Description
Oregon grape is in a class of herbs with goldenseal and yellow root that contains the highly anti-microbial constituent berberine (1). Berberine is highly anti-microbial and has traditionally been used by herbalist “to kill any infection it can touch.” Berberine as a bitter may stimulate bile flow and increase digestion. Bitter herbs are thought to stimulate digestive function by increasing saliva production and promoting both stomach acid and digestive enzyme production. Oregon grape has gained popularity in the natural medicine field for working with metabolic disorders after a meta-analysis showed berberine can improve obesity and hyperlipidemia by reducing TG, TC, and LDL and increasing HDL; reduce insulin resistance to improve type Ⅱ diabetes; and prevent diabetic encephalopathy (2).
