berberine vs dihydroberberine

[johnny412]

which would you choose?

 

[Darkhorse192]

I like both. Dihydro is better though.

SNS Glucovantage is my choice for this ingredient. Great product, great company

Original Write Up

Lots of good discussion in this thread as to the differences and can help you make your own choice.

 

[sns8778]

GlucoVantage is better than regular berberine in the sense that it is 5x more absorbable and has a better half life.

This is advantageous in another way besides just being more absorbable and having a better half life though - because a lot of people experience digestive upset with large dosages of berberine; so GlucoVantage XT allows people to use the higher dosing equivalent without the stomach upset that many experience with regular berberine.

If I were looking just for berberine solo, not comparison at all - I would choose GlucoVantage XT, which I do use daily for the overall health benefits. Last year when I lost 40 lbs. in 4 months, I was using a higher dosage - 3 caps per day, which would have been the equivalent of 1,500 mg. of regular berberine, and I can't stomach more than 500 mg. per day of actual berberine.

If I were looking for berberine solo, definitely would choose GlucoVantage XT.

If I were doing low carb, I would do GlucoVantage XT.

If I were doing moderate to high carb, I would go with GlycoPhase, which does have 500 mg. regular berberine per day, but has a lot more ingredients in it to help with nutrient partitioning, blood sugar control, recomp, etc.

Now, me personally - I'm using GlycoPhase because my carbs are high most days but I still use 2 capsules of GlucoVantage XT per day with it. So that's 200 mg. of Dihydroberberine and and 500 mg. of regular berberine from GlycoPhase.

My post might be overly detailed for what you asked, but a lot of times when this subject comes up, people will ask me which is better between GlycoPhase and GlucoVantage XT in what situation, so I like to try to be thorough for the people reading.

 

[LeanEngineer]

Now, me personally - I'm using GlycoPhase because my carbs are high most days but I still use 2 capsules of GlucoVantage XT per day with it. So that's 200 mg. of Dihydroberberine and and 500 mg. of regular berberine from GlycoPhase.

I would agree completely here. I'm a fan of Glycophase. Love my carbs

GlycoPhase by SNS

GlycoPhase by SNS

www.strongsupplementshop.com

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

I am using both products at this time. 2 weeks into this, I take 1 GlucoVantage XT w morning coffee and 12.5mg Mk-677, second cap w protein shake(14hr fast from last meal night b4 usually 10 am), 3rd cap w protein shake at 3:30pm, and I take 4 caps of GlycoPhase w post workout meal (7:30-8pm) consisting of a beef or chicken protein (50-75g) and a carb like rice or sweet potato usually around 100g.
I believe that is the equivalent of 2000mg of berberine per day
I go through a bottle of each per month.
@sns8778 does this seem similar to your protocol excluding the Mk-677?

 

[Ape McGrapes]

GlucoVantage is better than regular berberine in the sense that it is 5x more absorbable and has a better half life.

I'm not trolling. These are genuine questions.

Does a better half life always equate to being in the blood stream/working longer? This is part of an argument I've seen over Na-Rala.

Does 5X bioavailability just mean that 100mg of Dihydroberberine is equal to 500mg berberine?

 

[Slims]

which would you choose?

Four GlycoPhase for meals containing 30g-50g of carbs.

Three GlycoPhase + one GlucoVantage-XT for meals containing 50g-70g of carbs.

Four GlycoPhase + two GlucoVantage-XT for anything containing 70g or more of carbs.

 

[johnny412]

I'm not trolling. These are genuine questions.

Does a better half life always equate to being in the blood stream/working longer? This is part of an argument I've seen over Na-Rala.

Does 5X bioavailability just mean that 100mg of Dihydroberberine is equal to 500mg berberine?

good question because the reg berberine is 5x more but 1/2 the price so price wise it doesnt really make sense. unless my math is wrong?

 

[sns8778]

I'm not trolling. These are genuine questions.

Does a better half life always equate to being in the blood stream/working longer? This is part of an argument I've seen over Na-Rala.

Does 5X bioavailability just mean that 100mg of Dihydroberberine is equal to 500mg berberine?

Longer half life allows the body to more efficiently utilize the ingredient and for it to deliver results over a longer period of time.

In your second question, you use the word just there like that's not a major benefit, but it very much is.

100 mg. of Dihydroberberine being equivalent to 500 mg. of regular berberine is a huge thing, especially because a lot of people can't take over 500 mg. of regular berberine without experiencing digestive upset and stomach discomfort from it.

So, for example, each capsule of GlucoVantage XT contains 100 mg. of Dihydroberberine and is like taking 500 mg. of regular berberine, but with a better half life and without the stomach upset that many experience from regular berberine - which is significant too bc it allows people to use equivalent dosages that they couldn't use otherwise.

