Functional Food

Berberine: what is it and where does it come from?

In short: berberine is a yellow plant alkaloid from plants such as barberry and Berberis aristata. Supplements usually contain berberine HCl, often 500 mg per capsule. No health claims are authorised in the EU for berberine. Berberine is a plant substance that occurs naturally in barberry (berberis), Oregon grape and goldenseal, among others. In this article you can read which plants berberine comes from, the form in which it is used in supplements, what the label states and what to keep in mind regarding medication, pregnancy and breastfeeding.