New research confirms the properties of mountain barberry, which has been known as a natural healer for centuries. Red barberry has an amazing range of properties important for the health of the human body. In this article, we will review the properties of black barberry for the liver, the benefits of barberry for menstruation, corona, blood concentration, and the properties of barberry water for weight loss. You can visit our site to buy first-class and fresh barberry.
What is barberry
The mountain barberry fruit is a bladed shrub 1 to 5 meters long. Its wood is red, brown or yellow. Its leaves are oval with saw teeth and its fruit is red, oval and sour. The barberry shrub is native to Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Barberry is an excellent source of vitamin C and has a tangy taste. Some species of Oregon grape, a member of the barberry family, are sometimes called barberry. It is interesting to know that the root, bark and fruits of this shrub have medicinal uses.
Barberry fruit, stem and root bark contain alkaloids, the most prominent of which are berberines. Berberine is an alkaloid salt found in many plants including argon grape, barberry and turmeric. Laboratory studies in animals show that berberine has anticonvulsant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive and sedative effects.
It has also been shown that berberine has positive effects on the body’s immune system and helps it to fight against many infections and diseases. In addition to berberine and vitamin C, barberry contains vitamin B, carotenoids, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, chromium, cobalt. And it is also zinc.
Familiarity with different types of barberry
Barberry has a high diversity and has different types. Its different types include mountain barberry, Japanese barberry, evergreen barberry, yellow barberry, short dark red barberry, orange firecracker barberry and Concord barberry.
Many people like to use the Japanese barberry tree for the beautiful landscape of their homes; Because this plant has orange-red leaves and red fruit, and it fascinates the viewer. However, note that this type of plant is an invasive species and may harm the ecosystem of the region.
Is there a non-invasive species of barberry tree? Sunjoy Todo is a seedless barberry developed by Dr. Tom Ranney of North Carolina State University. This new variety is shorter than Japanese barberry and has purple foliage and yellow-orange flowers and its fruit is seedless.
Barberry nutritional value
- Calories: 89 calories
- Protein: 1 gram
- Fat: 1 gram
- Carbohydrates: 18 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Vitamin C: 213% of daily requirement
- Iron: 15% of daily requirement
As it is known, 14 grams of barberry completely meets the body’s daily need for vitamin C.
Introducing the most amazing properties of mountain barberry in traditional medicine
This plant contains berberine, which has been used for human health for 2500 years because of its unique properties. Berberine includes living tissues that are extracted from many different plants, including a group of bushes called Berberine. Barberry and goldenseal (an ancient herb in traditional medicine) are commonly used for similar therapeutic purposes due to the presence of berberine in them. But why is barbarian so important? Because it has been shown to prevent the growth of bacteria and reduce inflammation, and since inflammation is the root of many chronic diseases, it has a significant impact on human health. In general, barberry extract contains beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system and nerves. Also, studies show that barberry contains large amounts of antioxidants and therefore helps to prevent all types of cancer.
The benefits of mountain barberry
Properties of barberry to fight pollution
One of the benefits of barberry is the presence of berberine in it. Numerous studies show that berberine, which is one of the contents of red barberry, has a significant antimicrobial and antifungal ability. Berberine helps protect the body against many bacterial infections by limiting the ability of bacteria to attach to human cells.
Berberine is used to eliminate a wide range of inflammation and pollution in the body. Berberine helps the bladder, urinary tract and digestive system. Berberine also helps relieve common respiratory diseases such as sore throat, nasal congestion, sinusitis and bronchitis. In addition, barberry can lead to the improvement of Candida infection.
The properties of mountain barberry and helping the digestive system
Berberine has a positive effect on the smooth muscles of the intestine and improves digestion and reduces pain in the digestive system. Even berberine is considered an effective treatment for diarrhea. This positive effect is effective on both types of transient diarrhea and diarrhea caused by poisoned foods.
A few studies have shown that berberine heals digestive problems faster than antibiotics, most likely due to its slightly acidic properties. Studies like the one published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases show that berberine clears up bacterial diarrhea without any side effects.