Example - for me personally, 500 mg. regular berberine is the most I can take in a day without it bothering my stomach. But I can take 300 mg. of GlucoVantage XT (equivalent to 1,500 mg. regular berberine) with no problem at all. So its allowing me to take a dosage I could never use otherwise along with a longer half life for even better results.

 

[sns8778]

good question because the reg berberine is 5x more but 1/2 the price so price wise it doesnt really make sense. unless my math is wrong?

I'm sorry, but that is not true at all.

I think you either misunderstood or wrote that incorrectly - because it is GlucoVantage/Dihydroberberine that is 5x more absorbable than regular berberine. 100 mg. of GlucoVantage/Dihydroberberine is equivalent to 500 mg. regular Berberine.

If you think you're buying Berberine that is half the price of GlucoVantage XT, then you aren't buying real Berberine anyway.

GlucoVantage XT - at full retail before discounts - 90 veg caps - 39.99

GlucoVantage XT | Serious Nutrition Solutions

Healthy Blood Sugar Control Support. Stimulant Free Fat Loss. GlucoVantage is an advanced form of berberine that is up to 5x more potent than regular berberine.

seriousnutritionsolutions.com

NOW Foods Berberine Softgels (400 mg. per) - at full price before discounts - 90 softgels - 39.99

https://www.nowfoods.com/products/supplements/berberine-glucose-support-softgels

So no, real Berberine isn't half the price - the prices are actually pretty equivalent.

NOW Foods tested dozens of brands of Berberine back in December of 2023 and it showed that over 50% of brands tested didn't even have 40% of the listed potency per label claims.

https://www.nowfoods.com/healthy-living/articles/nows-testing-results-berberine-products-december-2023

Brand Tested for Berberine HCl	Size	Lot #	Label Claim	NOW Test	Alkemist	Av % Result
aSquared Nutrition, FL	180 Vcaps	BE6645-102-1	500 mg	107	135	24%
Avenir Sugar Ease WY	60 Veg Caps	230354	300 mg	157	187	57%
BMVINVOL Formula TX	150 Veg Caps	15C42/1-10000	200 mg	13	4	4%
Deal Supplement CA	300 Veg Caps	Illegible	500 mg	47	6	5%
Doctor Recomm./New World	120 Veg Caps	2023-1915?	600 mg	573	595	97%
Earth Bare	60 chews	SY2374	750 mg	0	0	0%
Genex Formulas FL	90 Veg Caps	BE6154-087-1	500 mg	79	127	21%
Greabby Gummies TX	60 Gummies	DC23B05	750 mg	0	0	0%
Green Habits NY	60 Veg Caps	BER230217-60	600 mg	346	373	60%
GreenPeople Formula TX	90 Veg Caps	No lot #	500 mg	0	0	0%
HivoNutra Formula FL	60 Veg Caps	7042305-181	375 mg	120	172	39%
KoNefancy TN	60 Softgels	KSF-156-4592	750 mg	0	9	1%
Luma Nutrition CA	60 Veg Caps	BER230806-60	600 mg	352	385	61%
Naomi Whittel FL	60 Veg Caps	160301	500 mg	395	443	84%
Naturebell CA	240 Veg Caps	P776251	500 mg	326	381	71%
⚠︎ NOW Foods	60 Softgels	3290158	400 mg	428	404	104%
Nutreb FL	60 Veg Caps	11162306-205	600 mg	422	483	75%
Nutriflair WA	120 Veg Caps	NB1002	600 mg	85	111	16%
NutriVein WA	120 Veg Caps	NB9127	600 mg	152	156	26%
One Planet Nutrition FL	120 Veg Caps	22020	250 mg	16	33	10%
Research Labs	90 Veg Caps	230525	500 mg	143	186	33%
Satoomi.com (India/NC)	60 Veg Caps	Illegible	333 mg	0	0	0%
Simply Natures Pure DE	120 Veg Caps	2023-19203	500 mg	425	468	89%
Sotalix SC	150 Veg Caps	230527	500 mg	0	29	3%
Sunergetic NY	60 Veg Caps	416788	600 mg	547	596	95%
Thinbi Brand CA	60 Veg Caps	123144	500 mg	376	407	78%
Thomas Remedies GA	120 Veg Caps	TB9077	500 mg	148	201	35%
Toniiq IL	180 Veg Caps	A24839235-7	500 mg	423	480	90%
Toplux Nutrition CA	90 Veg Caps	BER230627-90	600 mg	340	369	59%
Vitalite Now NY	60 Veg Caps	27995	500 mg	404	478	88%
Vitamiscence FL	60 Veg Caps	41095	600 mg	0	2	0%
Wellness Labs Rx	120 Veg Caps	NG2023031509	500 mg	0	0	0%
Wholesome Story WA	90 Veg Caps	2306054A	500 mg	382	429	81%

 

[sns8778]

I am using both products at this time. 2 weeks into this, I take 1 GlucoVantage XT w morning coffee and 12.5mg Mk-677, second cap w protein shake(14hr fast from last meal night b4 usually 10 am), 3rd cap w protein shake at 3:30pm, and I take 4 caps of GlycoPhase w post workout meal (7:30-8pm) consisting of a beef or chicken protein (50-75g) and a carb like rice or sweet potato usually around 100g.
I believe that is the equivalent of 2000mg of berberine per day
I go through a bottle of each per month.
@sns8778 does this seem similar to your protocol excluding the Mk-677?

