PhenQ Vs. Berberine – Which Is More Effective?
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User reviews reveal that PhenQ can help you lose up to 10 pounds per month and more (if you pair it with the right diet and exercise), while Berberine typically supports an average of 4 to 5 pounds in the same time frame.
The reason for PhenQ taking the lead here is quite obvious, though.
It harnesses the power of not one but multiple diverse ingredients like fiber, hot spice extracts, and powerful proprietary blends to help you get rid of unsightly fat and excess weight.
Whereas, Berberine is a bioactive compound extracted from plants or herbs and facilitates weight loss by increasing good fat in the body and normalizing blood glucose levels.
But this isn’t all; there’s more you need to know before you settle for one.
PhenQ
Berberine
What is PhenQ & How Does it Work?
PhenQ is a blend of appetite suppressants and fat burners created to help you shed those extra pounds faster. Its components target the body’s different systems to limit your calorie intake, make your body burn more fats, and prevent new fat accumulation.
It employs mechanisms like stimulation, thermogenesis, fatty acid transport and conversion, carbohydrate uptake, glycemic stabilization, and fecal fat excretion.
PhenQ Pros
PhenQ Cons
What is Berberine & How Does it Work?
Berberine is a chemical compound that possesses beneficial pharmacological activity. It triggers fat-dissolving enzymes and converts stored stubborn fats to derivatives that can be easily melted.
Usually, it is derived from various plants like European barberry or goldenseal, and various companies are now marketing it in supplemental form.
Berberine Pros
Berberine Cons
Berberine Vs. PhenQ – Product Comparison
Brand Reputation
Wolfson Brands is the parent company of PhenQ. They launched this brand in 2008 to help obese and overweight individuals slim down by supporting their efforts to follow a calorie-restricted diet and maintain a regular gym routine. Besides this fat burner, this company has an extensive range of products, from weight loss supplements to pre-workouts to probiotic supplements.
In contrast, Berberine is a compound available in both generic and brand versions. Brands like Nutriflair, NOW, Integrative Therapeutics, Solaray, Berbamax, and many others sell berberine capsules of various potencies.
So, the quality of each berberine pill differs with brand history and consumer feedback.
Key Ingredients
PhenQ’s action is carried out by powerful ingredients like Capsimax powder, InnoSlim, Nopal, L-carnitine-tartrate, caffeine, or α-LACY’s reset. These compounds have the capacity to suppress hunger, prepare the body for exercise, and get rid of fat while keeping it from coming back.
On the other side, Berberine is a plant metabolite with a slight slimming potential and other benefits like lowering LDL cholesterol levels and better glycemic management.
Common Ingredients:
No common active ingredient
Unique Ingredients:
PhenQ
- L-carnitine L-tartrate
- Innoslim
- Caffeine Anhydrous
- Capsimax Powder
- a-Lacy’s Reset
- Nopal Cactus
- Piperine
- Chromium picolinate
- Vitamin B3 or Niacin
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- Copper
- Iodine
Berberine:
- Berberine
Dosage Regimen
PhenQ’s recommended dosage comprises 2 servings of 1 pill each. One before your morning meal and the other about half an hour before lunch.
Avoid using it with dinner because the caffeine in this pill may disturb your sleep pattern, making you feel tired the next day.
For Berberine, most brands recommend taking 500-1500 mg daily.
It’s a premeal drug with a short half-life. That’s why the common practice is to take 3 doses of 500 mg throughout the day to maximize the benefits.
PhenQ comes from a legit company, while berberine is sold by many brands, each with a different reputation and history.
PhenQ is a multi-ingredient proprietary blend, but berberine itself is the active agent in berberine supplements. So, no ingredient commonality exists. PhenQ dosage guidelines are also more clear and easy to follow.
PhenQ or Berberine- Which One Is Best For Weight Loss?
PhenQ Provides Fool-Proof Appetite And Cravings Suppression
PhenQ and Berberine adopt distinct approaches to prevent you from over-eating. Even so, PhenQ may exert a more well-rounded impact on your eating pattern than Berberine.
What I mean to say is that PhenQ acts on all three phases of our eat-starve pattern. That is, it will affect our behavior before, during, and even after a meal.
- It fills your stomach with low digesting nopal fiber so that you feel full for longer (before meal).
- The capsaicin compounds in Capsimax will tweak your brain’s hunger-controlling region to promote early satiety when you are relishing your feast (during the meal).
- The psychostimulant caffeine will activate your fight-or-flight response which slows down gut motility and promotes fullness (after the meal).
Alternately, research reports that Berberine prevents you from getting hunger pains by reducing the secretion of leptin- the hunger-inducing hormone.
Plus, both PhenQ and Berberine kill cravings by regulating blood sugar levels.
Still, while talking to CNBC, Dr. Neil Paulvin did not agree with Berberine’s potential to reduce appetite or hunger because it does not delay gastric emptying.
PhenQ Supports The Body For Workouts
PhenQ prepares you mentally and physically to take the pains of workouts.
To achieve this, the makers of PhenQ have added caffeine that will provide you with that adrenal rush and rev up your body to intensify your readiness for working out.
Also, it has B vitamins (B3, B6, B12) that mediate the body’s processes for generating energy from food macronutrients. Additionally, it contains L- L-carnitine tartrate that enhances endurance, improves muscle recovery after exercise, and delays fatigue.
In comparison, although Berberine increases energy utilization in the body, but does not regulate energy production.
