Why goldenseal might lower bad cholesterol better than one of its parts
The medicinal plant goldenseal is a natural LDL-lowering agent with multiple bioactive components and new action mechanisms Published, JLR Papers in Press, August 2, 2006.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Goldenseal is a plant that has a chemical called berberine, which helps lower bad cholesterol. But the whole plant works even better because it has other chemicals that help berberine stay inside liver cells and also add their own cholesterol-lowering power.
Surprising Findings
Two unknown compounds in goldenseal contribute to cholesterol-lowering effects.
Most herbal studies focus on known active ingredients—finding that two unidentified chemicals are functionally important challenges the assumption that we already know what makes plants work.
Practical Takeaways
Consider goldenseal root extract over isolated berberine supplements if seeking natural LDL-c support.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Goldenseal is a plant that has a chemical called berberine, which helps lower bad cholesterol. But the whole plant works even better because it has other chemicals that help berberine stay inside liver cells and also add their own cholesterol-lowering power.
Surprising Findings
Two unknown compounds in goldenseal contribute to cholesterol-lowering effects.
Most herbal studies focus on known active ingredients—finding that two unidentified chemicals are functionally important challenges the assumption that we already know what makes plants work.
Practical Takeaways
Consider goldenseal root extract over isolated berberine supplements if seeking natural LDL-c support.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Lipid Research
Year
2006
Authors
P. Abidi, Wei Chen, F. Kraemer, Hai Li, Jingwen Liu
Related Content
Claims (6)
Berberine, a natural compound, tells your liver to grab more bad cholesterol (LDL) out of your blood by turning on a cellular energy sensor, helping lower your cholesterol levels.
A natural herb called goldenseal might help lower bad cholesterol more effectively than a similar compound called berberine, by helping the liver remove more cholesterol from the blood — based on tests in human liver cells and hamsters.
Goldenseal, a herbal supplement, has some mysterious chemicals (besides berberine) that help your liver pull more bad cholesterol out of your blood—making it even better at lowering cholesterol than berberine by itself.
Berberine, a natural compound, helps lower bad cholesterol by making liver cells produce more LDL receptors, but the liver kicks it out too fast—like a bouncer removing a guest. Canadine, a similar compound, isn’t kicked out, so it works better and longer.
Some plants like goldenseal might help berberine (a natural compound) stay longer in your liver by blocking a pump that usually kicks it out—this lets berberine work better to lower bad cholesterol.