The hashtag berberine has racked up 58million views on TikTok, with one specific to weight loss hitting 1. He added: 'The side effects don't seem that bad, some diarrhoea, some stomach upset, I'm down for a little bit of that.

Berberine is an organic compound found in plants such as goldenseal, barberry, Oregon grape, and tree turmeric. Available to buy online, including on Amazon or eBay, it is normally taken as a dietary supplement.

The capsules are also becoming increasingly popular among those with polycystic ovary syndrome to help balance hormones. But medics warned today that when taken solely for weight loss, the tablets 'can be dangerous' and raised serious concerns over its effectiveness.

Dr Simon Cork, a Senior Lecturer in Physiology at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, told MailOnline: 'I have only been able to find one clinical trial using berberine for weight loss.

In the 'very small' trial involving just seven people, 'there was no significant decrease in body weight observed over six weeks, and indeed some patients gained weight during the study,' he added. Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at the eating disorder charity Beat, said: 'Weight-loss supplements like berberine can be very attractive to people with eating disorders as they seemingly offer fast results.

Users went on social media to share their experiences of berberine, with one adding: 'Week 9 on berberine and down 18lbs. A second, liked by 1, users, said: 'Two weeks in and down 8 pounds. The weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy have earned rave reviews in recent months among influencers, celebrities and slimmers.

The drugs work by binding to a protein called the GLP-1 receptor, which triggers hormones in the brain that keep the stomach full and tell the body to stop eating and avoid cravings. However, the mechanism behind berberine supposedly working as a weight loss supplement is unclear.

Some preliminary research suggests it may increase the body's metabolism — but it is not thought to curb appetite.

Another clip with 1. But Dr Simon Cork, a senior lecturer in physiology at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, told MailOnline: 'I have found no evidence for almost any of the claims spoken about in these videos. In the 'very small' trial involving just seven people, 'there was no significant decrease in body weight observed over six weeks and indeed some patients gained weight during the study,' he added.

The supplement could also affect the 'metabolism of other drugs', which may reduce their effectiveness or lead to their build-up within the body, he added. Responding to a comment, beingsavv said she took 1,mg a day of the supplement and used the brand NutriFlair.

She started noticing she was losing weight 'about a month or so after being consistent'. She said: 'Be consistent, things will change and the scale will move'. Common side-effects of the capsules include diarrhoea, constipation, stomach discomfort and nausea.

Medics advise avoiding berberine when pregnant after research found the supplement could cause jaundice in infants and even increase the risk of kernicterus, a type of brain damage that can prove fatal.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson at the National Centre for Eating Disorders NCFED told MailOnline the supplement was 'another quick-fix solution to a complex problem'. They said: 'Berberine will not sort out the emotional eating, the mindset and social issues that cause obesity.

Ozempic has a very specific action for weight loss that is nothing to do with how berberine is purported to work. Eat porridge, plenty of fibre, and a wide range of proteins including meat and oily fish. And get off your phones and go for a walk. Alex Jacobs, CEO of the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine RCHM , also told MailOnline: 'The irresponsible use of a herbal extract as a quick-fix and risky weight-loss technique goes completely against the high standards practice of Chinese herbal medicine.

He added: 'Professionally trained RCHM members only dispense herbal medicines after a consultation that takes into account the individual safety needs of the patient.

Recent TikTok videos highlighting the supplement's supposed benefits include beingsavv, who shared before and after photographs using the supplement for 30 days. In the video watched over 1. She added: 'So I started berberine because I was doing all the right things, working out, calorie deficit, eating right and my weight was increasing instead of decreasing.

Using the brand NutriFlair and taking 1,mg of the supplement per day, she said: 'You can see how much my stomach has gone down, obviously I still have a long way to go but to me this is progress and I am super excited about it.

She started noticing she was losing weight 'about a month or so after being consistent', she said, adding: 'Be consistent, things will change and the scale will move. In a study published in the journal Obesity, participants who took berberine experienced reduced appetite and cravings compared to a placebo group.

The supplement has also been found to inhibit the activity of lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme responsible for storing fat in the body. A study involving mice, published in the journal Molecular Medicine Reports, found the supplement significantly decreased fat accumulation in the livers of mice fed a high-fat diet.

Researchers hypothesized that berberine may help prevent excessive fat storage and promote healthy weight management.

But Bridget Benelam, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, told MailOnline: 'There are some studies that have looked at the effects of berberine on different health outcomes, including weight loss and blood sugar control — but most of these have been in animals or in test tubes and there are few clinical trials in humans.

She added: 'So, research on the effects of berberine is at a very early stage and people need to be really cautious in following weight-loss advice from social media trends without getting proper medical support.

Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at the eating disorder charity Beat, told MailOnline: 'Weight-loss supplements like berberine can be very attractive to people with eating disorders as they seemingly offer fast results. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

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Phytother Res 26 5 —6. Citation: Cao M-Z, Wei C-H, Wen M-C, Song Y, Srivastava K, Yang N, Shi Y-M, Miao M, Chung D and Li X-M Clinical efficacy of weight loss herbal intervention therapy and lifestyle modifications on obesity and its association with distinct gut microbiome: A randomized double-blind phase 2 study.

Received: 27 September ; Accepted: 21 February ; Published: 22 March Copyright © Cao, Wei, Wen, Song, Srivastava, Yang, Shi, Miao, Chung and Li.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY. The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author s and the copyright owner s are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice.

No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. edu ; Danna Chung, dannachung yahoo. Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers.

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This article is part of the Research Topic Advances in Obesity Prevention, Treatment and Management: Lifecycle and Complex System Approaches View all 19 articles. Clinical efficacy of weight loss herbal intervention therapy and lifestyle modifications on obesity and its association with distinct gut microbiome: A randomized double-blind phase 2 study.

Introduction Obesity has been increasing in prevalence worldwide and is a serious threat to public health. Methods Participants and W-LHIT capsules preparation Participants who met simple obesity criteria were recruited from the Weifang community through WeChat Friends Circle, advertisement, and local websites.

Study design Before enrollment, a CT scan of the chest was used to exclude lung disease and a color doppler ultrasound was used to exclude organic diseases of the heart, liver, and kidneys. Secondary outcomes The Secondary measurements included assessments of fasting blood glucose, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein hs-CRP , liver function including alanine aminotransferase ALT , aspartic aminotransferase AST , glutamate transferase GGT , total bilirubin TBIL , total protein TP and albumin A , renal function including urea nitrogen BUN , and creatinine CRE , highly sensitive C - reactive protein CRP , fasting lipids including cholesterol TC , triglycerides TG , low-density lipoprotein LDL-C and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol HDL-C , oral glucose tolerance test OGTT; g glucose, glucose, insulin, and C-peptide concentration changes from 0 to min , and analysis of human fat composition, bone mineral density, bilateral knee joint, and lumbar vertebrae X-ray.

If you cut calories, without considering your health and nutrition, you risk suffering a number of health problems, including:. Over time, as all the negative health implications of cutting calories and not eating healthily pile up and your metabolism slows down, continuing to lose weight becomes increasingly difficult until it is almost impossible without more damage to your health.

The good news is right there in the title. Among other great points and quotes by registered dietitians and nutritionists in the article, we found one from Malina Linkas Malkani, a registered dietician nutritionist with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, who told the article writer that the quality of what you eat is key for long-term weight management and overall health and wellbeing.

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