The benefits of barberry in preventing and helping to improve diabetes
Another property of barberry is its anti-diabetic property. The proof that barberry has a positive effect on blood sugar has made it a unique choice for preventing and improving diabetes.
A study has been conducted comparing the use of 500 mg of berberine (two to three times a day for 3 months) with the usual drug for diabetes control, metformin. Berberine was able to control blood sugar and fat metabolism to the same extent as metformin. For this reason, researchers describe berberine as a strong oral hypoglycemic agent.
Also, other studies show that berberine improves the metabolism of sugar and fat. Research published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine shows that berberine can improve insulin sensitivity by regulating adipokine secretion. It has been shown that adipokines mediate inflammation and insulin resistance.
Benefits of red barberry for improving heart health
When we get to the health of the heart, many healing properties of barberry are revealed. These properties include effectiveness in improving blood pressure, ischemic heart disease (diseases caused by reduced blood supply to the heart muscle), cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) and cardiomyopathy (a different group of heart muscle diseases).
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat that often causes an increase in heart rate and leads to poor blood flow. One of the properties of mountain barberry is controlling the heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation occurs when the electrical wave of stimulation in the atria does not have a specific direction; That is, the muscle cells of the vestibule are irregularly stimulated and consequently contracted. Alternative therapies including yoga, acupuncture and the addition of medicinal herbs such as barberry have been shown to be very effective in treating atrial fibrillation.
A 2015 study found that the active barberry alkaloid berberine activates a biochemical action in the heart that improves atrial fibrillation. This study concludes that berberine acts as a class IA or III antiarrhythmic agent, but the benefit of berberine in atrial fibrillation has not been systematically studied in human clinical trials; Therefore, its acceptance as a principle in the treatment of atrial fibrillation remains limited.
Barberry has also been shown to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which is good for heart health and overall well-being.
Properties of mountain barberry in preventing metabolic syndrome
Another benefit of barberry is the prevention of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic is a type of metabolic disorder that includes a combination of at least three of the following problems; Abdominal obesity, high blood sugar, high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure or low HDL cholesterol.
A study was conducted in 2014 in Iran, the aim of which was to discover the effect of adding barberry, a fruit rich in antioxidants, on the balance of peroxyoxidants and antioxidants (PAB) in patients with metabolic syndrome. PAB is the amount of factors that enhance and control oxidative stress. Also, PAB can be related to dangerous factors of coronary heart diseases.
What is oxidative stress? Basically, oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s ability to neutralize or detoxify their harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants; Therefore, lower oxidative stress (lower PAB) is better.
In this particular study, a total of 106 people with metabolic syndrome were randomly divided into two groups. One group received three capsules containing barberry daily for six weeks and the other group received three placebo capsules.
A significant decrease in PAB was observed in those who received capsules containing barberry. While in the second group, no significant change was seen in this parameter.
The findings indicated that barberry supplementation (600 mg per day for 6 weeks) was associated with preventing systemic oxidative stress. For those who suffer from metabolic syndrome, the use of this plant supplement can lead to a reduction in oxidative stress. This is the key solution to combating metabolic syndrome and all its complications.
Properties of black barberry for the liver and cleaning the gallbladder
Cleansing the liver and gallbladder is one of the most important benefits of barberry. The liver detoxifies the blood, produces the bile needed to digest fat, breaks down hormones, and stores the vitamins, minerals, and iron needed by the body.
What is the main function of the gallbladder? The main function of this bag is to store the yellow bile liquid. This liquid is secreted from the liver when food enters the stomach. Bile fluid helps the body digest fatty foods.
Barberry improves the secretion of bile. Due to the properties of mountain barberry on improving the secretion of bile, this fruit is considered excellent for the health of the liver and gall bladder and leads to the reduction of bad cholesterol (LDL).
The secretion of bile in the body can be disturbed by various factors such as improper diet. The ability of berberine to help the secretion of bile fluid is remarkable; Because cholesterol is almost exclusively excreted through bile.
Properties of mountain barberry water for weight loss
As mentioned in the article, barberry has many properties for health. But barberry juice has many more properties because it is its extract. One of the most important properties of barberry water is increasing metabolism in the body. Its consumption is very useful for people who have metabolic problems and their metabolism is low.
