Berberine and Acne
Let’s talk about a very promising natural acne-fighter, berberine, and how it helped me go from this:
To this:
Berberine is an alkaloid compound that is isolated from plants such as Barberry, Goldenseal and Oregon Grape. It’s been used in traditional Chinese medicine going back centuries and is currently making a resurgence as an herbal treatment for type-II diabetes, poly cystic ovarian syndrome, high cholesterol and acne.
Berberine has anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory effects and is able to reduce glucose production in the liver:
“Berberine targets a very basic and ancient regulator of metabolism present in all animals and plants called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK stimulates the uptake of glucose into the cells, improves insulin sensitivity, and reduces glucose production in the liver, which is in overdrive in patients with diabetes. It slows the release of free fatty acids, which lowers lipid levels and prevents harmful fat deposition, and boosts fat burning in the mitochondria. It also stimulates the release of nitric oxide (NO), a signaling molecule that relaxes the arteries, increases blood flow and lowers blood pressure, and protects against atherosclerosis.” source: http://www.drwhitaker.com/berberine-proves-powerful-against-diabetes
In addition to the properties described above, berberine is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and androgen-inhibiting. It suppresses acne by inhibiting the skin-cell processes that form comedones, killing the acne-causing bacteria P. acnes, suppressing sebum production and improving intestinal permeability. One clinical study has shown a 45% reduction in acne following one month of treatment.
Looking for more information on berberine? Read my Berberine Q&A here.
My experience with berberine
I only took this dose for 10 days as I started feeling as though I was hungover all the time – likely a detox reaction. I went down to 500 mg a day for the remainder of September. I was still getting frequent breakouts, possibly because I hadn’t changed my diet at the time. One side effect I did notice was that I dropped about five pounds within a week of starting the supplement. This is likely initial water weight loss says my naturopath.
I started another course of berberine again at the end of November, in the middle of my gluten-free/sugar free diet. 500 mg twice daily transitioning to 500 mg once daily for the last two weeks of the month. Again, I dropped about 5-7 pounds right off the bat (I had regained the weight I lost earlier in the fall).
A few words of caution – I’d recommend starting slow with this herb as it is powerful stuff. When I was beginning this second course of berberine I took 1,000 mg on the first day (two pills at the same time) and within an hour felt extremely nauseated and could barely stop myself from throwing up. I had to high tail it home from work and immediately go to bed. I felt better within a few hours, but it was scary. Due to it’s intense anti-microbial properties, you should also up your probiotic intake, and not take the herb for more than two months at a time. I’ve been drinking raw goat’s milk kefir and taking probiotic supplements as well. It should also be avoided by pregnant and breastfeeding women as it is toxic to the fetus and breastfeeding infant.
How has my skin been during this second course of berberine? Great! I’m sure it is largely due to the diet I’m on, but as I’ve started reintroducing sugar and gluten, my skin has remained excellent – smooth and fairly clear. It’s hard to say, but I’d attribute it in part to the berberine. I have two pills left, and will be taking a break from berberine for the next month. I will likely start taking the herb again in February.
The bottom line
If you’re suffering from acne and have been trying to heal your gut through diet and supplements, berberine may be the next step to clear skin. It’s worth a shot.
Looking for more information on berberine? Read my Berberine Q&A here.
