TikTokers Claim This Supplement Is 'Nature's Ozempic' & Here's Why It's Not A 'Magic Pill'

What is berberine?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, berberine is a bioactive compound that comes from plants and improves a person's insulin resistance and how your cells use glucose (sugar).

The clinic adds that it's been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 400 years to treat health-related issues like diarrhea and gastrointestinal infections.

So how is berberine similar to Ozempic?

Abbey Sharp, a registered dietitian and YouTuber based in Toronto, says Ozempic and other weight loss drugs are called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists.

"[This type of drug's] major job is to grow insulin and suppress glucagon production in stabilizing blood sugar levels, and it also slows gut emptying," she told Narcity.

"In the brain it makes you feel more full and satiated, so reduces your appetite and for those reasons, these products are used for blood sugar management, type two diabetes, insulin resistance and also in weight loss."

Sharp adds that berberine works in the same way, by naturally increasing the production and release of GLP-1 which is why it seems to have a similar effect to Ozempic.

Does berberine cause weight loss?

Sharp says people are mistaken if they think they will drop a bunch of weight by taking a berberine pill and not changing anything about their diet or lifestyle.

"Whoever's been marketing that towards them, that's a huge red flag because that's just absolutely not evidence-based," she explained.

According to Forbes, a study that was done on rats did suggest that "berberine may have some metabolic effects such as affecting the bacteria in one’s gut and activating brown fat or brown adipose tissue." The outlet notes that if berberine can indeed do that it may help with some weight loss.

However, it's important to note that just because berberine had those effects on rats, it doesn't mean it works the same on humans.

In an interview with Prevention, registered dietitian Jessica Cording says more research is needed before experts can confirm the weight loss claims around berberine.

“With more people becoming aware of the class of medication that Ozempic is in, we’re seeing more people look for other options," Cording said in the interview.

"But berberine needs to be studied more before we can understand if it’s truly effective or safe."

What are the side effects of taking berberine?

Just like with any supplement or medication, berberine comes with side effects, including constipation, diarrhea, nausea and stomach discomfort, Cleveland Clinic says on its website.

Many TikTokers who are sharing their journey with taking berberine have also expressed they experienced certain symptoms caused by the berberine supplements.

On what she says is day two of taking berberine, TikToker @isabelle.lux says she experienced severe bloating that caused her to look "nine months pregnant."

In another video, TikToker @joeyzauzig says he wanted to warn others after his own experience. The man says he took 1,000 milligrams of berberine before going to a baseball game and he didn't make it home before he had to stop the car and run into the forest. Thankfully he stopped the story there, but we get what he means!

Do experts think berberine is safe?

In an interview with NBC News, Dr. Pieter Cohen, a researcher at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Somerville, Massachusetts, says people should use caution before trusting dietary supplements.

That's because he notes they aren't reviewed or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and can be incorrectly touted as helping with any health-related issue. Cohen adds they may also have incorrect ingredient information on the label.

"An active pharmaceutical drug like berberine, it’s not the kind of thing that you should just be taking willy-nilly," he told NBC News.

Sharp also highlights that berberine may not be appropriate for everyone because there are medications it shouldn't be combined with.

"It is not necessarily appropriate for everyone because it does have hypoglycemic properties and it can lower blood pressure if you are not diabetic," she added.

"If you are already taking a blood sugar lowering medication, or a blood pressure lowering medication it can potentially exacerbate this and make you go low. So you could end up with a hypoglycemic episode or a low blood pressure episode."

What are recommended ways to lose weight?

Sharp says there's no "magic bullet" when it comes to losing weight.

The registered dietitian says the only way to really "move the needle on the scale" is to achieve a caloric deficit and find an enjoyable way of doing it so that it's sustainable.

She's even come up with a framework she calls the "hunger-crushing combo" to help you achieve results in a healthy way.

"You don't need to cut out carbs, you can still enjoy those what I call naked carbs, so whether that's a dessert or white pasta, white bread that you still love," she said.

"Just dress them up with the hunger-crushing compounds, so that's fibre, protein and healthy fats."

Sharp says that will help improve "our satiety profile," and will also help to stabilize blood sugars so that you feel full for longer.

What should you keep in mind when seeing health trends on TikTok?

Sharp says it's important to take health-related TikTok trends like this one with a grain of salt as many influencers share highlight reels and we don't know what happens "behind the scenes."

Another issue, the dietitian says, is that we often stop hearing from TikTokers months down the road about their experience.

"People don't want to admit that perhaps they were wrong and that sharing what they did was dangerous to the masses," Sharp explained.

When it comes to the berberine trend, Sharp reiterates that she would never recommend any supplement without having the person run it by their doctor, especially when it "has the power to lower blood pressure or blood sugars."

"I think it comes down to my message on basically all of these trends that if it sounds too magical and good to be true, it probably is," she added.

"Berberine may help to support weight loss efforts, but it's not a magic pill."