Berberine:
When you envision the latter decades of your life, do you see yourself being physically active, cognitively sharp, and a healthy weight? This future is possible, especially if you are proactive about your health starting today! Some of the biggest threats to an idealistic, healthy lifespan include heart disease, kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
However, this doesn’t have to be your fate. You may have other longevity lifestyle habits in place, such as being physically active, living with a sense of purpose, practicing mindfulness and gratitude, and prioritizing quality time when it comes to relationships. Don’t forget about what you put in your body! Consuming the appropriate quality, quantity, and variety of foods and supplements play an incredibly important role.
Meet Be My Berberine, a newly launched supplement by Serena Loves that harnesses the powerful potential of Berberis aristata and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). Combined, these two key ingredients promote a range of longevity benefits including a healthy metabolism, stabilized blood sugar, improved cardiovascular function, and optimized cellular health.
Be My Berberine | The Basics
Berberine is a natural plant compound renowned for its significant health benefits and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Extracted from Berberis aristata, Be My Berberine maximizes its full potential by delivering a bioavailable and high-quality berberine extract. Known for regulating blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes, berberine also lowers cholesterol levels, promotes vascular health, and enhances heart function. Additionally, it supports a healthy metabolism, which is crucial for effective weight management.
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a naturally occurring compound highly valued for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Produced in small amounts in the body, primarily in the liver, ALA is vital for cellular energy and protection. Achieving sufficient levels of ALA through diet and supplementation is essential, with sources including spinach, broccoli, lentils, nuts and seeds, and organ meats. ALA is currently under research for its benefits, such as improving insulin sensitivity, reducing inflammation to combating against chronic disease, and treating diabetic nerve damage.
These two elements are combined into one supplement to enhance their synergistic effects, amplifying their individual benefits. Since berberine is typically poorly absorbed by the body, its combination with other ingredients or foods is essential for optimal effectiveness.
Be My Berberine | A Key Player In Longevity
Healthy aging is fundamentally linked to cellular health. In fact, your potential lifespan can be gauged by examining your cellular health. According to the “Information Theory Of Aging” by Dr. David Sincliar, aging is simply a loss of information by your cells. Making dietary and lifestyle shifts to avoid epigenetic changes, DNA damage, and telomere shortening, as well as protecting and enabling the repair and proper functioning of mitochondria, is crucial for longevity.
A noteworthy benefit of Be My Berberine is its role in promoting healthy aging via cellular protection. As we age, our cells become less efficient, and we become more vulnerable to damage from free radicals. Berberine and ALA both have potent antioxidant properties, which can help neutralize free radicals and support healthy aging. They can also help protect against age-related cognitive decline, a common concern in aging.
Berberine has been shown to enhance cellular health in a number of ways. For example, it:
- Activates AMPK: AMPK is a protein that plays a key role in cellular energy. Berberine activates AMPK, which can lead to a number of health benefits, including improved insulin sensitivity, reduced inflammation, and increased longevity.
- Reduces Oxidative Stress: Oxidative stress occurs from an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants. Free radicals can damage cells and contribute to chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Berberine has been shown to reduce oxidative stress and protect cells from damage.
- Promotes Mitochondrial Function: Berberine has been shown to boost mitochondrial function and improve cellular energy production.
- Neuroprotective Effects: Berberine is a promising treatment against cognitive decline mostly via its anti-neuroinflammatory, antioxidant, and endoplasmic reticulum stress-relieving properties. It was shown to reduce the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which are two of the hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases.
Be My Berberine | Supporting Blood Sugar Balance
Maintaining balanced blood sugar levels throughout the day is pivotal for extending your health span. Drastic fluctuations, characterized by sharp drops and spikes due to factors like food or stress, can lead to chronic diseases over time. It’s a common misconception that only individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes suffer from blood sugar imbalances. However, the truth is most of us are on the path towards being insulin resistant. Understanding which lifestyle habits or specific foods influence your blood sugar levels is critical for maintaining stability and ensuring a long, healthy life.
Insulin resistance is not just a precursor to various health problems; it can also cause cellular damage over time, contributing to the aging process. ALA has been shown as effective in improving insulin sensitivity and reducing blood sugar levels. Similarly, berberine has shown promising results in lowering blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Optimal metabolic health is important for longevity. Therefore, preventing or managing conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes is essential for a prolonged and healthy life. This is achieved through a number of ways:
- Increasing insulin sensitivity
- Reducing inflammation linked to insulin resistance
- Reducing glucose production by the liver
- Increasing glucose uptake by cells
Be My Berberine | Promoting Heart Health
Berberine has demonstrated significant effectiveness in improving heart health. It achieves this by lowering blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, reducing blood pressure, decreasing inflammation to protect the heart from damage, and reducing the risk of heart disease. One interesting way it does this is via the gut-heart axis. That’s right, your gut bacteria impact your heart health too! Berberine not only promotes beneficial gut bacteria while reducing harmful bacteria in your gut, it also allows the gut microbiota to influence the heart through a variety of mechanisms, such as the production of hormones, short-chain fatty acids, and other vital signaling molecules. Similarly, Irish sea moss benefits heart health by providing essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to support cardiovascular function. Its anti-inflammatory properties also contribute to reducing the risk of heart disease. Comparing the two, both berberine and Irish sea moss offer complementary benefits for maintaining a healthy heart, albeit through different mechanisms.
Other Benefits:
Insulin, often associated with glucose metabolism, also plays a crucial role in reproduction that is often underestimated in conditions like PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). To improve fertility and pregnancy outcomes, reducing endogenous insulin levels and insulin resistance is key. To demonstrate, a 2023 study cited the positive impact of berberine on PCOS women with insulin resistance. In another interesting study, the potential of berberine supplements in regulating testosterone levels in men was explored. Additional studies show promising links between berberine and reducing depression symptoms as well as the use of berberine as an effective treatment for various types of cancer.
I hope you found this blog helpful and that you will consider adding our berberine supplement to your diet!
