TikTokers tout berberine as 'nature's Ozempic.' Here's why doctors say it's not

The recent popularity of Ozempic has led to concerns about the supply of the injectable drug for patients who actually need it for its intended purpose. 

Ozempic is approved in Canada for treatment of Type 2 diabetes, as is Rybelsus, a similar drug which comes in a tablet. But it's increasingly being used off-label for weight loss by otherwise healthy people here and especially in the United States. 

With supplies sometimes running short, some influencers on TikTok and other social media are now touting a so-called "miracle" herbal supplement, berberine, as another shortcut to weight loss — even fashioning it "nature's Ozempic."

"Everybody said, 'Weight loss in a needle? That's fantastic!'" said Dr. Peter Lin, director of primary care initiatives at the Canadian Heart Research Centre and a family physician, of the Ozempic craze. 

"Then, if you're trying to catch on to that wave, you'll say, 'Here's a natural version of the thing that you can't get right now.'" 

But with most things that sound too good to be true, this claim is, too, say doctors — and could even pose some risks. 

Here's what you need to know about berberine. 

Berberine is a chemical found in different kinds of plants including European barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, Oregon grape, phellodendron and tree turmeric. It's yellowish and has a bitter taste. 

It's been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, commonly to treat stomach bugs, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal issues.

There have been studies into berberine's effect on people with Type 2 diabetes, some more recent research into whether it might work to treat insulin resistance.

Other studies have shown it has "some efficacy in decreasing blood sugars, correcting your cholesterol levels… a number of the things that people living with obesity tend to have," said Dr. Sean Wharton, internal medicine physician and assistant professor at University of Toronto and McMaster University in Hamilton. 

But Wharton, who has done work for the company that produces Ozempic, says many of the studies suggesting some weight-loss benefits were short term, not randomized and not done against a placebo.

In other words, not scientifically rigorous. 

"When we do studies, we really try to eliminate confounding factors in bias. But when it's a small study and it's not a well-done study, then there's always bias," he said.