The berberis plant is a large shrub growing from one to five metres high. There are various species of berberis, but Berberis vulgaris or barberry is the most widely grown and used. Barberries are traditionally an important food source as well as a powerful medicine. In Central Asia and Iran, the berries are used in a variety of dishes including sauces, jellies, juices, jams and carbonated drinks, as well as a natural food colouring. Barberry has been used to improve multiple human health problems going back millennia and across many cultures, including fever, cough, liver disease, depression, ulceration, bleeding, high cholesterol and diabetes. The parts of the plant used medicinally include the roots, red berries, leaves and bark.
Active ingredients