Today I came across an article written by Sara Gottfried MD. To read her full article please refer to the link at the bottom of this information.
I want to share my finding as the company I work with has a product called TAVALA CONTROL, that is used to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, helps maintain healthy levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, supports digestion, and aids in additional breakthroughs in healthy weight loss.
One of the active ingredients in the CONTROL is an ingredient called BERBERINE.
What is berberine?
Berberine Powder: Berberine is a naturally-occurring yellow plant extract with a long history of medicinal use in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. Found in the roots, rhizomes, stems, and bark of 
various plants including goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis), barberry (Berberis vulgaris), goldenthread (Coptis chinensis), Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium), phellodendron (Phellodendron amurense, and not to be confused with the unrelated household plant, philodendron), and tree turmeric (Berberis aristata). Historically, berberine’s rich yellow color made it valuable as a natural dye.
What does berberine do?
Berberine is a mixed nutraceutical, meaning that it has several effects that we can divide into the broad categories of lowering blood sugar, lipids, and body weight. 1 Here are some of the proven applications of berberine:
1. Anti-diabetes. Berberine reduces blood glucose in people with diabetes by several mechanisms, including reducing production in the liver. Berberine lowers fasting glucose, fasting insulin, post-prandial glucose, and HbA1c by growing new insulin receptors 2 In fact, berberine boosts insulin receptor expression four-fold. That’s impressive for a plant! 3
2. Anti-PCOS. Several studies show a benefit of berberine in resetting PCOS. Taking berberine 500 mg three times daily for 3 months can reduce fasting plasma glucose, markers of insulin resistance, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, testosterone levels, and waist-to-hip ratios. Furthermore, berberine can increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and sex hormone binding globulin in women compared with placebo. In addition, berberine is superior to metformin, a common prescription for PCOS, at improving lipid parameters, reducing waist-to-hip ratio, and increasing SHBG in PCOS patients.4 Additionally, in women with PCOS undergoing in vitro fertilization, berberine is superior to metformin at achieving more live births with fewer side effects.5
3. Anti-obesity. In a small pilot study, obese patients given 500 mg three times per day lost 5 pounds and dropped triglycerides 23 percent compared to pre-treatment but the study lacks a control group or randomization. 6
5. Anti-lipid. In a meta-analysis, 11 randomized trials of 847 participants—all of relatively low quality—showed that berberine significantly reduces total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol), and is associated with an impressive increase in high-density lipoprotein. 7
Additionally, in women with PCOS undergoing in vitro fertilization, berberine is superior to metformin at achieving more live births with fewer side effects. 8
Science moment!
Berberine is able to activate an enzyme called Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) while inhibiting Protein-Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). Activating AMPK is important to health, and appears to play a key role in reversing insulin resistance, promoting glycolysis, and reducing oxidative stress. One result of activating AMPK is suppression of hepatic glucose output,so that insulin and IGF-1 levels are lower. Both berberine and metformin, (as mentioned previously, the drug commonly used for diabetes and PCOS), activate AMPK. 9
Here’s a cool fact: Owing to AMPK inhibition, berberine is normoglycemic, which means it reduces blood sugar only if elevated. Berberine has another action that metformin does not: it blocks proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK9), which plays a key role in metabolism of lipoprotein. Some people overexpress PCSK9 because of a genetic variant, and berberine helps lower their LDL particles by 10 to 32 percent. 10
What’s the best dose of berberine?
For diabetes, 500 mg twice daily for three months is effective. Other studies show a benefit at three times daily.
You can’t take berberine all at once because of poor intestinal uptake. As with most herbs, it’s better to take berberine in multiple doses throughout the day. (With the Tavala CONTROL, we suggest 2 capsules in the morning and two in the afternoon daily. Many people take it with their meals, as they tend to remember that way.)
The best dose is what works for you – there’s no such thing as one size fits all. Yet the dose used in many women in the clinical trials that show benefit to blood sugar, microbiome, hot flashes, and cholesterol panels is 500 mg three times per day.
Please be sure to see the caution below about not taking berberine for longer than 8 weeks.
Can I take berberine in pregnancy?
According to the Natural Medicine database, berberine is rated LIKELY UNSAFE because it crosses the placenta and may harm the baby. In one study, newborn infants exposed to berberine had elevated bilirubin and kernicterus. 11 Furthermore, there are limited data that berberine may cause preterm contractions. Similarly, berberine is considered LIKELY UNSAFE in nursing women as it can be transferred to your baby in breast milk.
How long can I take berberine?
It’s recommended that you take berberine for only 8 weeks at a time and then take a holiday owing to the effect of the herb on cytochromes P450 (CYPs) in the liver. 12
When you see an effect of berberine on cytochromes P450, it may lead to drug-drug interactions, which should be reviewed with a knowledgeable clinician and/or pharmacist. Many supplements should be used in this way—pulsed in an 8-week cycle, and then off for some length of time such as two to four weeks, then restarted if symptoms aren’t resolved.
Interested in trying the CONTROL? go to www.DaveandJoy.com and click on Control. A 28-day supply is available in capsule form (112 capsules). We are excited to hear -almost daily- the health benefits of this product….including no longer needing to be on a special diet, or on metformin or other pharmaceutical products. As always, if you have any health concerns or are looking to try a new product, check with your health care provider.
The CONTROL is a perfect DUO product with Tavala’s flagship product called TRIM. If you are looking to lose weight, improve your health…. and avoid plateaus. Combining the two products is golden.
We’d love to help you get started …. feel free to reach out by email or phone or order direct through our website. We are also looking for brand partners to join our global expansion.
Dave and Joy/Global Leaders and Trainers
802-846-7530
