BARBERRY
Barberry
supplement
Barberry is a source of the chemical berberine and has cardiovascular, neurological and immune effects.
Words DR KAREN BRIDGMAN
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
Nutritionally the berries are sour, due to the high levels of ascorbic acid, and are rich in vitamins A, C and K and the minerals calcium, iron, zinc, manganese and potassium. They contain 1.2 per cent fat, 2 per cent protein and 16 per cent carbohydrates, with high levels of anthocyanins.