Hi @beebe I know when we have cancer or on chemotherapy that we feel helpless as to what we can do to mitigate the damage and to keep us as healthy as possible. It’s easy to get lured into ads for supplements which may potentially be a wonder drug.

The problem is most supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA and can actually make our conditions worse or create new issues. Anything can be written on the labels but it doesn’t make it true and often facts are misrepresented.
You mentioned berberine and its side effects. While the ads say it may have cancer killing aspects, it also has some serious side effects. If you’re on chemo, you’re already on a medication that’s killing cancer cells. The other frightening statement is that it may also enhance the effects of other cancer treatments, by sensitizing cells to chemotherapeutic drugs via interactions with DNA repair proteins.
That makes berberine an unknown quantity as far as how it will interact with your cancer treatments. It could create some very serious side effects, potentially lethal, from an already powerful chemotherapy drug.

When I had my chemo, both my local oncologists and Mayo transplant team had me avoiding all supplements except for anything recommended or prescribed by them. I wasn’t able to take turmeric, ginger, pomegranate juice, etc…there’s a long list of herbs, natural products and minerals that were off the table for a while. Because the products aren’t regulated our doctors and pharmacists have no way of knowing how the product may interact with the meds we’re currently taking. Supplements can cause issues like excess bleeding, interference with medications such as blocking absorption or causing too much retention. Often they’re associated with liver and kidney damage and can lead to failure of those organs. Even something as simple as a multivitamin. I had liver damage from an OCT daily multivitamin I took well after my chemo. So these things really need to be run past your doctor.

A healthy, balanced diet rich in antioxidant foods is our best defense. Though I know if you’re on chemo, you may not feel like eating much. Talk to your doctor or better yet, a dietician associated with your oncology team. They will help you come up with a plan for getting the nutrition you need without taking Berberine.
Have you talked to a dietician about healthy alternatives to supplements?