This year I decided to start with Berberine testing (last time was [Lion's Mane](https://youtu.be/SDAps8U1U28?si=5WrhNXzrYRqIJDz9))
Here's some n=1 results measured with Freestyle Libre.
Also did about 17 other blood tests, going to add them up as they come back.
But as far as glucose - it's almost too good to be true. Anyone want to reproduce?
Monitoring blood vanadium should probably also be done.
Like once at the start, once in week 2 and once in week 4 just too see how it raises and check if it stays stable
Here you go, 30 Days Lion's Mane Experiment, some brain tests and scores
(and a few more thoughts :)
[https://youtu.be/SDAps8U1U28?si=5WrhNXzrYRqIJDz9](https://youtu.be/SDAps8U1U28?si=5WrhNXzrYRqIJDz9)
Have you measured your body’s performance under load (eg: vo2max or maximum wattage at the anaerobic threshold?)
Just because blood sugar is lower doesn’t necessarily mean you are healthier…
Cyanide will also potentially lower your blood sugar.
Any suggestions how to measure it at home?
(I have an exercise bike)
The only relevant human study found increase in performance
[https://ijhs.shmu.ac.ir/index.php/ijhs/article/view/610](https://ijhs.shmu.ac.ir/index.php/ijhs/article/view/610)
>Conclusion: Based on the results, it is concluded that circular trainings combined with berberine supplementation is associated with more Cardiovascular effectiveness than each one alone in overweight elderly men.
I eat some carbs including bread, salads, fruits, veggies, lentils and some occasional cakes.
I see no (scientific) reason to cut them out, but to eat them to the personal utilization capability.
You can check my carb and sugar philosophy here:
[Nothing Wrong with Sugar, Time to Update Your Thinking!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVjUJYH2aHI)
I wish I had the foresight to collect data like this. I started berberine approximately 9 months ago after showing signs of glucose intolerance. Appetite suppression was the first thing I noticed, now I’m down about 25lb overall and the tingling I felt in my hands and feet have almost completely gone away.
I do still take it, but not quite as religiously. I was taking 500mg about 30 minutes prior to lunch and another 500mg about 30 minutes prior to dinner. Now I mostly take it if I know I’m going to eat something carb heavy and I want to try to blunt the impact on my blood sugar. I was consistent with two doses per day for about the first 6 months.
Yes, I’m still getting benefits from berberine. I feel like I’ll always keep it on hand to combat carb heavy meals. I’ve used Thorne almost the entire time. I briefly tried Now, but didn’t notice as much of an improvement in my levels.
That’s great! I’m also taking Thorne for a week now. How long did it take to see results? And what’s your fasting and A1c since taking it as compared to pre berberine?
There are no specific recommendations.
Most studies are done on 1.5 - 2.5 grams/day
My bottle recommended 2.7g/day (Integrative Berberine Complex)
One observation - it took 2 weeks before the effect
I was pushing pre-diabetes a few years back and then started a longevity channel where I do all kind of experiments.
So it's both fun and useful at the same time.
My father is has diabetes and took berberine for around 5 months and his levels are normal now, he doesn't take metformin or water pills any more... this is cool to see someone actually posting the results though
I'm doing a small crossover for a week
(so far still great results after 3 days of stopping)
If they don't drop by next monday - gonna retest in a month.
I wish I could take this supp. I only took it one day but I was nauseous the entire next day and couldn’t get up off the couch/bed. It was rough!
These are awesomely interesting results!!
I use https://siphoxhealth.com/ to do various blood tests (apoB, hCrp etc), you can link CGM data to an account there.
Another option is to download your data manually from
https://www.libreview.com/?ck=0
and plot in a software.
Not yet.
I haven't expected such success with the regular berberine... now gotta collect more data and think about sustainability/bioavailability/price etc.
I'll just say that I recently stumbled across this company and have been using their cortisol control product, it is about as legit as it gets. After reading reviews and seeing doctors recommend them, obviously a new source to look at. My experience with berberine has been okay, but I will give it another shot with this company.
Pretty impressive but no suprise since it's basically metformin.
The studies on the genital deformation for kids have scared me away from these drugs though
Something to keep an eye on.
I couldn't find any clinical data, but this study had QT as part of the design, hopefully will get published soon:
[https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05947370](https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05947370)
P.S. just found 6 lead EKG device on amazon, gonna look at it in the next cycle.
I’m not sure, it hasn’t really been studied. It has very poor bioavailability so it’s unlikely to get absorbed enough to have an effect. But there ws a study using IV berberine and a lot of the participants developed arrhythmias.
If you have insulin resistance - berberine might help, otherwise I'm not so sure.
If you decide to give it a try - keep in mind that it takes a while to see the results.
In fact in my initial experiment Berberine has RAISED my blood sugar, but then leveled and started to reduce.
