Study: Widely Available, Cheap Herb May Reduce Atherosclerosis

PJ Media ^ | 04/12/2023 | Ben Bartee

[SeekAndFind]

Most medical textbooks claim that atherosclerosis — the process by which plaque accumulates inside blood vessels and slowly chokes off blood flow, eventually leading to heart attack or stroke — is irreversible.

This claim may not be accurate.

In a landmark study, research has established a therapeutic role for an obscure herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, berberine, for the treatment and even possible reversal of arterial plaque, one of the main drivers of heart disease.

The presumed mechanism by which berberine may reduce atherosclerosis is by tamping down production of a compound called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) that has been tied to vascular inflammation and increased plaque.

Via Nature:

This study investigates whether or not berberine (BBR) could reduce TMAO production in the gut microbiota and treat atherosclerosis.

Effects of BBR on TMAO production in the gut microbiota, as well as on plaque development in atherosclerosis were investigated in the culture of animal intestinal bacterial, HFD-fed animals and atherosclerotic patients, respectively. We found that oral BBR in animals lowers TMAO biosynthesis in intestine through interacting with the enzyme/co-enzyme of choline-trimethylamine lyase (CutC) and flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) in the gut microbiota.

While berberine-administered patients in the experimental group decreased their plaque scores, the control groups treated with three commonly prescribed drugs for cardiovascular disease — aspirin combined with rosuvastatin, clopidogrel sulfate, and ticagrelor — experienced increased plaque scores:

21 patients with atherosclerosis exhibited the average decrease of plaque score by 3.2% after oral BBR (0.5 g, bid) for 4 months (*P < 0.05, n = 21); whereas the plaque score in patients treated with rosuvastatin plus aspirin, or clopidogrel sulfate or ticagrelor (4 months, n = 12) increased by 1.9%.

[Does so]

Plaque reversal is also a feature of statin drugs: not just for the heart, but optimizing brain circulation.

[ConservativeMind]

Dr. Whitaker and Thorne have berberine and passed the ConsumerLab tests.

When Swanson was tested years ago, they had something under 90% of their listed amount. It wasn’t retested, but I commonly buy Swanson and they typically do great with independent test reviews, save for that time.

I wouldn’t get a non-extract form.

[Rennes Templar]

Which herbs would you say are the best for plaque reversal?

[matthew fuller]

I found these articles over time:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325798
https://examine.com/supplements/berberine/
https://naturopathic.org/news/565580/6-Potential-Benefits-of-Berberine-You-Should-Know-About.htm
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2018.00021/full
https://www.pharmaca.com/projectwellness/a-quick-guide-to-berberine/
https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2016-08/berberine-improves-symptoms-irritable-bowel-syndrome
https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2012-12/clinical-applications-berberine
https://draxe.com/nutrition/berberine/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6996556/ BBR and various cancers
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043661816306156?via%3Dihub BBR and IBD
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4078475/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18397984/ type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25153862/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35095784/
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/plant-propagation-by-stem-cuttings-instructions-for-the-home-gardener
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/barberry/barberry-plant-propagation.htm
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2017/3146791/ AFIB
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/4-supplements-as-powerful-as-drugs Berberine, Curcumin, Red Yeast Rice, Garlic

[steve86]

Yes, I take it to lower blood sugar which was formerly in pre-diabetes range.

[steve86]

I use another product from BestVite but in the of case of berberine I use only extract-type products.

[ckilmer]

I generally take the swanson berberine. But I have no clue as to what percent of the pill is actually berberine.

I just assume that swanson can’t do their volumes and sell bad supplements. I could be wrong.

btw you mentioned at one point that you had stopped using urolithin A and substituted it with another supplement.

You named the other supplement but I have forgotten its name.

Can you refresh my memory?

[ConservativeMind]

We haven’t stopped Urolithin A and I don’t recall saying so.

There’s no real substitute for what it appears to do.

[Veto!]

Thanks. Supplement available everywhere with and without Ceylon cinnamon. I’m going to trot over to Natural Grocer and talk to them. They have every supplement in the world and people who work there are very well educated about them — they even have classes.

Since I already take a handful of supplements every day, and a few pharmaceuticals, I want to be sure that everything is all right to take at the same time.

[steve86]

My current berberine extract product does include “C.C.”. Is there a reason it shouldn’t? Pretty much all my supp I get from Amazon. Drawback is generally no returns allowed on supplements.

[x]

It won’t be cheap or widely available once the drug companies find out.

[steve86]

But I will stop in at Natural Grocer next time I’m up there.

[ConservativeMind]

There are some really good references in the following:

https://kahn642.medium.com/reversal-of-clogged-arteries-is-real-here-are-some-ways-i-do-it-433b890bf77e

https://kahn642.medium.com/reversal-of-clogged-arteries-is-real-pictures-worth-a-1000-words-b6bc057e6271

I personally was found to have a Coronary Calcium Plaque score in the mid-80s. It was primarily from one artery on my heart. I took large doses of Vitamin K/K2 (works on hard calcium plaques, from another study I posted a a while back), aged garlic, lumbrokinase, nattokinase, bergamot, and tocotrienols from that, and had another scan done a year later, and the artery buildup was gone. I did occasionally eat various seaweeds (Nori) and spirulina, trying to approximate the rhamnan sulfate used to good effect in some studies, which is in a product called “Arterosil,” which I didn’t have access to, at that time. It is available now, both on Amazon and at Calroy, the company site. Rhamnan sulfate is the link in the first reference, above.

With the Arterosil, one study showed plaque “lipid-rich necrotic core” reduction of 44% - 64% in patients in 70 days of taking two capsules a day. Another had the “carotid atherosclerotic plaque” reduce 52% between 4 - 11 months (two capsules a day). There are a few other studies that show the rhamnan sulfate effect with Arterosil that are all positive.

It’s important to be at least somewhat active and to not eat bad foods. The bad foods and lack of exercise really make the problem, so expecting it to get better keeping those habits, is pretty pointless.

My two cents on my own experience. Your milage may vary.

[ckilmer]

Ok. I just find that Urolithin A is very expensive.

I wish there were cheaper alternatives.

For gut health I’ve bought some kefir grains that I will soon add to unpasteurized grain fed cassein 2 milk.

I’m told there is a large concentration of good stuff in that.

[Rennes Templar]

Thanks for the info! I haven’t heard of Arterosil, I’ll check that out.

[nickcarraway]

Berberine is used to reduce blood sugar.

[George from New England]

I am reading this July 13th.
Can find this Berberine anywhere.
CVS no
Amazon, one week wait, while Amazon says in stock. Prime useless.
Wal-mart nope