Yes, that is similar to the way I do it. My dosage timing is a little different, but can vary by how my diet and training is at the time.

And yes, you are correct that that would be the equivalent of 2,000 mg. of berberine per day; and for those reading, that's very significant because most people couldn't take anywhere near that dose of berberine if they were using regular berberine because of how it can upset ones stomach at high doses.

 

[johnny412]

I'm sorry, but that is not true at all.

I think you either misunderstood or wrote that incorrectly - because it is GlucoVantage/Dihydroberberine that is 5x more absorbable than regular berberine. 100 mg. of GlucoVantage/Dihydroberberine is equivalent to 500 mg. regular Berberine.

If you think you're buying Berberine that is half the price of GlucoVantage XT, then you aren't buying real Berberine anyway.

GlucoVantage XT - at full retail before discounts - 90 veg caps - 39.99

GlucoVantage XT | Serious Nutrition Solutions

Healthy Blood Sugar Control Support. Stimulant Free Fat Loss. GlucoVantage is an advanced form of berberine that is up to 5x more potent than regular berberine.

seriousnutritionsolutions.com

NOW Foods Berberine Softgels (400 mg. per) - at full price before discounts - 90 softgels - 39.99

https://www.nowfoods.com/products/supplements/berberine-glucose-support-softgels

So no, real Berberine isn't half the price - the prices are actually pretty equivalent.

NOW Foods tested dozens of brands of Berberine back in December of 2023 and it showed that over 50% of brands tested didn't even have 40% of the listed potency per label claims.

https://www.nowfoods.com/healthy-living/articles/nows-testing-results-berberine-products-december-2023

Brand Tested for Berberine HCl	Size	Lot #	Label Claim	NOW Test	Alkemist	Av % Result
aSquared Nutrition, FL	180 Vcaps	BE6645-102-1	500 mg	107	135	24%
Avenir Sugar Ease WY	60 Veg Caps	230354	300 mg	157	187	57%
BMVINVOL Formula TX	150 Veg Caps	15C42/1-10000	200 mg	13	4	4%
Deal Supplement CA	300 Veg Caps	Illegible	500 mg	47	6	5%
Doctor Recomm./New World	120 Veg Caps	2023-1915?	600 mg	573	595	97%
Earth Bare	60 chews	SY2374	750 mg	0	0	0%
Genex Formulas FL	90 Veg Caps	BE6154-087-1	500 mg	79	127	21%
Greabby Gummies TX	60 Gummies	DC23B05	750 mg	0	0	0%
Green Habits NY	60 Veg Caps	BER230217-60	600 mg	346	373	60%
GreenPeople Formula TX	90 Veg Caps	No lot #	500 mg	0	0	0%
HivoNutra Formula FL	60 Veg Caps	7042305-181	375 mg	120	172	39%
KoNefancy TN	60 Softgels	KSF-156-4592	750 mg	0	9	1%
Luma Nutrition CA	60 Veg Caps	BER230806-60	600 mg	352	385	61%
Naomi Whittel FL	60 Veg Caps	160301	500 mg	395	443	84%
Naturebell CA	240 Veg Caps	P776251	500 mg	326	381	71%
⚠︎ NOW Foods	60 Softgels	3290158	400 mg	428	404	104%
Nutreb FL	60 Veg Caps	11162306-205	600 mg	422	483	75%
Nutriflair WA	120 Veg Caps	NB1002	600 mg	85	111	16%
NutriVein WA	120 Veg Caps	NB9127	600 mg	152	156	26%
One Planet Nutrition FL	120 Veg Caps	22020	250 mg	16	33	10%
Research Labs	90 Veg Caps	230525	500 mg	143	186	33%
Satoomi.com (India/NC)	60 Veg Caps	Illegible	333 mg	0	0	0%
Simply Natures Pure DE	120 Veg Caps	2023-19203	500 mg	425	468	89%
Sotalix SC	150 Veg Caps	230527	500 mg	0	29	3%
Sunergetic NY	60 Veg Caps	416788	600 mg	547	596	95%
Thinbi Brand CA	60 Veg Caps	123144	500 mg	376	407	78%
Thomas Remedies GA	120 Veg Caps	TB9077	500 mg	148	201	35%
Toniiq IL	180 Veg Caps	A24839235-7	500 mg	423	480	90%
Toplux Nutrition CA	90 Veg Caps	BER230627-90	600 mg	340	369	59%
Vitalite Now NY	60 Veg Caps	27995	500 mg	404	478	88%
Vitamiscence FL	60 Veg Caps	41095	600 mg	0	2	0%
Wellness Labs Rx	120 Veg Caps	NG2023031509	500 mg	0	0	0%
Wholesome Story WA	90 Veg Caps	2306054A	500 mg	382	429	81%

i can get 60 500 mg capsules of very reputable soleray brand for 21.99

 

