Medicinal use of barberry goes as far back as
ancient Egypt, where pharaohs and queens took it with fenel seed to ward off the
plague. Today, it is said to ease the pain of arthritis and rheumatism, and the
flare-ups of psoriasis. The types of infections that barberry can help fight
involve the throat, urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, and lungs, as well as
yeast infections and diarrhea.
The bark of the root and stem are used for
medicine. Both are yellow, and Native Americans and Europeans used them for
dyeing cloth. But the ingredients in the bark are also what make barberry a
useful medicine. The bark contains alkaloids that are considered antibiotic by
some people, and which cause, according to herbalists, infection-fighting
stimulation of your body's mucous membranes.
In order to understand what this means, if you
place a drop of barberry on your tongue, you will probably feel your mouth
water. This is not because it tastes good; it's actually somewhat bitter. But as
your mouth waters, according to herbalists, it is helping the body to fight
infections. It does this by stimulating parts of your body's immune system.
Plant Description
Barberry is a shrub that can grow to about nine feet and has gray, thorny
branches. Its leaves have spiny teeth. Between April and June, bright yellow
flowers bloom. These become dark red berries in the fall, which grow in drooping
bunches. You can use the ripe berries for jam, or in ways similar to
cranberries. Barberries are a little more sour and less bitter than cranberries.
What's It Made Of?
Barberry bark and root bark contain many types of chemicals called
isoquinoline alkaloids. Scientists and researchers have studied these
constituents for many years, and have found that they do indeed have antibiotic
actions. Some of them lower fevers, reduce swelling, lower blood pressure, and
help normalize heart rate and the contractions of the heart muscle.
Available Forms
Barberry comes as tea, powdered in capsules, in fluid extracts or tinctures,
and as a topical ointment. Extracts are standardized to 8 to 12 percent
isoquinoline alkaloid content.
How to Take It
If you have been taking antibiotics frequently because you get the same
infections over and over again, your health care provider may discuss herbal
alternatives to prescription drugs. There are many reasons for this. Barberry
may help you feel better and give you a break from other treatments. Also,
resistance to antibiotics is rising. In order to avoid this, many providers are
looking into other ways to treat illnesses. Another reason is that your body
changes in response to antibiotics, and these changes are not always good. The
normal bacteria that we all have inside us, which actually helps us to fight
against infection, can get wiped out with regular antibiotics. Your provider may
want to help you restore this "good" bacteria by letting you have a
little time off from antibiotics.
Barberry may also be recommended to you as an ointment for arthritis or
psoriasis for similar reasons: medicines used regularly to treat these
conditions can upset your body's balance. Often, the side effects caused by
strong medications trigger reactions in the body that can seem like an entirely
new illness.
Whatever the reason, once you and your health care provider have decided that
discontinuing medications will pose no risk to your health, barberry may be
recommended. It may also be recommended as a preventive method.
You should never take barberry longer than five to seven days. If your
stomach is sensitive, three to five days is probably long enough. For sore
throats, bladder infections, diarrhea, bronchitis, or yeast infections, choose
from the following.
- Tea: 2 to 4 g steeped dried root three times daily
- Tincture (a 1:5 solution made from herb and alcohol, or herb,
alcohol, and water): 3 to 6 ml ( 1/2 to 1 1/2 tsp.
three times daily)
- Dry extracts: 250 to 500 mg three times daily
- For arthritis/psoriasis/skin disorders: 10 percent extract of
barberry in ointment, applied to the skin three times daily
It is important to remember that some infections can be very dangerous if
regular antibiotics are not taken for them. Never try to take an herb like
barberry in place of a stronger antibiotic if a stronger antibiotic is needed.
Make sure to follow your health care provider's instructions.
Precautions
Barberry is safe with appropriate use, but do not use it if you are pregnant.
Possible Interactions
There have been reports of a possible decrease in effectiveness of
antibiotics, specifically tetracycline and tetracycline-derivatives like
doxycycline. If you are currently taking these antibiotics, you should consult
your health care provider before using barberry.
Supporting Research
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goldenseal substitutes. Medical Herbalism: A Journal for the Clinical
Practitioner. Winter 1996–1997;8:1.
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North America. Boston, Mass: Houghton Mifflin; 1990.
Fukuda H, Watanabe K, Kudo Y. Some observations on the cardiovascular effects
of 9-substituted berberines. Chem Pharm Bull. 1970;18(7):1299–1304.
Harborn, J, Baxter H. Phytochemical Dictionary: A Handbook of Bioactive
Compounds from Plants. Washington DC: Taylor & Francis;
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alkaloids. Int J
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Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley
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activity of barberry fruit (Berberis vulgaris) in the guinea-pig ileum.
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hexadecane. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1988;32:1370–1374.
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Copyright © 2000 Integrative Medicine
Communications
The publisher does not accept any responsibility for the
accuracy of the information or the consequences arising from the application,
use, or misuse of any of the information contained herein, including any injury
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contraindications before administering any drug, herb, or supplement discussed
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