Updated November 2026. Sources, UK labels and the Verve Berberine + ALA label checked on 6 November 2026. Verve makes a berberine supplement, covered near the end. No authorised health claim exists in Great Britain for berberine or alpha-lipoic acid, and we make none.
Berberine is a bright yellow plant compound: an isoquinoline alkaloid, extracted mainly from the roots and bark of Indian barberry (Berberis aristata) and also found in barberry, Chinese goldthread and goldenseal. UK supplements usually sell it as berberine HCl, most often at 500mg a capsule and 500mg to 1,500mg a day. The milligram figure on a label is the weight of the salt or extract, not of berberine itself: by our calculation, 500mg of berberine HCl holds about 452mg of berberine. There are no authorised health claims for berberine in Great Britain, so this guide explains the compound and the label, not effects. If you take any medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist first.
The short answer
- Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid. It carries a positive charge (C20H18NO4, mass 336.37), so it is sold as a salt.
- It comes from plants. Mainly Indian barberry root and bark, the source UK labels name.
- Berberine HCl weight is not berberine weight. 1,000mg of berberine HCl is about 905mg of berberine, or 825mg if the salt is the dihydrate. Our calculation from the formulas.
- Typical UK label dose: 500mg a capsule, 500mg to 1,500mg a day. Verve's is 300mg a day, with 600mg of alpha-lipoic acid.
- From Verve: Verve Berberine 300mg + ALA 600mg, both doses stated separately on the label, two capsules a day, every batch independently lab-tested for purity, with the certificate for your batch on request, and made in the UK.
- Check with a doctor first if you take any medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a medical condition. Not suitable for children.
What berberine is
The ChEBI chemical database (European Bioinformatics Institute) classes berberine as a berberine alkaloid, a group within the isoquinoline alkaloids. A 2018 review by Neag and colleagues in Frontiers in Pharmacology calls it a quaternary benzylisoquinoline alkaloid: its nitrogen atom carries a permanent positive charge. ChEBI gives the formula as C20H18NO4, charge +1, average mass 336.37. Being charged, berberine is sold as a salt: on UK labels, the chloride, written berberine HCl or berberine hydrochloride.
It is bright yellow. Suppliers list it as Natural Yellow 18, Colour Index 75160, and raw Berberis was once used to dye wool, leather and wood. It is not a vitamin or a mineral, it has no NHS daily amount or NRV, and we found no NHS page on it.
The plants it is extracted from
Names and native ranges are from Kew's Plants of the World Online; plant parts from the Neag review.
| Plant | Common name | Family | Native range | Where the berberine is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berberis aristata DC. | Indian barberry, tree turmeric | Berberidaceae | Himalaya to south Tibet and central India | Bark, roots and stem |
| Berberis vulgaris L. | Barberry | Berberidaceae | Europe to western and northern Iran | Stems, roots and bark (bark about 5% berberine) |
| Coptis chinensis Franch. | Chinese goldthread | Ranunculaceae | Central and east-central China | Roots and rhizomes |
| Hydrastis canadensis L. | Goldenseal | Ranunculaceae | South-east Canada to north-central and eastern USA | Named as a source; ChEBI records the leaf |
Where a UK label names a source, it is Berberis aristata, usually the root. The review lists methanol, ethanol, water and acidified mixtures of these as the usual extraction solvents.
The forms you see on labels
- Berberine HCl or berberine hydrochloride. The chloride salt, often with a purity figure such as 97% or 98%. It is often sold as a hydrate, such as the dihydrate, with two water molecules to each unit.
- Berberine extract with a percentage. For example, Berberis aristata extract "standardised to 85%". 500mg of an 85% extract is 425mg of berberine.
- Berberine phytosome. Berberis aristata extract combined with phospholipids such as sunflower lecithin. The label weight is the whole complex. One maker specifies 28% to 34% berberine, so 1,000mg holds roughly 280mg to 340mg, by our calculation.
- Plain "berberine". "Berberine 500mg" does not tell you whether that is berberine, the salt or an extract. Ask the brand.
Berberine HCl weight is not berberine weight
This is our calculation from the formulas. Berberine is 336.37 (ChEBI). Anhydrous berberine chloride, C20H18ClNO4, is 371.81 (Sigma-Aldrich). The dihydrate, C20H18ClNO4·2H2O, is 407.85 (supplier listings, CAS 5956-60-5). So berberine is 90.5% of the anhydrous salt by weight and 82.5% of the dihydrate.
| Berberine HCl on the label | Berberine, anhydrous salt | Berberine, dihydrate |
|---|---|---|
| 300mg | 271mg | 247mg |
| 500mg | 452mg | 412mg |
| 1,000mg | 905mg | 825mg |
| 1,500mg | 1,357mg | 1,237mg |
Purity takes a little more off: 500mg of a 97% berberine HCl ingredient is 485mg of the salt, about 439mg of berberine. The batch certificate gives the purity and, from the water content, which salt you have.
