Berberine
Of 479 on-market berberine products in the January 2026 DSLD dump, the median declared dose is 500 mg, and 93.1% list Berberine HCl (Hydrochloride) as the primary form.
Form share
Of 462 products with an identifiable primary form, here is the share held by each form of Berberine on the market today.
| Form | Quality tier | n | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berberine HCl (Hydrochloride) | Tier 1 | 430 | 93.1% |
| Berberis aristata extract (source-plant labeling) | Tier 2 | 31 | 6.7% |
| Berberine Sulfate | Unrated | 1 | 0.2% |
Form share over time
Entry-year breakdown of the top forms, 2012–2025.
Dose distribution
Deciles of declared dose per serving (mg), among 361 products with a disclosed amount.
- 10.0% of products fall below the fairy-dust threshold (60 mg, 20% of the studied low dose).
- 21.3% of products don't disclose an amount because Berberine is declared inside a proprietary blend.
By dosage form
By target group
Top brands
Forms explained
The form used in the overwhelming majority of clinical trials, including the metformin-comparison trial and most diabetes/lipid meta-analysis literature -- despite known poor intrinsic oral bioavailability (~5% or less), it has the deepest outcome-level human evidence.
Source: Yin J et al. 2008, Metabolism 57(5):712-7, PMID 18442638
A 2003 patent claims improved water solubility/absorption vs the chloride salt, but no independent human clinical outcome trial specific to the sulfate salt was located.
Source: uncertain -- needs review (patent claim only, WO2003090749A1)
Typically the same berberine-HCl active compound sourced/standardized from whole-plant extract, used in several of the same clinical trials as "berberine," but whole-extract products can vary in standardized berberine content and carry co-extracted alkaloids.
Source: e.g. HIMABERB (Berberis aristata-derived) prediabetes RCT, PMC10483788
Reference values
- RDA (adult): not established — Plant alkaloid, not an essential nutrient; no DRI exists.
- Tolerable Upper Intake Level (adult): not established — Not established. Clinical trials up to ~1500mg/day for 3-12 months report GI side effects (diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain) as the main dose-limiting issue.
- Studied clinical dose range: 300–1500 mg
- Yin J et al. 2008, Metabolism 57(5):712-7, PMID 18442638 -- RCT (n=36) newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetics, 500mg TID (1500mg/day) berberine vs metformin 500mg TID x3 months; comparable glucose-lowering (HbA1c 9.5%->7.5%, fasting glucose 10.6->6.9 mmol/L, both P<0.01) plus a triglyceride reduction.
- Note: category is 'other' rather than 'amino' -- berberine is a plant isoquinoline alkaloid, not an amino acid.