Best Berberine Supplements for 2024
If you want to get results from berberine, you need to take a high-quality formula that contains the full amount of berberine shown in clinical studies to work. Here are today’s best berberine supplements and how they rank.
Berberine, a nutritional powerhouse, is renowned for its diverse benefits, ranging from supporting healthy blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity to promoting cardiovascular and liver health.
The key to harnessing the potential of berberine lies in ensuring that you're taking a supplement that truly delivers results.
We tested 14 top berberine products on the market and will show you what to look for, what to watch out for, and which products passed our test.
<<ALERT: All but 6 of the products we tested FAILED>>
Out of 14 supplements tested, only SIX products passed the test and were found to contain the full amount of berberine promised on the label.
And of those six, most did not contain the full dosage recommended by clinical research.
Why Does Dosage Matter?
Berberine is most effective when taken at a daily dose of 1,500 mg, ideally divided throughout the day with meals. This dosage has been backed by clinical research. Therefore, it's essential to verify that the berberine supplement you choose provides the promised amount, as indicated on the label.
What is Berberine?
What exactly is berberine? It’s a phytonutrient that is abundant in a variety of plants such as Berberis aristata, an Indian medicinal plant or ayurvedic herb. Its original use dates back over 3,000 years, when it was used in ancient Chinese medicine.
Berberine is only recently starting to get the attention it deserves from scientists and consumers alike because of the abundant benefits it provides for blood sugar health, cholesterol, triglycerides, and even liver health.
What Does Berberine Do?
Before we go into how berberine works, it’s important to first understand the role insulin plays in the body. When you enjoy a meal or snack, glucose emerges in the bloodstream. This signals your pancreas to make insulin, which transports the sugar from your bloodstream into your cells where it’s used for energy.
When everything is working correctly, your cells open and allow insulin inside—which means your body is “sensitive” to insulin.
In vitro evidence suggests that berberine may work by helping to enhance the enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which controls the synthesis and uptake of glucose into the cells, where it is used for energy. Research suggests that berberine may also help to increase the number and activity of insulin receptors—supporting insulin sensitivity.
In a significant clinical trial published in the medical journal Metabolism, people with blood sugar concerns took 1,500 mg of berberine a day. After three months, both fasting and after-eating blood sugar levels improved.
Berberine has yet another benefit that most people don’t know about: It helps to support the health of your liver.
Berberine Benefits:
Supports normal fasting blood sugar
Supports healthy blood sugar after eating
Helps keep blood sugar levels steady
Supports cholesterol and triglycerides
Supports a healthy liver
How Should Berberine Be Taken?
How much berberine to take? What is the best time to take berberine? Can berberine be taken on an empty stomach? Can berberine be taken all at once? While it’s always best to talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement, here are our general recommendations:
Take 500 mg three times a day. This is the average dosage showing the most success in clinical trials for blood sugar, lipids, liver health, etc.
The best time to take berberine is about 30 minutes before meals. It is better tolerated when taken with food, and mealtime dosing may help to blunt the impact of food on blood sugar levels.
You can take berberine on an empty stomach as long as it doesn’t cause gastrointestinal upset.
What to Look for in a Berberine Supplement
Doctor-Developed Formula
Make sure the berberine formula you select has been reviewed by a medical expert familiar with the research on berberine and with the effect of berberine in their patient population.
Third-Party Lab Tested
The best berberine supplement should be independently tested for potency and purity to confirm the amount of berberine listed on the label is actually in the product, and that it is free from unnecessary fillers, artificial colorants, preservatives, or added flavors.
Produced in a US-based cGMP Manufacturing Facility
Make sure the product you select is produced in a facility that follows Current Good Manufacturing Processes (cGMP) and has strict quality controls on their manufacturing.
Research-Backed Dose of 1,500 mg Daily
Many berberine supplements contain far less than the optimal dose. Look for a product that gives you a total of 1,500 mg of berberine daily, preferably in divided doses so you can take 500 mg with each of three meals (or snacks, if you don’t eat three meals a day).
100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Return Policy
Choose a berberine supplement that offers a 100% money-back guarantee. Any reputable company should stand behind their product and give you the chance for a refund if you are not happy with your results.
Berberine Supplement Quality is Extremely Inconsistent
In 2017, a study was published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements showing that, of 15 berberine products tested at the time, NINE of them failed to contain the full labeled amount of berberine. This should have been huge news, but because berberine hadn’t yet exploded in popularity, it went mostly unnoticed.
When berberine started to become increasingly popular in recent months, the Wall Street Journal reported on the 2017 study, alerting consumers that many berberine supplements may not be what they seem.
That’s when we decided to put 14 of Amazon’s current top-selling berberine supplements to the test ourselves, using an independent laboratory to verify whether the actual amount of berberine in the product was consistent with what was shown on the label.
Included in those 14 were several products also tested in 2017.