[baldwanus]

i can get 60 500 mg capsules of very reputable soleray brand for 21.99

So regular berberine - 21.99/60 = ~.36 cents a pill, Glucovantage - 31.99/90 = ~.35 cents a pill *using the DPS Nutrition price*

Glucovantage actually winds up being a slightly better deal haha.

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

i can get 60 500 mg capsules of very reputable soleray brand for 21.99

GlucoVantage XT 30.99/ bottle when buying 2 or more at flexitnutrition.com

 

[sns8778]

i can get 60 500 mg capsules of very reputable soleray brand for 21.99

Nothing I replied to your post with is my opinion; I'm just showing the math and cost breakdowns and also posted what I think many will feel is useful information as far as quality results from many brands not meeting label claims on Berberine.

In your original post you said:
reg berberine is 5x more but 1/2 the price so price wise it doesnt really make sense. unless my math is wrong?

There are some brands that would have you believe that is true - and I commend NOW for testing many of those products and posting the results, and as you can clearly see in my above post, any brand claiming to sell Berberine for that cheap of a price isn't actually selling you Berberine, they're ripping you off.

Solaray is a good brand, they're owned by the same company that owns Nature's Way, who I talk about on here all the time.

However, that price for their Berberine capsules are not half the price of GlucoVantage XT, its the same cost per capsule.

When I did the cost breakdown I did in my original post, I did it based off of retail price to retail price, because that is the fairest math. Solaray sells wholesale to retailers just like we do, who then sell to consumers at different prices.

Retail price breakdown:
- NOW Foods Berberine - 90 softgels - 400 mg. per softgel - 39.99 - .44 cents per capsule
- Solaray Berberine - 60 capsules - 500 mg. per capsule - 28.69 - .47 cents per capsule
- SNS GlucoVantage XT - 90 capsules - 100 mg. GlucoVantage per capsule - 39.99 - .44 cents per capsule

In your comparison, you're talking about price from a retailer/reseller, so here's that cost breakdown:
- Solaray Berberine - 60 capsules - 21.99 per bottle from retailer - .3665 cents per capsule
- GlucoVantage XT - 90 capsules - 31.99 per bottle from retailer or on any of sales - .3554 cents per capsule

It's not fair nor accurate to try to present something as being 1/2 the price when its actually the same price; and that's what I said in my original post, is that quality Berberine is about the same price.

500 mg. of Berberine = 100 mg. GlucoVantage XT = right around the same cost.

I have no problem with regular Berberine, but have a big problem with brands claiming to sell Berberine at too good to be true prices and those brands not meeting label claims and ripping off consumers.

So cost wise, they break down to be about the same - but benefit wise, GlucoVantage does have some advantages.

In addition to being the same price/cost per capsule though, a big benefit that GlucoVantage/Dihydroberberine offers is the better half life and also especially that it offers better absorption and better half life than regular Berberine without the stomach upset that some get with regular Berberine, which allows many more people to be able to take higher doses of it.

I take GlycoPhase which does have 500 mg. regular berberine in it and I take GlucoVantage XT, 2 to 3 caps per day. That allows me the equivalent of 1,500 to 2,000 mg. Berberine per day. There is absolutely no way that I could do that with regular Berberine because my stomach wouldn't allow it. But I can do it daily now with no issues at all. Same as @PolishHamm3r77 is able to as well.

With GlucoVantage XT, you also get 250 mg. of Cinnamon per capsule as well.

I hope that all of this info helps.

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

Nothing I replied to your post with is my opinion; I'm just showing the math and cost breakdowns and also posted what I think many will feel is useful information as far as quality results from many brands not meeting label claims on Berberine.

In your original post you said:
reg berberine is 5x more but 1/2 the price so price wise it doesnt really make sense. unless my math is wrong?

There are some brands that would have you believe that is true - and I comment NOW for testing many of those products and posting the results, and as you can clearly see in my above post, any brand claiming to sell Berberine for that cheap of a price isn't actually selling you Berberine, they're ripping you off.

Solaray is a good brand, they're owned by the same company that owns Nature's Way, who I talk about on here all the time.

However, that price for their Berberine capsules are not half the price of GlucoVantage XT, its the same cost per capsule.

When I did the cost breakdown I did in my original post, I did it based off of retail price to retail price, because that is the fairest math. Solaray sells wholesale to retailers just like we do, who then sell to consumers at different prices.

