2015-08-21
Joybynature.com Team
Aug
21

A large part of our diets these days is filled with extremely processed foods. Such a diet isn’t the healthiest for the body as from primitive times, we are used to eating much more simpler, organic foods. As a result, a lot of health issues come up due to our unnatural diet which we ultimately end up treating with tons and tons of medication. A simpler solution to our health problems – and also a less expensive one – is to alter our diet so as to prevent the health complications in the first place.

One natural food that we can add to our diet – which can also help in keeping a variety of diseases at bay – is barberry. Barberry is an evergreen, thorny scrub that although unfamiliar to Ayurveda, has been known for its health benefits for more than 2,000 years. The key nutritious compound in barberry is known as berberine which displays a host of therapeutic properties from being an anti-inflammatory to an anti-bacterial. Barberry Extract can provide you with your daily dose of this amazing shrub which has a host of nutritional benefits, some of which are discussed below:-

  1. It can keep blood sugar in check for diabetic patients

Barberry has shown to be a helpful food for patients of type 2 diabetes due to its ability to regulate blood sugar levels. In a recent medical study, patients suffering from diabetes were asked to consume a combination of barberry and milk thistle for a period of 90 days, after which certain key indicators were compared. The researchers discovered that all of these key indicators, including triglycerides, glycosylated haemoglobin and insulin showed a marked decrease after the 90 day period was over. The researchers hence concluded that the combination of barberry and milk thistle can definitely help to keep blood sugar levels in check and help in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

  1. It greatly improves cardiovascular health

Barberry is so vastly influential on cardiovascular health, it might has well be called a heart tonic. An active ingredient of barberry is berbamine which improves the health of your heart in two very important ways.

Firstly, berbamine improves the sensitivity of the heart cells to calcium. This may not seem like much, but calcium is the mineral that regulates the contraction and relaxation of muscles in the body, including heart muscles. By ensuring that the calcium you consume will be used to enhance the action of the heart muscles, barberry ensures that your heart pumps blood in an efficient manner.

Secondly, berbamine is incredibly effective in protecting your heart ischemia. Ischemia is the condition in which the tissues of the body are starved of oxygen which can lead to heart failure. Barberry prevents this from happening restricting the activity of the protein calpain.

  1. It keeps the liver healthy

The effect of barberry on the liver has not been studied in great detail, but whatever research has been done has been quite encouraging. In one animal based study, it was discovered that barberry has the capability to prevent cell damage in the liver while also assisting in fighting off the damage caused by the toxin carbon tetrachloride. Overall, it seems that barberry indeed provides some hepatoprotective functions.

  1. It is a boon for the digestive system

If you regularly run into digestive problems, barberry can be a boon for you. It has a great stimulating effect on the digestive tract and can boost your appetite. In addition, it can deal with a number of digestive illnesses including diarrhea, abdominal pain, heartburn, ulcers, gastritis and many more.

  1. It boosts the body’s immunity

The active ingredient berberine is well known to improve the body’s defences and boost its immunity. Berberine greatly increases the body’s white blood cell count – these are the cells that combat with external pathogens and keep diseases at an arm’s length.

Barberry is an amazing, if not so well known, shrub that can be the answer to a lot of health issues. By trying it out, you can avail all of its benefits and improve the quality of your life!

To know more about barberry extract, click here.

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