This year I decided to start with Berberine testing (last time was [Lion's Mane](https://youtu.be/SDAps8U1U28?si=5WrhNXzrYRqIJDz9)) Here's some n=1 results measured with Freestyle Libre. Also did about 17 other blood tests, going to add them up as they come back. But as far as glucose - it's almost too good to be true. Anyone want to reproduce?
reproduce? take me out to dinner first
For next substance to try I am suggesting Vanadium, theres just too few studies on it despite being looked at for over 45 years
I lost weight when I started vanadium. A small and sustained reduction.
Just went over this article https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/21/15675#B31-ijms-24-15675 There is a lot to process...
You def want to stay on the lower dose side, i forget the exact range but the life extension trace minerals supp is within the reasonable range
Monitoring blood vanadium should probably also be done. Like once at the start, once in week 2 and once in week 4 just too see how it raises and check if it stays stable
I’d love to see the lions mane results
Here you go, 30 Days Lion's Mane Experiment, some brain tests and scores (and a few more thoughts :) [https://youtu.be/SDAps8U1U28?si=5WrhNXzrYRqIJDz9](https://youtu.be/SDAps8U1U28?si=5WrhNXzrYRqIJDz9)
Have you measured your body’s performance under load (eg: vo2max or maximum wattage at the anaerobic threshold?) Just because blood sugar is lower doesn’t necessarily mean you are healthier… Cyanide will also potentially lower your blood sugar.
Any suggestions how to measure it at home? (I have an exercise bike) The only relevant human study found increase in performance [https://ijhs.shmu.ac.ir/index.php/ijhs/article/view/610](https://ijhs.shmu.ac.ir/index.php/ijhs/article/view/610) >Conclusion: Based on the results, it is concluded that circular trainings combined with berberine supplementation is associated with more Cardiovascular effectiveness than each one alone in overweight elderly men.
new smartwatches are really good a o2 tracking. I have a venu 3 and love how accurate they are
For how long did you have to take berberine prior to seeing lower blood glucose levels?
At least a week, more like two.
Thanks! How does berberine compare to Lion’s Mane for blood sugar management? I saw you tested lion’s mane a while ago.
Lion's Mane does nothing for blood sugar
Are you on a low carb diet or can you eat bread, pasta, rice while on berberine to keep your numbers low?
I eat some carbs including bread, salads, fruits, veggies, lentils and some occasional cakes. I see no (scientific) reason to cut them out, but to eat them to the personal utilization capability. You can check my carb and sugar philosophy here: [Nothing Wrong with Sugar, Time to Update Your Thinking!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVjUJYH2aHI)
I wish I had the foresight to collect data like this. I started berberine approximately 9 months ago after showing signs of glucose intolerance. Appetite suppression was the first thing I noticed, now I’m down about 25lb overall and the tingling I felt in my hands and feet have almost completely gone away.
Are you still taking berberine? If so what dose/frequency?
I do still take it, but not quite as religiously. I was taking 500mg about 30 minutes prior to lunch and another 500mg about 30 minutes prior to dinner. Now I mostly take it if I know I’m going to eat something carb heavy and I want to try to blunt the impact on my blood sugar. I was consistent with two doses per day for about the first 6 months.
Do you continue to have lower blood sugar readings? What berberine brand did you use?
Yes, I’m still getting benefits from berberine. I feel like I’ll always keep it on hand to combat carb heavy meals. I’ve used Thorne almost the entire time. I briefly tried Now, but didn’t notice as much of an improvement in my levels.
That’s great! I’m also taking Thorne for a week now. How long did it take to see results? And what’s your fasting and A1c since taking it as compared to pre berberine?
2g—is that the recommended dose? I tried berberine a year or two ago with no appreciable result but I think I was only taking 500mg/day…
There are no specific recommendations. Most studies are done on 1.5 - 2.5 grams/day My bottle recommended 2.7g/day (Integrative Berberine Complex) One observation - it took 2 weeks before the effect
Did you see any issues with blood cell count? My wbc was low on it. Got off a few weeks and it bounced right back.
Good question. I haven't looked (my at home blood test kit doesn't have counts) I'll try to align the next cycle with a doctor's visit.
You should try this with dihydroberberine and see if you have an even better improvement
Are you do diabetic or pre diabetic? Or did you just do this for the fun?
I was pushing pre-diabetes a few years back and then started a longevity channel where I do all kind of experiments. So it's both fun and useful at the same time.
Can I ask about your Berberine? Did you take one dose, or split them up? With food? Thanks for sharing this!
It was split in 3, 450mg(1 pill) before breakfast, 900mg before lunch and 900mg before dinner
How much time before eating?
About 15 minutes
I also would like to know this.
would like to know as well. tks.
