Goldenseal Root Powder

Goldenseal Root Powder

Goldenseal root (Hydrastis canadensis), commonly called orange root or yellow puccoon, is a perennial herb that belongs to the buttercup family. This medicinal plant has been an important part of traditional medicine in Canada, United States, and some parts of Europe. The potent medicinal properties of goldenseal root are primarily due to calcium, iron, manganese, vitamins A, C, E and B-complex, isoquinoline alkaloids, essential oil, and other essential minerals present in this powerful herb. Goldenseal root is dried and turned into powder, capsule, tinctures and creams.

Benefits of Goldenseal Root

There is growing evidence that goldenseal root can boost overall health. The following are the proven health benefits of this nutritional powerhouse:

Healthy Cardiovascular System

Goldenseal root contains an organic compound called berberine, which is known to boost heart health. According to a 2001 study published in Cardiovascular Therapeutics, berberine helps maintain a healthy heart by improving the force of muscular contractions, preventing abnormal heart rhythm, and widening the blood vessels to improve blood circulation.[1]

Improved Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure

The usage of berberine from goldenseal root in reducing blood sugar, according to a 2012 meta-analysis, is comparable to Metformin, an oral anti-diabetic drug.[2] The study included fourteen randomized trials, involving 1068 participants, and showed that patients with type 2 diabetes who took berberine in addition to lifestyle modification, had significant improvement in blood sugar levels as well as blood pressure. These results suggest that goldenseal root can be beneficial in diabetic and hypertensive individuals.

Improved Cholesterol Levels

Berberine from goldenseal root can also be beneficial in people with abnormal cholesterol profile. In a 2008 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, researchers observed that patients with type 2 diabetes who received berberine at a dose of 1 gram daily had lower levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) compared to placebo-treated group.[3] In addition, the study participants did not report any side effects associated with berberine supplementation. Another study also found that berberine supplementation at a dose of 500 mg twice daily decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein cholesterol while raising the level of high density lipoprotein (good cholesterol) of subjects with low cardiovascular risk.[4]

Weight Loss

For men who are trying to lose weight, taking goldenseal root powder can help shed a lot of pounds. A 2013 study revealed that administration of berberine taken from goldenseal root in patients with metabolic syndrome resulted in significant reductions in waist circumference, suggesting that the treatment can help improve body composition.[5]

Relief from Mouth Sores

Mouth sores, medically known as canker sores, are small, painful ulcers located on the tongue, lips, gums, or throat. A 2013 Chinese study revealed that administration of gelatin containing berberine (5 mg/g) 4 times a day for 5 days in patients with mouth sores was able to significantly reduce ulcer pain score, size, redness and swelling without any adverse side effects.[6] This result suggests that berberine may be a safe and effective treatment for mouth sores.

Improved Exercise Capacity

There is strong scientific evidence that berberine from goldenseal root may help improve exercise capacity. According to a 2003 study assessing the effects of berberine in persons with cardiomyopathy (abnormal heart muscle), a dose of 1.2-2 g daily in addition to standard therapy may improve exercise capacity and quality of life by boosting heart function.[7] Researchers observed that study participants who took berberine had stronger heart muscular contractions, improved blood circulation within the heart, and normal heart rhythm – all of these factors primarily contribute to improvement in exercise capacity.

Potential Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease

Accumulation of abnormal protein structures in the brain known as amyloid beta is one of the major causes of Alzheimer’s disease. Interestingly, one laboratory study found that berberine from goldenseal root was able to inhibit the production of human amyloid beta samples, suggesting that it can be considered as a therapeutic strategy in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.[8]

Improved Sexual Function

Goldenseal root has been long used as a traditional Chinese medical therapy for erectile dysfunction. There is growing body of clinical evidence that goldenseal root and its active compound berberine may help improve sexual function in men. According to a 2017 study published in Translational Andrology and Urology, berberine could induce relaxation of corpus cavernosum (either of two masses of erectile tissue forming the bulk of the penis), which in turn results in increased penile blood flow and harder erections.[9]

Cancer Prevention

An overwhelming body of evidence supports the anti-cancer properties of goldenseal root. Studies show that its active compound berberine can inhibit the growth and reproduction of prostate cancer cells by suppressing its migration and invasion, inducing cell cycle arrest, and altering signaling pathways involved in cancer cell growth.[10-12]

References:

1. Lau CW, Yao XQ, Chen ZY, Ko WH, Huang Y. Cardiovascular actions of berberine. Cardiovasc Drug Rev. 2001;19(3):234-44.
2. Dong H, Wang N, Zhao L, Lu F. Berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systemic review and meta-analysis. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. 2012; 2012:591654.
3. Zhang Y, Li X, Zou D. Treatment of type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia with the natural plant alkaloid berberine. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 2008; 93(7):2559-65.
4. Derosa G, D’Angelo A, Bonaventura A, Bianchi L, Romano D, Maffioli P. Effects of berberine on lipid profile in subjects with low cardiovascular risk. Expert opinion on biological therapy. 2013; 13(4):475-82.
5. Pérez-Rubio KG, González-Ortiz M, Martínez-Abundis E, Robles-Cervantes JA, Espinel-Bermúdez MC. Effect of berberine administration on metabolic syndrome, insulin sensitivity, and insulin secretion. Metabolic syndrome and related disorders. 2013; 11(5):366-9.
6. Jiang XW, Zhang Y, Zhu YL. Effects of berberine gelatin on recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial in a Chinese cohort. Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology. 2013; 115(2):212-7.
7. Zeng XH, Zeng XJ, Li YY. Efficacy and safety of berberine for congestive heart failure secondary to ischemic or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. The American journal of cardiology. 2003; 92(2):173-6.
8. Asai M, Iwata N, Yoshikawa A. Berberine alters the processing of Alzheimer’s amyloid precursor protein to decrease Abeta secretion. Biochemical and biophysical research communications. 2007; 352(2):498-502.
9. Li H, Jiang H, Liu J. Traditional Chinese medical therapy for erectile dysfunction. Translational Andrology and Urology. 2017;6(2):192-198. doi:10.21037/tau.2017.03.02.
10. Liu C-H, Tang W-C, Sia P, et al. Berberine Inhibits the Metastatic Ability of Prostate Cancer Cells by Suppressing Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT)-Associated Genes with Predictive and Prognostic Relevance. International Journal of Medical Sciences. 2015;12(1):63-71. doi:10.7150/ijms.9982.
11. Lu W, Du S, Wang J. Berberine inhibits the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and induces G₀/G₁ or G₂/M phase arrest at different concentrations. Molecular medicine reports. 2015; 11(5):3920-4.
12. Li J, Cao B, Liu X. Berberine suppresses androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer. Molecular cancer therapeutics. 2011; 10(8):1346-56.