The Study
Adjunctive berberine reduces antipsychotic‐associated weight gain and metabolic syndrome in patients with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial
This study is like a fair test where half the people got a supplement and half got a fake pill, and nobody knew which was which. The people who got the supplement lost a little weight and had better blood numbers. So we can say the supplement probably helped, but we can't say it's a magic cure.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
People with schizophrenia often gain weight from their medicines. This study tested if a natural herb called berberine could help stop that.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 583 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Losing over 1 kg and improving cholesterol and blood sugar is meaningful — it lowers heart disease and diabetes risk, which are common in people on antipsychotics.
- 2People who took berberine (600 mg/day) for 12 weeks gained 1.08 kg less than those who took a sugar pill.
- 3Their cholesterol dropped by 0.52–0.58 mmol/L, and their blood sugar marker (HbA1c) dropped by 0.09%.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
Year
2021
Authors
M. Chan, Zongshi Qin, S. Man, M. Lam, W. H. Lai, R. Ng, Che‐Kin Lee, T. Wong, E. Lee, H. Wong, Yibin Feng, Lan-ying Liu, Feng Han, E. Chen, Zhang-Jin Zhang
Related Content
Claims (5)
In adults with schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome who are taking antipsychotic medications, taking berberine at 600 mg per day for 12 weeks results in 1.08 kg less weight gain than taking a placebo, with a moderate effect size.
In adults with schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome taking antipsychotic medication, taking 600 mg of berberine daily for 12 weeks lowers low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 0.52 mmol/L and total cholesterol by 0.58 mmol/L compared to a placebo.
In adults with schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome taking antipsychotic medication, taking 600 mg of berberine daily for 12 weeks lowers HbA1c by 0.09% compared to a placebo, showing a small-to-medium improvement in long-term blood sugar control.
In adults with schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome taking antipsychotic drugs, taking 600 mg of berberine daily for 12 weeks lowers body mass index by 0.41 kg/m² compared to a placebo, reflecting a measurable reduction in body fat.
In adults with schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome taking antipsychotic drugs, taking berberine at 600 mg daily for 12 weeks does not change the severity of psychotic symptoms compared to taking a placebo.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.