Ingredient profile
Berberine in Neuro Recall: Why It Is There, Side Effects and Drug Interactions
Berberine HCl is the sixth ingredient in Neuro Recall's 635 mg blend, with no amount printed. It is studied for blood sugar and cholesterol, not memory, and that evidence is limited (MSKCC, Berberine). The brand does not say why it is included. It can upset the stomach, raises cyclosporine and tacrolimus levels, and should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Written by the Neuro Recall editorial teamUpdated
On the label
What is berberine?
Berberine is a bitter, yellow plant alkaloid. Neuro Recall lists it as berberine HCl, a salt form, in sixth place inside the WMG-NVT Exclusive Blend.
Unlike the leaf, bark and fruit extracts beside it, berberine HCl is a single purified compound. Its label facts and research notes are in the profile below.
| Label name | Berberine HCl |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Berberine hydrochloride |
| What it is | Plant alkaloid |
| Position in the list | 10 of 14 (blend ingredients are listed from most to least by weight; the four vitamins and minerals come first with amounts) |
| Per serving (2 capsules) | Not disclosed (part of the 635 mg blend) |
| Amount used in research | Studied for blood sugar and cholesterol, not memory |
| Strength of evidence | Limited human evidence |
| Traditional or marketed use | Plant compound sold for blood sugar |
| Main caution | Avoid in pregnancy and nursing; interacts with many drugs (cyclosporine, tacrolimus, CYP enzymes). |
The open question
Why is berberine in a memory supplement?
Nobody outside the brand knows. The label and brand panels give no reason, and berberine's research is about blood sugar and cholesterol rather than memory (MSKCC, Berberine).
Even that research is thin. Memorial Sloan Kettering describes the human evidence as limited and of low quality. So berberine is in Neuro Recall without a memory study behind it and without a stated purpose.
It is not alone. Three other ingredients in the same capsule are usually sold for blood sugar: chromium, cinnamon and alpha-lipoic acid. Together they make up a quiet blood-sugar theme that the brand never names.
The brand panels speak of energy, cellular function and healthy aging. Berberine may have been chosen with that broad wellness angle in mind. That is a guess, and the brand has not confirmed it.
Diabetes medicines
Can berberine and the rest of the formula lower blood sugar too much?
For people on diabetes medicines, that is the real question. Berberine's own blood-sugar evidence is weak, but two neighbors in the formula carry clear warnings about low blood sugar when combined with insulin or diabetes drugs (NIH ODS, Chromium) (Linus Pauling Institute, Lipoic acid).
| Ingredient | Amount per 2 capsules | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chromium | 120 mcg | With insulin, metformin or other diabetes medicines, may cause low blood sugar | (NIH ODS, Chromium) |
| Cinnamon | Not published | Research does not clearly support it for any condition | (NCCIH, Cinnamon) |
| Berberine | Not published | Limited, low-quality evidence for blood sugar and cholesterol | (MSKCC, Berberine) |
| Alpha-lipoic acid | Not published | May cause low blood sugar with insulin or diabetes drugs | (Linus Pauling Institute, Lipoic acid) |
Never stop or change a dose on your own because of a supplement. Tell the doctor who manages your diabetes before the first capsule, and check your readings more often in the first weeks. Metformin users have a second reason to talk: metformin can lower vitamin B12 over time, covered on the vitamin B12 page.
Side effects
What are berberine's side effects?
Most are digestive. Memorial Sloan Kettering lists upset stomach, diarrhea and constipation, and some people get a rash (MSKCC, Berberine).
Upset stomach
The most common complaint. Bacopa and green tea extract in the same blend can add to it.
Diarrhea
Magnesium oxide, at 250 mg per serving, has the same effect. The two may stack.
Constipation
Listed for berberine. Green tea extract, also in the blend, can cause it too (NCCIH, Green tea).
Rash
Stop the capsules and call your doctor if a rash appears after you start.
When several ingredients can upset the gut, it is hard to tell which one caused trouble. A short daily note of symptoms helps you and your doctor sort it out.
Medicines
Which drugs interact with berberine?
Berberine has one of the longest interaction lists in the formula. It raises blood levels of cyclosporine and tacrolimus, two drugs that prevent organ transplant rejection (MSKCC, Berberine).
It also slows three liver enzymes, CYP2D6, CYP2C9 and CYP3A4. These enzymes process a large share of common prescription drugs, so berberine can change how well some of them work.
List every medicine
Include prescriptions, over-the-counter pills and other supplements. Write the doses down.
Show the pharmacist the label
Ask them to check each drug against berberine's three enzymes.
Transplant patients: ask first
With cyclosporine or tacrolimus, do not start Neuro Recall unless your transplant team agrees.
More on how berberine fits the full safety picture: Neuro Recall side effects and interactions.
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How much berberine is in Neuro Recall?
No more than about 105 mg per serving, and probably less. Blend ingredients are listed from most to least by weight (FDA, Labeling guide), and berberine is sixth of ten.
Six equal shares of 635 mg come to about 105 mg each. Berberine cannot weigh more than the five ingredients above it, so that is its ceiling. Four more ingredients still need room below it.
Our source gives no standard berberine dose to compare with, so we will not invent one. The point is simpler: you cannot know your intake from the label. See who Neuro Recall suits before you decide.
Pregnancy and nursing
Can you take berberine while pregnant or breastfeeding?
No. Memorial Sloan Kettering advises avoiding berberine in pregnancy and breastfeeding because of a risk of jaundice in newborns (MSKCC, Berberine). The Neuro Recall label agrees on its own terms: "Do not use if you are pregnant or nursing."
If you become pregnant while taking it, stop and tell your prenatal provider which product you used.
Bottom line
Is berberine a reason to skip Neuro Recall?
For some people, yes. If you take transplant drugs, are pregnant or nursing, or manage diabetes with medicine, berberine is a strong reason to ask a doctor first or choose differently. For others, it is a small, unexplained ingredient with no memory role in the research we cite.
Read the next ingredient profile.
FAQ
Berberine in Neuro Recall: FAQ
Does berberine help memory?
Our source reports no memory research for berberine. Its human studies look at blood sugar and cholesterol, and Memorial Sloan Kettering rates that evidence as limited and low quality (MSKCC, Berberine). Neuro Recall does not explain why it is in the blend.
Can I take berberine with metformin?
Ask your doctor first. Neuro Recall pairs berberine with chromium and alpha-lipoic acid, which may push blood sugar too low with diabetes medicines (NIH ODS, Chromium) (Linus Pauling Institute, Lipoic acid). Metformin can also lower vitamin B12 (NIH ODS, Vitamin B12). Keep taking metformin as prescribed while you ask.
Does berberine lower blood sugar?
It is studied for that, but the human evidence is limited and low quality (MSKCC, Berberine). Neuro Recall is not sold or labeled as a blood-sugar product, so do not use it to manage diabetes or replace any diabetes treatment.
Can berberine affect the liver or kidneys?
Our source lists stomach upset, diarrhea, constipation and rash as side effects, and focuses its warnings on drug interactions through liver enzymes (MSKCC, Berberine). It gives us no liver or kidney damage data to report. With liver or kidney disease, ask your doctor first.
Does berberine cause diarrhea?
It can. Diarrhea is one of the side effects Memorial Sloan Kettering lists (MSKCC, Berberine). In Neuro Recall, the 250 mg of magnesium oxide can also loosen stools, so the two may add together. Ease off and call your doctor if it persists.
Is berberine safe with transplant medicines?
Not without your transplant team's approval. Berberine raises blood levels of cyclosporine and tacrolimus (MSKCC, Berberine), drugs where small changes matter. Do not start Neuro Recall while you take either one unless the team says yes.
Why should berberine be avoided while breastfeeding?
Memorial Sloan Kettering links berberine to a risk of jaundice in newborns, so it advises avoiding it in pregnancy and breastfeeding (MSKCC, Berberine). L-theanine, also in the blend, is listed as not for nursing mothers either (MSKCC, L-theanine).
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Plain-language pages built from the label, the sales page and linked public health sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a U.S. merchant that sells Neuro Recall, not by the manufacturer (the label carries the FYVUS logo). We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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240 mcg of B12 against a 2.4 mcg need: who runs low, how a shortage dulls memory, and the test to ask for.
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