berberine, a chemical found in several plants widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, can result in reductions in total and LDL cholesterol, as well as a slight testosterone increase, in men, a newly-published study appearing in Nutrients found.
 
The nutraceuticals industry has long sought out ingredients which can target inflammatory and lipid pathways in order to attenuate known markers of cardiovascular disease risk, which include blood lipids. Berberine, a plant alkaloid which appears commonly in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, is thought to have a range of potential benefits on the cardiovascular system, which include impacts on blood lipid concentrations and inflammation.
 
Berberine, as a supplement ingredient, is often sourced from plants including huanglian, huangbai, goldenseal, Oregon grape, European barberry, and more.
 
In the present study, researchers recruited 84 Chinese men with hyperlipidemia, who were randomized to receive either a twice-daily supplement containing 500 mg berberine or a placebo for a duration of 12 weeks. Throughout the course of the study, the authors measured total cholesterol, LDL/HDL cholesterol, changes in triglycerides, thromboxane A2, blood pressure, BMI, and waist-hip ratio, as well as testosterone.
 
Significant reductions were achieved in the experimental group in both total and LDL cholesterol – while there were reductions in triglycerides, blood pressure, and adiposity in the experimental group that were greater than the placebo group, these changes were not statistically significant, the authors noted. Additionally, the authors noted that there was a sex-specific increase in testosterone for men – this was the first study of its kind on berberine to assess possible changes to this hormone. They cited a previous study, however, which showed that berberine significantly decreased testosterone concentrations in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition in which the ovaries produce an abnormal amount of male sex hormones.
 
“Our findings extend the current evidence by assessing the effect of berberine in men only,” the authors of the study concluded. “Our study showed that berberine lowers total cholesterol and possibly LDL-c, with good safety. Our study also adds to the research by assessing the effect of berberine on testosterone and thromboxane A2 in men. Berberine did not lower testosterone in men, but instead possibly increased testosterone, in contrast to berberine reducing testosterone in women.”