★This Common Medication May Undermine Your Fitness Goals
★ TOP STORY
This Common Medication May Undermine Your Fitness Goals
For years, many believed this medication could help boost your fitness gains. But research suggests it might actually blunt some of the benefits you work hard for.
Advertisement
Don't Miss Our Exclusive Surplus Sale - Shop Discounts up to 50%
Elevate your health by fueling your body with our top-quality products. For a limited time, take advantage of our surplus sale, up to 50% off on select items. Don't miss out - stock up now and invest in your health.
🔥 HOT
Breaking News: What You Need to Know
Up-to-date info on the latest health-related news happening in the world.
Advertisement
Focus Harder, Train Smarter, and Live Sharper with Pure Power Testosterone Support*
This isn't about shortcuts - it's about giving your body what it needs to thrive. Pure Power Testosterone Support helps you stay mentally sharp and physically strong, using liposomal technology for maximum absorption and minimal guesswork.* Refocus your energy. Rediscover your power.
Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
Mercola.com, 125 SW 3rd Place, Suite 205, Cape Coral, FL 33991
US Number: (877) 985-2695 | Intl Number: 1 (239) 599-9500
© 1997-2026 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Mitochondrial dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a common mechanistic denominator in aging and multiple chronic diseases. Beyond deficient ATP production, impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics, redox control, and quality control are implicated in metabolic disorders (such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and NAFLD/non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), cardiovascular diseases (such as atherosclerosis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and heart failure), neurodegenerative disorders (such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease), and ocular neurodegeneration, with glaucoma being a prime example.
Mitochondrial dysfunction is a common denominator in metabolic, neurodegenerative, ocular, and cardiovascular diseases. In this context, nicotinamide riboside (NR) and berberine (BBR) are two modulators of mitochondrial homeostasis with different mechanisms but convergent functions. In this review, we demonstrate that NR acts by restoring the intracellular NAD+ reservoir and sirtuin-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis, genomic maintenance, and metabolic resilience programs. BBR acts through mild energy stress and AMPK activation, triggering adaptive remodeling of mitochondrial dynamics, mitophagy, and attenuation of inflammatory responses.
The review suggests that both act on mitochondrial health, but from different entry points:
NR → increases NAD+, promoting sirtuins, PGC-1α, mitochondrial biogenesis, and cellular repair/maintenance mechanisms.
Berberine → activates AMPK, promotes mitophagy, and improves the control of oxidative and metabolic stress.
Therefore, the authors consider that there is functional convergence between both in pathways such as AMPK, PGC-1α, mitophagy, and redox regulation. NR maintains/restores the NAD⁺ → sirtuins → PGC-1α environment.
Berberine introduces an AMPK signal → adaptation → mitophagy.
The results demonstrate that berberine works as well as metformin when it comes to controlling blood sugar levels and with fewer side effects. Berberine, due to its ability to activate AMPK, leads to antibacterial effects that help control metabolic diseases, such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, weight management, and the impact on cardiovascular events. As reported by Dr. Mercola, it also helps relieve anxiety, strengthens the immune system, improves gut health, and prevents and fights cancer.
Current evidence suggests that berberine has beneficial effects on various aspects of the health of people with chronic diseases. Specifically, berberine significantly improves outcomes in cases of type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, schizophrenia, metabolic syndrome, and dyslipidemia.
Berberine acts as a mitohormetic compound. That is, it doesn't necessarily improve mitochondria simply by making them produce more energy, but rather a small, controlled metabolic disturbance can activate defense and repair mechanisms.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ptr.7806 (2023)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12786874/ (2026)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12906-025-04872-4 (2026)
This review of seven randomized clinical trials in humans, published in Nutrients in June 2026, specifically focused on berberine, gut microbiota, and cardiometabolic outcomes.
All seven trials found that berberine altered the composition of the gut microbiota in six of the seven studies, and six of the seven simultaneously observed some cardiometabolic or inflammatory improvement. Reductions in glucose, insulin/HOMA-IR, and/or lipid levels were observed in various studies.
And there is a particularly interesting finding: Berberine appears to have metabolic effects that do not depend exclusively on favorably altering the gut microbiota.
The authors found a kind of paradox: in some diabetic patients, doses of 1.2 g/day for 12 weeks reduced butyrate-producing bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Roseburia, and even increased some γ-Proteobacteria, including Klebsiella pneumoniae. However, metabolic parameters improved.
Berberine → Healthier microbiota → Metabolic benefits. AMPK, bile acid metabolism, intestinal glucose absorption, and the body's own inflammatory pathways may contribute directly, independently of changes in bacterial composition.
Berberine → AMPK → Mitohormesis/Mitophagy
Berberine → Microbiota → Metabolites/Intestinal Signaling
Berberine → Glucose and Lipid Metabolism
Berberine markedly increases the abundance of Akkermansia spp. in Apoe−/− mice fed a high-fat diet. Berberine reduces high-fat-induced inflammation and restores intestinal barrier integrity. Modulation of the gut microbiota may contribute to berberine's anti-atherosclerotic effect.
One of the included trials studied colorectal adenomas and used 600 mg/day for 104 weeks. The study observed selective modulation of certain bacteria associated with tumor-proliferating processes, particularly Veillonella parvula. The review authors consider this interesting, but explicitly state that confirmatory trials are still needed before recommending berberine for adenoma prevention.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0021915017314041 (2018)
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zahra-Aghabeiglooei/publication/371927049_Berberine_as_a_Natural_Modifier_of_Gut_Microbiota_to_Promote_Metabolic_Status_in_Animal_Studies_and_Clinical_Trials_A_Systematic_Review/links/64bb2e68c41fb852dd8ed528/Berberine-as-a-Natural-Modifier-of-Gut-Microbiota-to-Promote-Metabolic-Status-in-Animal-Studies-and-Clinical-Trials-A-Systematic-Review.pdf (2023)
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1281090/full (2023)
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1187718/full (2023)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13305239/ (2026)