Herbs for obese patients with type 2 diabetes Berberine is a component of the herb Berberis aristata, and shows effects on cholesterol, blood sugar, and insulin (1). It has low bioavailability, so it was combined with milk thistle in this study. The study was placebo controlled and aimed to see if this combination could help patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients were tested before and after taking the herb, over 6 months. All parameters tested, including fasting blood glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, cholesterol, and abdominal fat, improved. The authors conclude that this herbal combination effectively helps obese patients with type 2 diabetes, across all parameters that were measured.