(NaturalHealth365)  For centuries, the remarkable healing properties of berberine have been revered in ancient medicinal practices across the globe.  This plant-based antioxidant, abundant in various common plants like barberry, tree turmeric, and goldenseal, has garnered attention for its impressive blood sugar regulation capabilities.

Beyond its renowned blood sugar benefits, berberine boasts anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties, earning it the title of “the traveler’s friend” for its ability to combat digestive ailments like amebic dysentery.  Now, mounting evidence highlights the extraordinary potential of berberine as a heavy-hitter in the fight against cancer.

Berberine’s timeless healing legacy in Chinese and Native American medicine

Throughout the annals of Chinese Medicine and Native American traditional medicine, the profound healing potential of berberine has resonated for millennia.  Referred to as Huang Lian in China, this invaluable compound can be found in the “golden thread,” a remarkable plant belonging to the buttercup family.  Meanwhile, in North America, the revered goldenseal plant boasts the presence of berberine.  These ancient healing traditions have long recognized the remarkable properties of this natural powerhouse.

Intriguingly, scientific research in recent years has begun to uncover the truths that these ancient traditions have cherished for centuries.  As the realms of ancient wisdom and modern science converge, the profound therapeutic capabilities of berberine are being illuminated, validating the knowledge of our ancestors.

How does berberine stop tumor growth?

Every living thing needs to convert food into energy through the process of metabolism.  Cancer tumors are no exception, although cancer cells tend to get their energy in a way that is the exact opposite of healthy cells.  Instead of utilizing the full process of aerobic cell respiration, tumor cells get fuel through glycolysis alone, the process of converting glucose to ATP through anaerobic means.  If you want cancer tumors to grow, deprive them of oxygen, stick them in a high-acid environment, and they will grow quickly.

On the other hand, if you wish to halt the spread of tumors, then change the way they metabolize fuel.  This is exactly how berberine is so effective in stopping cancer.  Berberine changes cancer tumor cells on the metabolic level.  It is one of the few compounds that is known to help activate the metabolic regulator AMPK, or adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (Resveratrol is another).

When AMPK levels are adequate, and the protein is functioning properly, energy homeostasis can be achieved within the body.  Glucose levels and lipid productions stabilize, which is also one of the reasons why berberine is so effective for those with diabetes and metabolic syndrome as well.

The loss of AMPK has been directly linked to cancer malignancy.  Currently, the most common way that modern medicine has to regulate AMPK for both cancer and other conditions is through the use of toxic pharmaceutical drugs.  Research since 2011, however, has shown berberine as a powerful, natural, and side-effect-free AMPK regulator.

MULTIPLE studies confirm berberine’s ability to halt breast cancer

To date, studies have shown berberine to have a positive effect on colorectal cancer, brain tumors, and inflammation caused by cigarette smoking – which can lead to lung, prostate, plus many other forms of cancer.  One such example is a 2015 project sponsored by Lanzhou University in China that points specifically to berberine’s effect on breast cancer tumor growth.

“Our result showed that berberine regulated the reprogramming metabolism through three aspects simultaneously, including mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, and macromolecular synthesis,” the published report states.  Basically, berberine’s antioxidant activation of AMPK “turns on” the process of aerobic cell growth (i.e., healthy cell growth) within the mitochondria of the cancer tumors, causing cancer cells to starve and eventually self-destruct.

The Lanzhou University study is significant, too, because it uses evidence-based medicine to bridge the gap between the centuries-old use of berberine in China with modern conventional medicine.  The researchers used a consciously-integrative research approach that should be a model for future cancer research.

“A reasonable cross-talk between Chinese medicine and energy homeostasis provided a solid foundation for berberine interference on cancer cells reprogramming metabolism,” the researchers concluded.

Indeed, the recent introduction of berberine as a “big league cancer fighter” over the last few years should give hope to those wishing to heal from cancer naturally and those who wish to use this powerful substance for metabolic regulation and cancer prevention in general.

Editor’s note: To learn more about how to stop cancer naturally, own the Stop Cancer Docu-Class, presented by NaturalHealth365 Programs – which features many of the finest holistic cancer care experts in the world.

Sources for this article include:

NIH.gov
Naturalmedicinejournal.com
NIH.gov
NIH.gov
Nature.com