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Could Berberine used in Traditional Chinese Medicine help with irritable bowel disease?

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It can be uncomfortable to talk about…but healthy and normal bowel movements are something that affect too many people to not talk about it.   With that said, here we go … Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is an extremely common disorder that can reduce an person’s quality of life.  Those with IBS plus diarrhea (IBS-D) account for 23.4% of the population diagnosed.

IBS-D consists of several different disease states with current treatments focused on the individual’s most bothersome symptoms. Unfortunately, to date there is no definite effective cure for all IBS-D symptoms.

TCM_shortA recent clinical study from the Phytotherapy Research investigated a traditional Chinese medicine isolated from Chinese Goldthread Rhizome known as Berberine. Berberine has been recognized for its anti-diarrheal effect, in particular secretory diarrhea, as well as significant antimicrobial activity.

Study Details:

  • 400 milligrams of berberine hydrochloride was taken twice daily or patient was given a placebo
  • 132 patients were enrolled; 70 in berberine group and 62 in placebo group
  • The study lasted 8 weeks

Before and after the study, the Birmingham IBS symptom score, hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD), and the IBS special scale for quality of life (IBSQOL) were assessed.

Results from the study:

  • Berberine group:
    • 70.2% reduction in urgent need for defecation frequency
    • 64.6% reduction in abdominal pain frequency
    • Significant decrease in overall score of Birmingham and HAD, and an increase in IBSQOL.
  • Placebo group:
    • 15.3% reduction in urgent need for defecation frequency
    • 29.4% reduction in abdominal pain frequency
    • No significant affects on overall score of Birmingham, HAD, and IBSQOL.

Take home message: Berberine hydrochloride was effective in reducing the urgent need for defecation as well as abdominal pain frequency over the course of 8 weeks. It also had positive effects on the individuals quality of life. More research is needed but this evidence suggests that berberine could improve symptoms from irritable bowel disease with diarrhea.

Phytotherapy Research 2015; Volume 29 (Issue 11): Pages 1822-7

Angeline Souvannasing
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Categories: Digestion, Plant Medicine