Out of 14 berberine supplements we tested, only SIX products passed the test and were found to contain the full amount of berberine promised on the label. Several of the products that failed the test in 2017 continue to fail now (only one that failed in 2017 now passed).
This testing confirms that there is still a huge quality issue with berberine supplements, and you must be very cautious about spending money on products that may contain only a fraction of the berberine they claim on their label.
Top Berberine Supplement Testing Results
We value the importance of transparency and accuracy when it comes to nutritional supplements. That’s why we conducted this independent testing on berberine supplements to determine whether they meet their label claims. We've assigned each product an overall grade based on our findings. Our goal is to empower you with information so that you can make informed decisions about the supplements you trust with your health.
⭐ OVERALL PICK ⭐
#1: Doctors’ Preferred® Clinical Grade Berberine
Serving size: 1 capsule
Label claim: 500mg/serving; 1,500 mg/day
Test result: 528mg/serving; 1,584 mg/day
PASSED
Grade A+
Doctors' Preferred Clinical Grade Berberine not only meets but exceeds the recommended daily dose of berberine. With a formula designed by a medical doctor and manufactured and triple-tested for potency and purity in a US-based facility, this product stands as our top choice for those seeking the full benefits of berberine.
#2: Sunergetic Berberine
Serving size: 2 capsules
Label claim: 1,200 mg/serving and day
Test result: 1,308 mg/serving and day
PASSED
Grade B
Sunergetic Berberine passed the test for containing the labeled amount of berberine, though slightly below the ideal 1,500 mg daily. It's recommended to take both capsules at once, which differs from the optimal divided dose approach.
#3: NOW Berberine Glucose Support
Serving size: 1 softgel
Label claim: 400 mg/serving; 1,200 mg/day
Test result: 466 mg/serving; 1,398 mg/day
PASSED
Grade B
This formula passes because the recommended daily dose is 3 softgels for a total of 1,200 mg of berberine a day—still slightly under the ideal dose, but very close and the formula is enhanced with MCT oil for absorption.
#4: Thorne Berberine
Serving size: 1 capsule
Label claim: 200 mg/serving; 400-600 mg/day
Test result: 215 mg/serving; 430-645 mg/day
PASSED
Grade B-
Thorne Berberine passes for labeled potency, but receives a lower grade because they only recommend taking 2-3 capsules per day, which gives you far less than the recommended 1,500 mg of berberine for blood sugar health. Thorne supplements are of good quality, though, and they do have additional products with varying doses available as well.
#5: Swanson Berberine
Serving size: 1 capsule
Label claim: 400 mg/serving; 400-800 mg/day
Test result: 406 mg/serving; 406-812 mg/day
PASSED
Grade C+
Swanson’s Berberine comes with a recommended dose of just 1-2 capsules per day, which falls far short of the ideal 1,500 mg daily. However, this product did pass the test for labeled potency.
#6: Amazing Formulas Berberine
Serving size: 2 capsules
Label claim: 1,000 mg/serving and day
Test result: 942 mg/serving and day
BARELY PASSED
Grade C-
Amazing Formulas Berberine came in just shy of the labeled amount of berberine, but the shortfall was not enough to be statistically significant, so it still earns a passing grade. However, the formula only provides 1,000 mg daily, far short of the recommended dose.
⭐⭐FEATURED PRODUCT⭐⭐
Doctors’ Preferred® GlucoGold with Berberine
GlucoGold is not just a berberine formula, but made it onto our list as an excellent choice for comprehensive blood sugar support. It goes beyond berberine-only formulas to support healthy blood sugar before and after meals, healthy insulin sensitivity, and even cholesterol and triglyceride health. And it passes our test with ALL ingredients meeting or exceeding the amount on the label, and purity and potency are confirmed by independent testing.
GlucoGold contains:
The full 1,500 mg recommended daily dose of berberine
A highly concentrated 10:1 cinnamon extract
400 mcg of Crominex®3+ chromium
48 mg of banaba leaf
While not as inexpensive as a berberine-only formula, this supplement is an excellent value and stands out as our top choice for anyone in need of serious blood sugar support.
Unfortunately, the following supplements did not pass our testing, as they failed to contain the amount of berberine shown on their label.
#7: Luma Nutrition Berberine
#8: WellBetX Berberine
#9: Double Wood Berberine
#10: Doctor Recommended Berberine Plus
#11: Nutriflair Premium Berberine +
#12: BMVINVOL Berberine
#13: Vidavite Berberine Gummies
#14: Alliwise Berberine
Choose Your Berberine Supplement Wisely
We've rigorously tested and evaluated these products to ensure you have accurate information about their berberine content. We believe that informed choices lead to better health outcomes. Select your berberine supplement wisely, considering both the label claims and our independent testing results to get the most out of this remarkable ingredient.
Please note that product availability may vary, and we recommend checking the provided links for the latest information on these products.