Retail price breakdown:
- NOW Foods Berberine - 90 softgels - 400 mg. per softgel - 39.99 - .44 cents per capsule
- Solaray Berberine - 60 capsules - 500 mg. per capsule - 28.69 - .47 cents per capsule
- SNS GlucoVantage XT - 90 capsules - 100 mg. GlucoVantage per capsule - 39.99 - .44 cents per capsule

In your comparison, you're talking about price from a retailer/reseller, so here's that cost breakdown:
- Solaray Berberine - 60 capsules - 21.99 per bottle from retailer - .3665 cents per capsule
- GlucoVantage XT - 90 capsules - 31.99 per bottle from retailer or on any of sales - .3554 cents per capsule

It's not fair nor accurate to try to present something as being 1/2 the price when its actually the same price; and that's what I said in my original post, is that quality Berberine is about the same price.

500 mg. of Berberine = 100 mg. GlucoVantage XT = right around the same cost.

I have no problem with regular Berberine, but have a big problem with brands claiming to sell Berberine at too good to be true prices and those brands not meeting label claims and ripping off consumers.

So cost wise, they break down to be about the same - but benefit wise, GlucoVantage does have some advantages.

In addition to being the same price/cost per capsule though, a big benefit that GlucoVantage/Dihydroberberine offers is the better half life and also especially that it offers better absorption and better half life than regular Berberine without the stomach upset that some get with regular Berberine, which allows many more people to be able to take higher doses of it.

I take GlycoPhase which does have 500 mg. regular berberine in it and I take GlucoVantage XT, 2 to 3 caps per day. That allows me the equivalent of 1,500 to 2,000 mg. Berberine per day. There is absolutely no way that I could do that with regular Berberine because my stomach wouldn't allow it. But I can do it daily now with no issues at all. Same as @PolishHamm3r77 is able to as well.

With GlucoVantage XT, you also get 250 mg. of Cinnamon per capsule as well.

I hope that all of this info helps.

If I was consuming 2000mg of raw berberine per day I’d be eating my oatmeal, Ezekiel bread, and rice on the toilet.
Dihydroberberine is a game changer!!!
I believe @akboom87 posted that he had a family member take a glucose reading before and after taking GlucoVantage XT and saw the glucose level drop.

 

[baldwanus]

If I was consuming 2000mg of raw berberine per day I’d be eating my oatmeal, Ezekiel bread, and rice on the toilet.
Dihydroberberine is a game changer!!!
I believe @akboom87 posted that he had a family member take a glucose reading before and after taking GlucoVantage XT and saw the glucose level drop.

so just to share some with you guys .. my dr was very impressed with glucose/metabolic results.

6 months ago .. i was out of range in almost everything .. esp glucose was bad.

this is about 6-7weeks on glucoVantage .. i had 2 weeks worth of glycophase so stacked it with half dosages.

i only take this 5x a week ( keep it at work days when i eat the unhealthiest those days )

@sns8778 this kind of health stuff you don't notice it but i feel its very important in your life down the road .. only shows up in test results.


View attachment 224916

My wife uses the Gluco Vantage XT everyday.

Long story short my wife had gestational diabetes while pregnant with are daughter. She managed to keep it under control with diet during pregnancy. After birth she was still having trouble keeping her glucose numbers in check. She started using Gluco Vantage XT in April and has been using it since. I don’t know the numbers off the top of my head from the meter readings, but she has not had a high number since starting. She does watch her carb intake and certain carbs can spike her numbers higher than others. For instance same grams of rice vs pasta the rice effect is higher. She takes 1 pill about 30 minutes before meals (breakfast/lunch/dinner) and has not had a high number yet.
For testing there was a week she did not use Gluco Vantage XT, she had several high readings that week eating the same as previously. So for her it’s a staple.

Now for the record my wife does have PCOS and that is a whole other topic but that plays a role in her issues with insulin sensitivity.

^^^

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

^^^

That is the exact post I was thinking of, good find!!!

 

[Ape McGrapes]

I'm not here to argue. I was beeing genuine with my questions. I don't seem to get any stomach upset from berberine, but have also wondered if I was really getting all the benefits from it that I could. I rarely take berberine solo though. Usually make my own GDA or a pre-made one so not really sure what's best for me

That said, I last paid $10 for 60 400mg berberine capsules from Swanson. I've never seen their quality questioned and am pretty sure they do 3rd party testing.

 

[Slims]

Thought I'd jump in here with some relevant and proven results in regards to dihydroberberine (GlucoVantage-XT)

I've tried and tested dozens of GDA's, nutrient partitioners and blood sugar control supplements in the past, usually with my blood glucose monitor, and GlycoPhase is a long standing staple in my daily supplementation.
Mid last year GlycoPhase was out of stock, so bought GlucoVantage-XT. I was so impressed by the numbers registering on my blood glucose monitor that I ran it daily for a few months.
Now for the science...
I had a blood test done two weeks after starting GlucoVantage-XT and my HB1AC (Average fasting blood sugar level/Diabetes risk) was 34mmol/mol, twelve weeks after that on my next blood test my HB1AC was 28mmol/mol.

