Berberine mimics Metformin's actions, including activating the AMPK pathway and inhibiting the protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B pathway.

“it's because those things mimic fasting. They create situations in the body that promote things like AMPKs, and sirtuins, and others to push your body and your system down a route of repair, even though you might have just eaten a meal an hour ago”

“Right, well, before I had access to Metformin, I was taking berberine. It's often known as the poor man's Metformin. ... the thing with berberine and we started it in my lab, it is effective at boosting energetics in the body, just like AMPK and Metformin does.”

“yep okay yeah it's a from a tree bark it just happens to have these same properties yeah and by the way reducing mtor and reducing blood glucose”

“We’ve co-published that berberine boosts mitchondrial function similar to metformin.”

“Our collaborators at @UnivdeCoimbra and our lab found berberine is similar to metformin in that it activates AMPK and protects against mitochondrial dysfunction, at least in fat rodents.”

“That's right. This is a molecule from the plant world bark and roots. You can find it's a yellow substance. Again, it's fairly insoluble. So if you want to take it, take it with some food. Yogurt, olive oil, all this kind of stuff, but it's been remarkable what's been found in animals. And even in people that it can mimic the effects of Metformin. Specifically what it does, is it, again, it binds to this complex one and reduces chemical energy in the body. And in reaction this mitohormesis is to amplify up mitochondria and make the body more sensitive to insulin and lower the blood glucose.”

“so berberine when taken at you know sort of recommended OTC doses which I remember the doses anymore I think it's like a it might be actually a comparable dose to metformin it might be like either 500 twice a day or a thousand twice a day does have some of that weak AMPK activation and what that the net effect of that is it decreases hepatic glucose output so it's up regulating AMPK is telling the liver hey you can make less glucose so send less glucose out of the body”

“and is it true that berberine is more or less the poor man's metformin yep okay it's a from a tree bark it just happens to have these same properties yeah and by the way reducing mtor and reducing blood glucose”

“Berberine shares many features with metformin but also has some differences. Animal and limited human studies demonstrate that berberine may exert pharmacological effects against certain chronic health conditions.”