Barberry Health Benefits, Properties, and Uses

Barberry is a group of over 500 species of thorny shrubs.  Barberry belongs to the Berberidaceae family and the genus Berberis. Barberry plants grow throughout Europe and Asia as well as Northern Africa and the Middle East. 

Barberry plants have been used in traditional medicine for over 2,500 years. In ancient medicine, the barberry flowers, roots and berries are all used to make natural remedies. Ancient Egyptians and Indians used barberry as a natural cure for preventing and treating dysentery.^1,2

Barberry Health Uses and Health Benefits

Barberry health benefits come from its varied content of different beneficial substances. Barberry contains a variety of alkaloids, enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Barberry berries are a rich source of vitamin C.¹

One of the most important barberry benefits is its ability to protect and enhance immune system function. It’s believed to prevent the growth of certain bacteria that can cause bacterial infections and compromise the immune system. Barberry also helps improve digestive health by treating and preventing diarrhea caused by gastrointestinal infections from food poisoning.^1,2

Other barberry health benefits include:

• Improving heart health by regulating blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• Managing diabetes and insulin resistance
• Detoxifying the liver and gallbladder
• Reducing inflammation in the bladder caused by infection
• Healing inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis and acne

Barberry is available in multiple forms include capsules, extracts and skin ointments. Dried barberry roots can be used to make herbal tea.¹

References

1. https://draxe.com/barberry/ 
2. http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/barberry