Thus, it could potentially discourage you from doing any physical training.
Hence, as stated on the Rxlist website, you may feel sleepiness and drowsiness after taking it, which is highly detrimental to your motivation to hit the gym.
PhenQ Melts Away The Fat
Both PhenQ and Berberine help to get rid of fat, but PhenQ can do it slightly better because it has more than one ingredient to fire it up.
Therefore, don’t be worried if you sweat more than usual after taking PhenQ because this means that it is working.
It combines caffeine and the hot pepper compounds from Capsimax to increase your rate of thermogenesis and metabolism to cause fat loss.
Additionally, a clinical trial reported that α- LACY’s reset caused a 7.24% reduction in the body fat mass of participants.
There is more: PhenQ also contains L-carnitine tartrate, which promotes the utilization of fat for energy.
In comparison, Berberine enhances fat oxidation in the body by shifting the body’s fuel preference towards fats. Animal experiments showed that it caused a 20% rise in whole-body energy expenditure without any alteration in physical activity.
PhenQ and Berberine Side Effects – Which One Is Safer?
Neither of the two is recommended for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women. Also, they may interact with a prescription medicine you are using.
The Risk of Drug Interactions Is Higher With Berberine
WebMD states that Berberine has multiple reported interactions with medicines such as cyclosporine, dextromethorphan, losartan, midazolam, pentobarbital, tacrolimus, metformin, anticoagulants, antidiabetic drugs, antihypertensive medications, sedatives, and drugs that are metabolized by the liver.
In comparison, the chances of interactions between PhenQ ingredients and other drugs are low, and no such reactions have been reported to date.
Nonetheless, I suggest you consult a doctor before using any of the two if you are taking some medicines or suffer from any underlying health conditions.
PhenQ Side Effects
PhenQ may cause nausea, bloating, headache, and stomach unrest when you initially start taking it. But these side effects last only until your system gets accustomed to the new dietary changes.
Berberine Side Effects
Some common side effects of oral Berberine are diarrhea, constipation, gas, and stomach upset. The long-term risks for Berberine are unknown.
PhenQ is safer because it has fewer reported drug interactions and does not pose chronic side effects. In contrast, berberine is not suitable for most people taking medicine due to the drug interactions it could potentially cause.
PhenQ Vs. Berberine – Which One is More Affordable?
PhenQ – Where To Buy & Price
You can order from PhenQ’s official website.
You can purchase a 30-day supply of PhenQ at a fixed price of $69.99 (discounted rate).
Additionally, you also have the option to invest in the three-month or five-month bundle, which costs $139.99 or $209.99, respectively.
Shipping with PhenQ is free, and there is also a 60-day money-back guarantee that you can claim in case of dissatisfaction.
Berberine – Where To Buy & Price
There are many Berberine brands available out there that allow you to make purchases from Amazon marketplace, Walmart, or their official websites.
Moreover, depending on which brand you choose, its prices vary roughly between $13 to $55.
For instance, you can purchase a 60-capsule bottle of Integrative Therapeutics Berberine for $31.50.
FAQs
Why don’t doctors recommend Berberine?
Some reasons could be that it is not regulated by the FDA and requires more research to prove its safety and efficacy.
Moreover, Berberine comes with many precautions and contraindications that need to be considered before prescribing it. For instance, it is considered unsafe for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Plus, It should not be combined with a long list of medicines.
How much weight can you lose with Berberine in a month?
According to Dr. Neil Paulvin, a physician in longevity and regenerative medicine, you may lose a maximum of two to four pounds per month with Berberine.
Has anyone lost weight on Berberine?
Yes, scientific studies have reported that Berberine caused significant weight loss in the participants. For instance, in one study, participants were fed 500 mg of Berberine three times a day and lost an average of 5 lbs. in 12 weeks.
How many pounds can you lose with Berberine?
According to Dr. Mehal (MD, Ph.D.), if you are overweight, the most that Berberine may make you lose is five to six pounds.
Does Berberine damage the liver?
No, research on Berberine does not indicate its role in liver damage, liver injury, or a significant increase in liver enzymes (ALT and AST). But instead, it may show a therapeutic effect on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver cirrhosis. However, it may cause high bilirubin levels in infants.
Which type of Berberine is best?
Berberine HCl and dihydroxy berberine are the most effective forms of Berberine. Among the two, Berberine HCl is the more commonly available type and has been extensively evaluated in studies. However, emerging research shows that dihydroxy berberine is safer and has greater bioavailability.
What is the best brand of Berberine to take?
Researchers checked the potency of fifteen unique Berberine brands available in the US commercial market, and out of these, only six had appreciable potency.
These products were denoted as being high-quality because their Berberine content varied between 90% to 110% of the label claim, while for others, it was less than 90%.
Based on this research, the best Berberine supplement is marketed by companies, namely Vital Nutrients, Throne Research, Integrative Therapeutics, Nutritional Concepts, Natural Factors, and Healthy Directions.
Which Weight Loss Supplement is Best?
We Recommend PhenQ
PhenQ is my preferred option, considering both safety and effectiveness. It has scientifically acclaimed and all-natural ingredients and is an appropriate over-the-counter alternative to prescription diet pills. In comparison, Berberine’s ability to cause weight loss does not surpass the potential exhibited by FDA-approved drugs. Moreover, it poses unknown risks and threats to the vulnerable population.
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