In barberry juice, there is a substance called berberine that helps regulate enzymes such as adenosine and protein kinase. Together, these two cause the body’s metabolism to increase and cause fat burning and, as a result, weight loss.
What is the amount and method of consuming barberry
First, Native Americans taught settlers the nutritional value of barberry as a medicinal plant. Ancient Egyptians used the combination of barberry and fennel seeds to prevent plague. In India, it was also used to treat diarrhea.
Herbal medicine in Europe has used it to treat gallbladder and liver problems. In Russia, it has been used to treat inflammation, high blood pressure and abnormal uterine bleeding.
According to a scientific article published in 2019, barberry compounds “have a powerful effect on human health and can be used as a pain reliever; In addition, it can be used to eliminate fever, diarrhea and vomiting. Barberry is also useful for treating liver and vascular problems and preventing many diseases.
Red barberry is available in the form of capsules, extract, tincture, and also as a topical ointment. You may ask what is tincture? The tincture of a plant is prepared by soaking the dried plant or fresh plant in a solution containing 25% white alcohol and water. All parts of a plant can be used to prepare tincture.
Dried barberry roots can be used in tea. Barberry extract also contains 8 to 12% alkaloid (berberine) as a standard.
To treat skin problems such as psoriasis, 10% barberry cream is applied topically three times a day. Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune skin disease. This disease occurs when the body’s immune system sends wrong signals. These signals increase the speed of the growth cycle of skin cells; It means excessive increase of skin cells from the rate of their destruction.
It is not recommended to use this method for a long time (more than a week) without consulting a doctor.
Risks and side effects of consuming barberry
Those who use barberry in the right amount have not reported any side effects regarding its consumption. However, excessive consumption of barberry may cause problems such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, fainting, nosebleeds, decreased blood pressure, decreased heart rate, and decreased breathing rate.
Barberry is not recommended for very young children. In babies, it can lead to liver disorders and worsen jaundice.
You may ask if it is permissible to consume barberry in pregnant and lactating women? The answer is; No; Because the consumption of barberry may lead to contraction of the uterus and miscarriage. Also, breastfeeding mothers should not use barberry because berberine can be transferred to the baby.
What medicines should not be taken with barberry? Barberry should not be taken at the same time as cyclosporine. Cyclosporine is used to prevent transplant rejection in transplant patients. Other medications that may have negative health effects when taken with barberry include lovastatin (Mevacor), clarithromycin (Biaxin), indinavir (Crixivan), sildenafil (Viagra), and triazolam (Halcion).
You should also consult your doctor before taking red barberry with drugs such as anticholinergics, antihypertensive drugs, antidiabetic drugs, anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs, sedatives (CNS depressants), and certain cholinergic drugs used for glaucoma and Alzheimer’s disease. .
Keep in mind that barberry may reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics in the tetracycline family.
In general, if you are taking any other specific medication, be it prescription or over-the-counter medications or even supplements, consult your doctor before taking barberry. If you have a chronic disease such as liver problems or diabetes, consult your doctor before taking barberry supplements.
Information about barberry
- Barberry is a herbal medicine, and its properties are mainly due to berberine, which is present in the alkoid.
- The most well-known type of barberry is the Japanese barberry.
- Red barberry strongly contains antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties.
- It is a natural treatment for bladder, urinary tract, digestive tract infections and respiratory tract infections.
- Research shows that barberry can be beneficial for those with diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and irregular heartbeat. Barberry is also great for liver and bladder health.
- Studies show that barberry can fight certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer.
- Consult your doctor before using barberry as a treatment for your problems.
Conclusion
Currently, there is not enough scientific information to determine the dosage of red barberry and other varieties. In the case of children, barberry should only be used under the supervision of a specialist. For adults, a dose of 2 grams 3 times a day or its equivalent in other forms is traditionally recommended. In this article, we examined the properties of black barberry for the liver, blood concentration, liver, properties of mountain barberry for the heart, benefits of barberry for menstruation, and properties of barberry juice for weight loss. If you want to buy first-class and high-quality barberry, you can visit our website.