Berberine Is A Novel Anti-Viral

We hear a lot about berberine these days. Berberine is a natural compound found in several plants, including barberry, goldenseal, and Oregon grape. It has been studied for its potential health benefits, including its ability to aid in weight loss.

It seems to be able to switch off the famous “fat switch”! When the switch is ON, you gain weight. When it is OFF, you lose weight. The secret is that Berberine is able to switch metabolism to an enzyme called AMPK. That’s the one we want!

AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase), helps to regulate the body's energy balance and metabolism. AMPK activation has been shown to increase fat burning and reduce fat storage, leading to weight loss.

Berberine is also able to promote heart health. One of the main ways it does that is by reducing inflammation, which is a major contributor to the development of heart disease.

So it’s an all-round good guy! But berberine also has powerful anti-viral properties too. It’s not one of my “Dirty Dozen” (top 12 anti-virals) but it would be a top 20, that’s for sure.

Several studies have suggested that berberine may be effective in inhibiting the replication of various viruses, including influenza, hepatitis B and C, HIV, and herpes simplex virus (HSV-1 and HSV-2). Berberine has been shown to work by interfering with various stages of the viral life cycle, including viral entry, replication, and release.

Berberine has also been shown to have immunomodulatory effects, meaning it can help to regulate the immune system and improve its ability to fight infections. This can help to prevent viral infections from taking hold and spreading throughout the body.

Here’s what The FASEB Journal had to say in 2021:

Studies suggest that berberine has shown various biological activities that may help against COVID-19 and SARS, including anti-viral, anti-allergy and inflammation, liver protection against drug and infection induced liver injury, as well as reducing oxidative stress. In particular, berberine has a wide range of antiviral activities such as anti-influenza, anti-hepatitis C, anti-cytomegalovirus, and anti-alphavirus. As an ingredient recommended in guidelines issued by the China National Health Commission for COVID-19 to be combined with other therapy, berberine is a promising orally administered therapeutic candidate against SARS-Cov and SARS-Cov-2.

Altogether, a “Master Herbal”, wouldn’t you say? Well worth having some in the medicine cabinet.

To your good health,

Prof. Keith Scott-Mumby
The Official Alternative Doctor

[Edited from the book Virus Blitz: A Torrent of Safe, Highly Effective, Yet Little-Known Anti-Viral Remedies]

*The FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology). 2021;35:e21360