Dihydroberberine vs Berberine
Dihydroberine is more effective than berberine powder in lowering blood sugar levels.
The medicinal value of berberine is limited by some factors, such as berberine's general water solubility and difficulty in intestinal absorption.
Dihydroberberine is a derivative of berberine that has been modified to increase its bioavailability.
A recent animal study showed that dihydroberberine is 5 times more bioavailable than berberine. Clinical research trials show that the effect of dihydroberberine is even more surprising.
Five healthy male subjects received four doses totaling 500 mg of berberine and 200 mg of dihydroberberine.
The results showed that compared to 500 mg of berberine, 200 mg of dihydroberberine caused a 22-fold higher serum concentration of berberine! The huge pharmacokinetic advantages of dihydroberberine DHB are highlighted here. When serum berberine concentrations increased, a 200 mg dose of dihydroberberine was more effective than 500 mg berberine.
A research team recently published a paper in the journal "Pharmaceutical Sciences" saying that they found in laboratory studies that berberine can inhibit the proliferation of lung cancer cells. The researchers said that berberine is expected to be used to treat lung cancer and other diseases, and it is hoped that it can be applied clinically as soon as possible.
Kamal Dua, a researcher at the University of Technology Sydney, said they tested the effectiveness of berberine in the laboratory using a lung adenocarcinoma cell line and found that expression levels of genes and proteins associated with tumors and cancer were significantly reduced.
Additionally, berberine inhibited oxidative stress and cell damage caused by cigarette smoke in healthy lung cells cultured in the laboratory.
Reference
[1]. Moon, Jessica M et al. "Absorption Kinetics of Berberine and Dihydroberberine and Their Impact on Glycemia: A Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Pilot Trial." Nutrients vol. 14,1 124. 28 Dec. 2021, doi:10.3390/nu14010124.
