Goldenseal

Hydrastis canadensis · Orangeroot · Berberine

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Type 2 diabetes¹ Hyperlipidemia² Fatty liver disease³ Polycystic ovary syndrome⁴ Colorectal adenoma recurrence⁵ Obesity indices^{6, 7}	Pregnancy⁸ Breastfeeding⁸

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is a North American rhizome whose main alkaloids, berberine and hydrastine, show antimicrobial and smooth-muscle effects in laboratory work⁸. It is promoted for colds, upper respiratory infections, hay fever, and digestive complaints⁹. Berberine, its best-studied alkaloid, is also taken for type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, fatty liver disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome¹⁰.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) reports no rigorous human studies of goldenseal and notes that little oral berberine is absorbed, so berberine findings may not apply⁹. An overview of systematic reviews rated nearly all of the underlying reviews low or very low quality¹⁰. A 2026 case report of an adolescent with obsessive-compulsive disorder used goldenseal to inhibit cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) and prolong dextromethorphan exposure; no trial has tested this¹¹. The NIH label database holds 1,491 products listing goldenseal, mostly capsules and liquids; see Form comparison.

Berberine in goldenseal may cause or worsen jaundice in newborns, the stated reason to avoid use in pregnancy and breastfeeding⁸. NCCIH reports goldenseal lowered metformin levels in healthy adults and advises talking with a health care provider before combining it with any medicine⁹.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

67 sources, 52 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources