Core Berberine Blend by Energetix

Immune health relies heavily on digestive health. When flourishing, the gut microbiota regulates the immune system through complex molecular signaling. The gastroprotective effects of herbal bitters such as goldenseal and lemon balm—especially their promotion of beneficial intestinal bacteria—establish a supportive terrain for healthy immune function.

The alkaloid berberine increases blood flow to the spleen, the body’s largest lymphatic organ that stores immune cells known as lymphocytes (T cells, B cells). Berberine also enhances immunity by activating macrophages, white blood cells that identify unfamiliar substances and recruit other immune cells for broadened defense.

Biological Response: Inflammation Response & Homeostatic Balance

When released from cell membranes, arachidonic acid is converted enzymatically to several bioactive lipids known as eicosanoids. As hormonal messengers, eicosanoids—which include prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes—communicate with other signaling molecules to coordinate the inflammation response and regulate numerous homeostatic functions. Alkaloids and terpenes found in barberry, goldenseal, coptis, Oregon grape, and lemon balm inhibit important inflammatory mediators such as COX-2, 5-LOX, nitric oxide, TNF, and NF-kB. The alkaloid berberine suppresses the release of arachidonic acid from cell membranes, thus preventing its initiation of the prostaglandin cascade.

Botanical Profile

Core Berberine Blend is sourced from Berberis vulgaris, Coptis chinensis, Mahonia aquifolium, Hydrastis canadensis, and Melissa officinalis. Whether a broadleaf, prickly shrub like Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) or a small, evergreen perennial such as coptis (Coptis chinensis), most of these seemingly diverse plants contain berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid that colors their roots and rhizomes a vivid yellow. By contrast, lemon balm’s fragrant leaves are dominated not by alkaloids but phenolic acids, flavonoids, and terpenes. These unique compounds work synergistically with berberine to elicit a range of biochemical and physiological responses including among others smooth muscle relaxation, blood lipid balance, and peripheral vasodilation.

Spagyrically Prepared Botanicals

Core Berberine Blend is prepared using a unique handcrafted method known as spagyric processing. A branch of the medieval science known as alchemy and the forerunner of modern chemistry, spagyria is an herbal manufacturing method first described in the early 16th century by the Swiss physician Paracelsus in his book Liber Paragranum. The word comes from the ancient Greek σπάω, spao ‘to draw out’ and άγείρω, ageiro ‘to gather.’ Its essential meaning is ‘to separate and join.’