Typical label doses in the UK
Four of the eight UK labels we read put 500mg in each capsule, three as berberine HCl. Directions run from one capsule a day to three, so 500mg to 1,500mg a day, usually with a meal. Three other two-capsule products give 1,000mg to 1,136mg of berberine HCl or phytosome; one three-capsule product gives 900mg. Packs hold 60, 90 or 120 capsules. Verve's 300mg a day is the lowest berberine figure we saw, and one of two labels with alpha-lipoic acid. Compare the form, the purity percentage, the mg per capsule and the capsules per serving.
Alpha-lipoic acid, the other half of Verve's capsule
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA, or lipoic acid) is an organosulfur compound made by plants and animals, including humans: the body makes it in the mitochondria from octanoic acid, an eight-carbon fatty acid. It has two mirror-image forms, R and S. Only the R form is made in the body, bound to proteins; food carries it the same way, as lipoyllysine, in kidney, heart, liver, spinach and broccoli. Most supplements contain a mix of R and S; some contain R-lipoic acid alone, which one UK label lists as its sodium salt, Na-R-ALA. Labels give ALA in mg, with no NRV. Verve's label reads "Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) 600mg" and does not say which form.
Purity and certificates of analysis
A certificate of analysis (CoA) is the lab report for one batch. For berberine it should show the batch number and plant source; an identity test, usually HPLC; the assay (the percentage that is berberine HCl, or berberine for an extract or phytosome); water content, which shows anhydrous salt or hydrate; heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury); microbes; and residual solvents. Match the batch number to your pot. A purity figure on a web page usually describes the raw ingredient, not the capsule. Several UK pages we read say they are third-party or lab tested; one links to lab results.
Who should check with a doctor first
If you take any medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist first. Also consult your doctor before use if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a medical condition. Not suitable for children.
What does berberine do?
No health claim for berberine or alpha-lipoic acid is authorised in Great Britain, so this guide describes the compounds and the label, not effects, and Verve makes no claim for either. Berberine is heavily promoted online, and much of what you will read makes claims that are not authorised. We repeat none of them. What can be said is the chemistry and the label, as above.
Verve Berberine + ALA: what the label says
Verve Berberine 300mg + ALA 600mg Capsules lists the two compounds separately:
| Ingredient (as sold) | Per serving (2 capsules) | NRV% |
|---|---|---|
| Berberine | 300mg | Not established |
| Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) | 600mg | Not established |
The product page describes the berberine as "Berberine HCl at 97%". The label does not say whether 300mg is that ingredient or berberine itself. If it is the ingredient, by our calculation it holds about 291mg of berberine HCl and about 263mg of berberine (240mg if dihydrate). The ALA form is not stated.
How to take it, from the label: two capsules, once a day, with water and a meal. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. 30 servings, 60 capsules. Gluten, dairy and soy free, vegan. Verve says every batch is independently tested for purity, with the certificate of analysis on request from hello@vavaverve.com. Not suitable for children. Keep out of reach of children. Consult your doctor before use if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition. The page adds that anyone taking prescribed medication should speak to a healthcare professional before use. Full details are on the Verve Berberine + ALA page, and our berberine label comparison sets UK labels side by side.
featured in this article
300mg berberine and 600mg ALA per serving
From €21,71/month
Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily intake.
Berberine: your questions
Is berberine HCl the same as berberine?
No. Berberine HCl is berberine chloride, a salt. By our calculation berberine is about 90% of it by weight, or 82% as the dihydrate, so 500mg of berberine HCl is 412mg to 452mg of berberine.
Where does berberine come from?
Plants. UK supplements that name a source use Indian barberry (Berberis aristata), usually the root. Barberry, Chinese goldthread and goldenseal contain it too.
How much berberine is in a typical UK supplement?
Most often 500mg a capsule, one to three a day, so 500mg to 1,500mg. Verve's gives 300mg, with 600mg of alpha-lipoic acid.
Can I take berberine if I am on medication?
If you take any medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist first. The same applies if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a medical condition. Berberine supplements are not suitable for children.
How we checked
Berberine classification, formula, charge and mass: ChEBI (CHEBI:16118, CHEBI:22754); PubChem would not load for our tools. Plant families, parts, the barberry bark figure and extraction solvents: Neag MA and colleagues, Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2018. Plant names and native ranges: Kew, Plants of the World Online. Berberine chloride: Sigma-Aldrich (14050); dihydrate: CymitQuimica (CAS 5956-60-5); dye use: Wikipedia. Alpha-lipoic acid: Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Phytosome specification: Indena (Berbevis). UK labels: Applied Nutrition, Charava, Holland & Barrett, Time Health, VitaBright, WeightWorld and Youth & Earth product pages. Verve: the Berberine + ALA label and product page on vavaverve.com. All checked on 6 November 2026. Verve makes Berberine + ALA.