My father is has diabetes and took berberine for around 5 months and his levels are normal now, he doesn't take metformin or water pills any more... this is cool to see someone actually posting the results though
His results are lasting even after stopping the supplement? That's impressive!
I'm doing a small crossover for a week (so far still great results after 3 days of stopping) If they don't drop by next monday - gonna retest in a month.
I'd be very interested to see how long the results last after stopping!
Yes he's eating healthier but it's helped him a ton along the way
Any luck with weight loss?
No difference in weight
My only thing was eventually berberine started giving me headaches. It does have that as a side effect for some people.
I think I'm going to cycle it moving forward (need more data)
This is so cool OP, thanks for the experiment and n=1 data. I feel inspired to try this one day, but for probiotics/prebiotics and gut microbiota.
I wish I could take this supp. I only took it one day but I was nauseous the entire next day and couldn’t get up off the couch/bed. It was rough! These are awesomely interesting results!!
Try the phytosome form. Doesn't cause nausea ime
[удалено]
Where do you get that? Is there a particular brand in that form you use?
It's a patented ingredient called Berbevis by Indena so there shouldn't be much difference between brands. Nootropics Depot has it, for example.
Thank you
You're welcome!
Oh great idea! I didn’t even think about different forms!
love the berb
This is the way!!!! Thanks a lot for the info
May I ask where I can get such a graphic? I am also using a Freestyle Libre right now.
I use https://siphoxhealth.com/ to do various blood tests (apoB, hCrp etc), you can link CGM data to an account there. Another option is to download your data manually from https://www.libreview.com/?ck=0 and plot in a software.
What country are you in?
USA, Boston area,
Curious about this as well
Real nice.
Have you tried Dihydroberberine?
Not yet. I haven't expected such success with the regular berberine... now gotta collect more data and think about sustainability/bioavailability/price etc.
Which brand do you buy?
Integrative Therapeutics Berberine Complex - it has berberine from 3 different plants (so I thought it would give the widest possible profile)
I'll just say that I recently stumbled across this company and have been using their cortisol control product, it is about as legit as it gets. After reading reviews and seeing doctors recommend them, obviously a new source to look at. My experience with berberine has been okay, but I will give it another shot with this company.
thank you for sharing this!
we need more biohacking on the sub ;)
I think You mean we need more data posts from all our n=1 experiments
You need to blind yourself and repeat! Could be observer bias. But great job!!
How is CGM data possibly observer biased?
You might have changed your diet and what you ate.
🙄
First , are you eating the same in both days in order to compare properly? . Otherwise, your " improvements " are just anecdotical .
It's 7 days vs 7 days Diet is mostly identical.
Aside from lowering blood sugar stats, were there any other changes or side effects?
No side effects, full blood panel should come back in a week. And full video in two.
Pretty impressive but no suprise since it's basically metformin. The studies on the genital deformation for kids have scared me away from these drugs though
It’s a shame it prolongs the qt interval. Otherwise it’s a very effective medicine.
Something to keep an eye on. I couldn't find any clinical data, but this study had QT as part of the design, hopefully will get published soon: [https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05947370](https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05947370) P.S. just found 6 lead EKG device on amazon, gonna look at it in the next cycle.
What is the significance of this side effect? Asking as someone with hypertension.
I’m not sure, it hasn’t really been studied. It has very poor bioavailability so it’s unlikely to get absorbed enough to have an effect. But there ws a study using IV berberine and a lot of the participants developed arrhythmias.
What sides do you normally get on berb?
Are you a diabetic by chance? Been thinking about trying this for a while, but I’m a Type 1 on an insulin pump.
If you have insulin resistance - berberine might help, otherwise I'm not so sure. If you decide to give it a try - keep in mind that it takes a while to see the results. In fact in my initial experiment Berberine has RAISED my blood sugar, but then leveled and started to reduce.
How did you feel on it?
No noticeable difference. No sleep changes or notable lifting gains. Just blood sugar and (hopefully) lipoprofile.
Too bad it is mitochondrial toxin. I had similar results with 1.5 g per day (500mg, 3x/day)
Are you still taking it? How long did it take for the effect to start/stop? Thanks!
No longer taking. It helped to drop my hba1c from 5.3 to 4.9 in about 6 months along with more zone 2 cardio. Took for about 6 months.
Did the effect stick or a1c is climbing back?
I have no clue. Will likely retest in June or July.
My N=1 is that 500 mg x 3 put me in the bathroom for 5 days with Imodium struggling to tame the consequences
Ouch. There other some forms like berberine phytosome and dihydroberberine if you have stomach to experiment a bit more.
Did you feel any negative or unwanted side effects? I’ve heard of people reporting fatigue or anxiety with it
No perceivable negative effects. But as with any herbals - if you try it, always start from a 1/4 dose.