Hello everyone! Because February is Heart Awareness Month, today, I’m going to discuss Berberine. Berberine a very heart healthy supplement may help improve cardiometabolic health.
Heart Disease
It’s no secret that diseases of the cardiovascular system are the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), one in every four deaths is from cardiovascular disease. Every year, three-quarters of a million Americans experience a heart attack. Annually, approximately one in every six US health care dollars is spent on cardiovascular disease. In 2011, heart disease and stroke cost the nation an estimated $316.6 billion in health care costs and lost productivity (CDC 2017).
What is heart disease? Heart disease occurs when there is damage to the lining and inner layers of the vascular system. According to the National Institute for Health, the top contributors to this lining damage include: smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, a high sugar diet leading to insulin resistance, and blood vessel inflammation.
Metabolic syndrome
Having a combination of risk factors can also place an individual at risk for metabolic syndrome, which is also a risk for CVD. In order to meet criteria for metabolic syndrome, you must have at least three out of five of the following factors:
- excess fat in the stomach area (central obesity)
- high blood pressure
- high triglyceride levels
- low HDL (helpful or good) cholesterol level
- high fasting blood sugar (an early sign of diabetes)
Metabolic syndrome can lead to Diabetes. The estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in 2012 was $245 billion, including $176 billion in direct medical costs, and $69 billion in reduced productivity (ADA 2017). Yikes! Heart disease and diabetes are costing our nation a huge chunk of our health care dollars and are leading causes of death.
I’m sure you’ve heard about lifestyle changes to help reduce your risk factors. Today I’m not going to cover them although I do discuss them in my book. Instead, today and in my next blog, I’m going to share some nutrients that can help to reduce your risk. Omega 3s from fish oil are my top favorite nutrients for heart health. You can learn more about them in my omega 3 blog.
Other beneficial nutrients include berberine, ALA, citrus bergamot, arginine, citrulline, CoQ10, turmeric, D. Ribose, magnesium, Niacin, and the list goes on and on.
Getting back to Berberine…Berberine is a plant extract, a natural alkaloid, with several beneficial properties. Clinical trials have demonstrated that berberine can help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose, as well as maintain insulin and keep the heart in a regular rhythm (many of those being contributors for heart disease and diabetes).
Dosing of berberine is typically 500 mg twice daily. Berberine has also been shown to be as effective as one gram of metformin (a leading drug for diabetes) in clinical trials. In fact, it also reduced liver function better than metformin. Our LB product is Berberine Support.
This product also contains alpha lipoic acid which I’ve mentioned in prior antioxidant bogs which activate the master metabolic switch, adenosine mono-phosphate kinase (AMPK). Activation of this powerful metabolic enzyme triggers a variety of genes that help improve metabolism, stabilize mitochondria, and enhance insulin sensitivity.
Because this product can lower glucose, pay attention to any side effects like a feeling of low sugar, lightheadedness or dizziness. I have very rarely seen this happen.
Learn more about how to prevent and treat heart disease as well as about nutrients like Berberine that can improve cardiometabolic health in Chapter 7 of my book Your Longevity Blueprint.
In summary, why is Berberine a very heart healthy supplement? Watch my video now to learn more about this important heart healthy supplement!
Wellness is Waiting! ™ Are you ready?
What did you think of this video from Dr. Stephanie Gray?
- Subscribe to the Your Longevity Blueprint YouTube channel for more wellness information.
- Comment below and tell me how this has affected you and what questions you may have.
- Share this post with your community so they can discover Berberine a very heart healthy supplement.
- Purchase the supplements mentioned in today’s video (linked below).
*Always share with your medical provider what supplements you are taking*
*Always share with your medical provider what supplements you are taking*
You must be logged in to post a comment.