Solomonova shared the details in her Instagram stories on August 2 and 3 with photos from July 2022 and July 2023.
She also said she was proud of her body and that she feels "so much better."
At first the reality star was hesitant to share the name of the supplements that she was taking because she said didn't want to promote a pill as solving everything when it comes to weight loss.
"I swear I'm not trying to sell a supplement but there was something I started taking that also really really helped and kind of kick started it for me and it just kind of helped stabilize my blood sugar and not be as hungry and craving a million things because I love food," she said in her stories.
Photos shared on Irina Solomonova's Instagram stories. @irina_solo | Instagram
Solomonova then admitted she had been taking berberine supplements after seeing the TikTok trend.
"I saw it on TikTok. Originally it was saying that it was nature's Ozempic," she said. "But, again, one pill doesn't solve everything and it's all about like how you move your body and what you eat."
She also recommended anyone who is interested in taking the supplements to speak to a doctor first as she was not a dietary expert.
Berberine supplements blew up in popularity a few months ago after many TikTokers shared videos saying they were taking the supplements to lose weight and even compared them to Ozempic, a popular anti-diabetic medication that's also been used for the same purpose.
In their videos, influencers have been calling berberine "nature's Ozempic," saying it's a natural alternative to the injection and has helped people to curb their appetite.
Whereas Ozempic is only attainable through a prescription and is expensive, berberine is much easier to get your hands on.
In a TikTok video that has over 1 million views, influencer @isabelle.lux says she's "obsessed" with berberine and doesn't understand "how this stuff is legal" before she lists off the pros and cons.
Among her pros, the woman says the supplements make her feel immediately full after a meal.
TikToker @beingsavv also praised the supplements in a video saying that, just like Ozempic, berberine helps with appetite control, insulin resistance and metabolism.
The woman goes on to document her journey of taking berberine in a series of videos and even shows how much looser her jeans fit after seven weeks of taking it.
While the supplements are natural and the pros sound like they outweigh the cons, you do have to wonder if it's all too good to be true.
Here's what we found out about berberine and what you should know if you're intrigued by the internet's latest trend.
What is berberine?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, berberine is a bioactive compound that comes from plants and improves a person's insulin resistance and how your cells use glucose (sugar).
The clinic adds that it's been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 400 years to treat health-related issues like diarrhea and gastrointestinal infections.
So how is berberine similar to Ozempic?
Abbey Sharp, a registered dietitian and YouTuber based in Toronto, says Ozempic and other weight loss drugs are called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists.
"[This type of drug's] major job is to grow insulin and suppress glucagon production in stabilizing blood sugar levels, and it also slows gut emptying," she told Narcity.
"In the brain it makes you feel more full and satiated, so reduces your appetite and for those reasons, these products are used for blood sugar management, type two diabetes, insulin resistance and also in weight loss."
Sharp adds that berberine works in the same way, by naturally increasing the production and release of GLP-1 which is why it seems to have a similar effect to Ozempic.
Does berberine cause weight loss?
Sharp says people are mistaken if they think they will drop a bunch of weight by taking a berberine pill and not changing anything about their diet or lifestyle.
"Whoever's been marketing that towards them, that's a huge red flag because that's just absolutely not evidence-based," she explained.
According to Forbes, a study that was done on rats did suggest that "berberine may have some metabolic effects such as affecting the bacteria in one’s gut and activating brown fat or brown adipose tissue." The outlet notes that if berberine can indeed do that it may help with some weight loss.
However, it's important to note that just because berberine had those effects on rats, it doesn't mean it works the same on humans.
In an interview with Prevention, registered dietitian Jessica Cording says more research is needed before experts can confirm the weight loss claims around berberine.
“With more people becoming aware of the class of medication that Ozempic is in, we’re seeing more people look for other options," Cording said in the interview.
"But berberine needs to be studied more before we can understand if it’s truly effective or safe."
What are the side effects of taking berberine?
Just like with any supplement or medication, berberine comes with side effects, including constipation, diarrhea, nausea and stomach discomfort, Cleveland Clinic says on its website.
Many TikTokers who are sharing their journey with taking berberine have also expressed they experienced certain symptoms caused by the berberine supplements.
On what she says is day two of taking berberine, TikToker @isabelle.lux says she experienced severe bloating that caused her to look "nine months pregnant."
In another video, TikToker @joeyzauzig says he wanted to warn others after his own experience. The man says he took 1,000 milligrams of berberine before going to a baseball game and he didn't make it home before he had to stop the car and run into the forest. Thankfully he stopped the story there, but we get what he means!
Do experts think berberine is safe?
In an interview with NBC News, Dr. Pieter Cohen, a researcher at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Somerville, Massachusetts, says people should use caution before trusting dietary supplements.
That's because he notes they aren't reviewed or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and can be incorrectly touted as helping with any health-related issue. Cohen adds they may also have incorrect ingredient information on the label.
"An active pharmaceutical drug like berberine, it’s not the kind of thing that you should just be taking willy-nilly," he told NBC News.
Sharp also highlights that berberine may not be appropriate for everyone because there are medications it shouldn't be combined with.
"It is not necessarily appropriate for everyone because it does have hypoglycemic properties and it can lower blood pressure if you are not diabetic," she added.
"If you are already taking a blood sugar lowering medication, or a blood pressure lowering medication it can potentially exacerbate this and make you go low. So you could end up with a hypoglycemic episode or a low blood pressure episode."
What are recommended ways to lose weight?
Sharp says there's no "magic bullet" when it comes to losing weight.
The registered dietitian says the only way to really "move the needle on the scale" is to achieve a caloric deficit and find an enjoyable way of doing it so that it's sustainable.
She's even come up with a framework she calls the "hunger-crushing combo" to help you achieve results in a healthy way.
"You don't need to cut out carbs, you can still enjoy those what I call naked carbs, so whether that's a dessert or white pasta, white bread that you still love," she said.
"Just dress them up with the hunger-crushing compounds, so that's fibre, protein and healthy fats."
Sharp says that will help improve "our satiety profile," and will also help to stabilize blood sugars so that you feel full for longer.
What should you keep in mind when seeing health trends on TikTok?
Sharp says it's important to take health-related TikTok trends like this one with a grain of salt as many influencers share highlight reels and we don't know what happens "behind the scenes."
Another issue, the dietitian says, is that we often stop hearing from TikTokers months down the road about their experience.
"People don't want to admit that perhaps they were wrong and that sharing what they did was dangerous to the masses," Sharp explained.
When it comes to the berberine trend, Sharp reiterates that she would never recommend any supplement without having the person run it by their doctor, especially when it "has the power to lower blood pressure or blood sugars."
"I think it comes down to my message on basically all of these trends that if it sounds too magical and good to be true, it probably is," she added.
"Berberine may help to support weight loss efforts, but it's not a magic pill."
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
This article has been updated since it was originally published on June 8, 2023.