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

Thought I'd jump in here with some relevant and proven results in regards to dihydroberberine (GlucoVantage-XT)

I've tried and tested dozens of GDA's, nutrient partitioners and blood sugar control supplements in the past, usually with my blood glucose monitor, and GlycoPhase is a long standing staple in my daily supplementation.
Mid last year GlycoPhase was out of stock, so bought GlucoVantage-XT. I was so impressed by the numbers registering on my blood glucose monitor that I ran it daily for a few months.
Now for the science...
I had a blood test done two weeks after starting GlucoVantage-XT and my HB1AC (Average fasting blood sugar level/Diabetes risk) was 34mmol/mol, twelve weeks after that on my next blood test my HB1AC was 28mmol/mol.

You couldn’t be any more in the middle of the “normal” range. That’s awesome

 

[Slims]

You couldn’t be any more in the middle of the “normal” range. That’s awesome

Especially as everybody else (other than my younger sister) in my family, on both my mom's side and my dad's side, has diabetes.

 

[sns8778]

I'm not here to argue. I was beeing genuine with my questions. I don't seem to get any stomach upset from berberine, but have also wondered if I was really getting all the benefits from it that I could. I rarely take berberine solo though. Usually make my own GDA or a pre-made one so not really sure what's best for me

That said, I last paid $10 for 60 400mg berberine capsules from Swanson. I've never seen their quality questioned and am pretty sure they do 3rd party testing.

I wasn't arguing either, I genuinely answered your questions.

I answered your questions about the oral bioavailability and the half life.

^^^ Then several other people mentioned that as well - that GlucoVantage XT helps them be able to take a higher dose of Berberine than they could otherwise.

That's great for you if you don't get any stomach upset off of regular Berberine, but a lot of people do, especially at high dosages. But yes, there would be other advantages to GlucoVantage XT as well - better bioavailability, longer half life, etc.

I, and a lot of other people, want the benefits of a true GDA like GlycoPhase, and also the additional benefits of GlucoVantage XT, so that's why many of us use both together. GlycoPhase has 500 mg. of Berberine in it, which is the most regular Berberine I can stomach in a day, but the additional GlucoVantage XT capsules help me get in a much higher daily amount, as I and @PolishHamm3r77 were discussing above.

I'm not going to debate product/raw material pricing with you. I've posted enough information in this thread trying to help people on that part that want to buy regular Berberine - pricing per capsule from legit brands like NOW and Solaray, both of which are known for great pricing - and also shown how it comes out to about the same cost per capsule as GlucoVantage XT. I also shared the NOW Foods test results showing that over 50% of brands tested didn't meet 40% of label claims.

Let's do another cost comparison since you brought up Swanson:

• NOW Foods Berberine - 400 mg. per softgel - 90 softgels per bottle
  • Let's go off of a reseller price of 24.49, rather than full retail from the direct.
  • 24.49 divided by 90 softgels = .272 cents per softgel
  • But, for sake of fair comparison, let's look at total mg. per bottle since its 400 mg., not 500 mg.
  • 400 mg. per softgel x 90 softgels = 36,000 mg. or 36 grams per bottle
  • This equates to .68 cents per gram
• Solaray - 500 mg. - 60 capsules per bottle
  • Let's go off of a reseller price of 21.99 per bottle, rather than their full retail from them direct.
  • 21.99 divided by 60 capsules = .3665 cents per capsule
  • 500 mg. x 60 capsules = 30,000 mg. or 30 grams per bottle
  • This equates to .73 cents per gram
• Swanson Berberine - 400 mg. - 60 capsules
  • The price on their website is 14.99 per bottle.
  • 14.99 divided by 60 capsules = .25 cents per capsule
  • But, for sake of fair comparison, let's look at total mg. per bottle since its 400 mg., not 500 mg.
  • 400 mg. x 60 capsules = 24,000 mg. or 24 grams per bottle
  • This equates to .63 cents per gram
• GlucoVantage XT - 100 mg. GlucoVantage equivalent to 500 mg. Berberine per capsule - 90 capsules
  • Let's go off of DPS pricing, which is 31.99 per bottle (same as our sale pricing direct)
  • 31.99 divided by 90 capsules = .35 cents per capsule
  • 100 mg. GlucoVantage = 500 mg. Berberine, so there is 9 grams GlucoVantage for 45,000 mg. or 45 grams Berberine equivalent per bottle (+ 250 mg. Cinnamon & 5 mg. Bioperine)
  • That equates to .71 cents per gram

In summary, the pricing on everything above is very, very close per capsule and per mg., which I broke down both ways for the fairest comparisons.

