Berberine (vs dihydroberberine) and fatty liver
What 2 graded rows on berberine (vs dihydroberberine) agree on for fatty liver, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Berberine (vs dihydroberberine) page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Berberine (vs dihydroberberine) page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Berberine (vs dihydroberberine) and fatty liver
2 rows · 1,148 peopleSplit. 1 row found an improvement and 1 found no difference.
- CGrade C× 1
- ∅No effect× 1
- Rows
- 2
- Trials
- 11
- People
- 1,148
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
Where they differ
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a meta-analysis of 811 people (2024) and found an improvement. 1 row is graded No effect, our grade for adequately powered trials that found no effect.
The row that found an improvement was larger: 811 people, against 337 people for the row that found no difference.
The row that found an improvement is a pooled review of several trials; the row that found no difference is a single study.
The row that found no difference ran longer (6 months) than the row that found an improvement (7 weeks).
The row that found no difference is newer (2026) than the row that found an improvement (2024).
The rows
1 improved · 1 no difference- CGrade CLiver enzymes in fatty liver disease · Improved
Meta-analysis, 10 studies · n 811 · 2024 · 10 RCTs in adults with NAFLD (8 in China); in 7, participants had diabetes and both groups took metformin; in 3, controls received lifestyle advice
0.6–2 g/day in 9 trials (one used 6.35 g/day) · 7–24 weeks
ALT (SMD −0.72), AST (SMD −0.79) and GGT (SMD −0.62) fell versus control, along with triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol, HOMA-IR and BMI. Only mild gastrointestinal adverse events were reported.
Row on the Berberine (vs dihydroberberine) page · PubMed 38429794 (opens PubMed)
- ∅No effectLiver fat and visceral (belly) fat · No difference
RCT · n 337 · 2026 · Adults with obesity and MASLD (fatty liver) without diabetes, at 11 hospitals in China
1 g/day · 6 months
No difference from placebo in visceral fat area (1.4%, 97.5% CI −2.4% to 5.2%) or CT-measured liver fat content. LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and hs-CRP fell more than with placebo; adverse events were similar between arms.
Row on the Berberine (vs dihydroberberine) page · PubMed 41543854 (opens PubMed)