Since you mentioned Swanson though, let's do a direct comparison now:

First, if you wanted to get technical, you would also have to buy a bottle of Swanson's Cinnamon to take with their Berberine for a true comparison to GlucoVantage XT since it has both Dihydroberberine and Cinnamon; and their Cinnamon is 5.99 per bottle, so that would add an additional .07 cents per capsule which would make the price of Swanson's be only .03 cents less per capsule than GlucoVantage XT.

GlucoVantage XT provides an advanced form of berberine that is 5x more absorbable than regular berberine with better oral bioavailability and a better half life to make sure that it is fully utilized AND 250 mg. Cinnamon + 5 mg. Bioperine per capsule for only 3 pennies more per capsule than Swanson's Berberine + Cinnamon, or even if you didn't add Swanson's Cinnamon, its only about .10 cents more per capsule and gives you so much more.

 

[sns8778]

Thought I'd jump in here with some relevant and proven results in regards to dihydroberberine (GlucoVantage-XT)

I've tried and tested dozens of GDA's, nutrient partitioners and blood sugar control supplements in the past, usually with my blood glucose monitor, and GlycoPhase is a long standing staple in my daily supplementation.
Mid last year GlycoPhase was out of stock, so bought GlucoVantage-XT. I was so impressed by the numbers registering on my blood glucose monitor that I ran it daily for a few months.
Now for the science...
I had a blood test done two weeks after starting GlucoVantage-XT and my HB1AC (Average fasting blood sugar level/Diabetes risk) was 34mmol/mol, twelve weeks after that on my next blood test my HB1AC was 28mmol/mol.

Especially as everybody else (other than my younger sister) in my family, on both my mom's side and my dad's side, has diabetes.

Thank you for sharing that information. That's awesome, and I'm so happy for you.

I love the fitness side and helping provide products to help reach their goals, but I really love the aspect of being able to provide products to help people improve their overall health.

 

[Jiigzz]

I'm not trolling. These are genuine questions.

Does a better half life always equate to being in the blood stream/working longer? This is part of an argument I've seen over Na-Rala.

Does 5X bioavailability just mean that 100mg of Dihydroberberine is equal to 500mg berberine?

Good questions, but yeah generally the longer the half life, the longer the effects. But whether this is advantageous is entirely dependent on what you are trying to achieve.

 

[Resolve10]

I think a lot of it has already been covered, but I found them both closely comparable for being helpful at improving blood glucose with Glucovantage being at a dosage of 100mg versus 500mg for normal Berberine. I don't get the gastro issues so have never had problems dosing up to 1.5g per day, but considering the price if I needed to pick up a straight Berberine nowadays I'd grab SNS Glucovantage.

Four GlycoPhase for meals containing 30g-50g of carbs.

Three GlycoPhase + one GlucoVantage-XT for meals containing 50g-70g of carbs.

Four GlycoPhase + two GlucoVantage-XT for anything containing 70g or more of carbs.

As always one could just check their own blood sugar readings when testing this stuff, but I honestly only need a single Glucovantage or dose of Glycophase for even 100g of carbs in a meal. I was using I think full dose Glycophase at one meal then an additional Glucovantage at another and those were 100-125g carb meals for me, so just goes to show the versatility of the product and the ranges may vary for each individual.

 

[johnny412]

Rethinking on Berberine? - AnabolicMinds.com

So I’ve encountered some interesting papers which discuss the likely MOA of berberine and it was quite surprising to me because the MOA that these two papers point to is very different to what has been discussed in regards to how berberine works. It also raises a question for me in regards to if...

anabolicminds.com

so i was reading thru this thread. i had no idea about a cancer link?

 

[sns8778]

Rethinking on Berberine? - AnabolicMinds.com

So I’ve encountered some interesting papers which discuss the likely MOA of berberine and it was quite surprising to me because the MOA that these two papers point to is very different to what has been discussed in regards to how berberine works. It also raises a question for me in regards to if...

anabolicminds.com

so i was reading thru this thread. i had no idea about a cancer link?

That's because there really isn't one.

This is an example of how you can have dozens of, if not hundreds of studies showing one thing, but then one comes along and shows something else and since its negative, its more headline worthy - when common sense should dictate that if 99 show something is good for something and 1 shows its bad for something, which one is more likely to be wrong?

There are dozens, if not hundreds of studies showing that Berberine can have anti-cancer benefits.

I don't have time to read thru them all, but here are a bunch of links you can read and start with. Some of these links are articles, and some may be sales types articles, I don't have time to read them - but I included them bc you can read them and then go down to the citations and find lists of tons more studies to read.

Berberine: An Important Emphasis on Its Anticancer Effects through Modulation of Various Cell Signaling Pathways

Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of disease and a major cause of death worldwide. Despite advancement in various treatment modules, there has been little improvement in survival rates and side effects associated with this disease. Medicinal ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Berberine as a cancer treatment | CANCERactive

Berberine has been shown in research to work along a number of quite separate pathways against cancer; it reduces blood sugar levels, it reduces inflammation, boosts immune response and attacks certain pathogens; it blocks Akt and mTOR, while promoting AMPK and weakening the cancer cells, and...

www.canceractive.com

Berberine suppresses tumorigenicity and growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by inhibiting STAT3 activation induced by tumor associated fibroblasts - BMC Cancer

Background Cortidis rhizoma (Huanglian) and its major therapeutic component, berberine, have drawn extensive attention in recent years for their anti-cancer properties. Growth inhibitory effects of berberine on multiple types of human cancer cells have been reported. Berberine inhibits invasion...

bmccancer.biomedcentral.com

Chemoproteomics reveals berberine directly binds to PKM2 to inhibit the progression of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the most serious tumors and berberine can inhibit the recurrence and transformation of colorectal adenoma into colorectal …

www.sciencedirect.com

Lung cancer: Plant compound berberine shows promise

A plant compound used in traditional Chinese medicine, berberine, has shown promise in fighting off lung cancer in laboratory experiments.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

https://iubmb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/iub.2350

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajco.13941

Berberine induces apoptosis and arrests the cell cycle in multiple cancer cell lines

Introduction: To examine the anti-cancer effects of berberine on multiple cancer cell lines, and to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms. Material and methods: The IC 50 values for the action of berberine on Tca8113 (oral squamous cell carcinoma), CNE2 (nasopharyngeal carcinoma...

www.archivesofmedicalscience.com

Anticancer effect of berberine based on experimental animal models of various cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis - BMC Cancer

Background Numerous studies have explored the anti-tumor effect of berberine (BBR), but little clinical evidence guides the use of BBR in cancer patients. Objectives Our aim was to investigate the impact of BBR on various cancers in healthy animals to promote the transformation from bench to...

bmccancer.biomedcentral.com

I hope that helps.

 

[johnny412]

That's because there really isn't one.

This is an example of how you can have dozens of, if not hundreds of studies showing one thing, but then one comes along and shows something else and since its negative, its more headline worthy - when common sense should dictate that if 99 show something is good for something and 1 shows its bad for something, which one is more likely to be wrong?

There are dozens, if not hundreds of studies showing that Berberine can have anti-cancer benefits.

I don't have time to read thru them all, but here are a bunch of links you can read and start with. Some of these links are articles, and some may be sales types articles, I don't have time to read them - but I included them bc you can read them and then go down to the citations and find lists of tons more studies to read.

Berberine: An Important Emphasis on Its Anticancer Effects through Modulation of Various Cell Signaling Pathways

Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of disease and a major cause of death worldwide. Despite advancement in various treatment modules, there has been little improvement in survival rates and side effects associated with this disease. Medicinal ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Berberine as a cancer treatment | CANCERactive

Berberine has been shown in research to work along a number of quite separate pathways against cancer; it reduces blood sugar levels, it reduces inflammation, boosts immune response and attacks certain pathogens; it blocks Akt and mTOR, while promoting AMPK and weakening the cancer cells, and...

www.canceractive.com

Berberine suppresses tumorigenicity and growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by inhibiting STAT3 activation induced by tumor associated fibroblasts - BMC Cancer

Background Cortidis rhizoma (Huanglian) and its major therapeutic component, berberine, have drawn extensive attention in recent years for their anti-cancer properties. Growth inhibitory effects of berberine on multiple types of human cancer cells have been reported. Berberine inhibits invasion...

bmccancer.biomedcentral.com

Chemoproteomics reveals berberine directly binds to PKM2 to inhibit the progression of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the most serious tumors and berberine can inhibit the recurrence and transformation of colorectal adenoma into colorectal …

www.sciencedirect.com

Lung cancer: Plant compound berberine shows promise

A plant compound used in traditional Chinese medicine, berberine, has shown promise in fighting off lung cancer in laboratory experiments.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

https://iubmb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/iub.2350

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajco.13941

Berberine induces apoptosis and arrests the cell cycle in multiple cancer cell lines

Introduction: To examine the anti-cancer effects of berberine on multiple cancer cell lines, and to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms. Material and methods: The IC 50 values for the action of berberine on Tca8113 (oral squamous cell carcinoma), CNE2 (nasopharyngeal carcinoma...

www.archivesofmedicalscience.com

Anticancer effect of berberine based on experimental animal models of various cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis - BMC Cancer

Background Numerous studies have explored the anti-tumor effect of berberine (BBR), but little clinical evidence guides the use of BBR in cancer patients. Objectives Our aim was to investigate the impact of BBR on various cancers in healthy animals to promote the transformation from bench to...

bmccancer.biomedcentral.com

I hope that helps.

yes it does thanks