Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects, and More

Goldenseal is praised for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s often taken to prevent or treat upper respiratory tract infections and the common cold (3, 5).

It’s also used to treat skin disorders, lack of appetite, heavy or painful periods, sinus infections, indigestion, and other inflammatory or digestive disorders (1).

However, research supporting its benefits is limited and generally weak. The benefits with the most scientific backing are outlined below.

Goldenseal is a popular natural treatment for upper respiratory tract infections, including the common cold (6).

Cell and animal studies suggest that berberine, one of the main active compounds in goldenseal, may help fight infections caused by bacteria and viruses. This includes the virus responsible for the common cold (7, 8, 9, 10, 11).

However, despite goldenseal’s inclusion in many cold remedies, it’s unclear whether the effects observed in animals apply to humans.

The amount of berberine used in these animal studies is generally larger than the amount found in goldenseal supplements. In addition, the absorption of berberine from goldenseal may be lower than that of concentrated berberine supplements (4, 6).

Therefore, more research is needed to determine which effect, if any, goldenseal has against upper respiratory tract infections in humans.

Goldenseal is often combined with echinacea in over-the-counter herbal cold and flu remedies (4, 12).

Echinacea is a plant that’s also native to North America and traditionally used to treat infections, including the common cold (12).

Although some studies suggest that echinacea may lower the risk of respiratory infections, not all agree (13, 14).

Currently, there’s no evidence to suggest that combining goldenseal with echinacea offers any benefits beyond those associated with taking each on their own.

Some believe that goldenseal can help your body detox from toxins and harmful substances. Yet, very little evidence exists to support this claim.

Your body is naturally designed to detoxify itself. It does so by converting toxic compounds into harmless substances in your liver or making sure they’re eliminated from your body through urine and sweat (15, 16).

Research suggests that goldenseal may reduce the activity of certain liver enzymes responsible for breaking down drugs. As such, this herbal supplement may slow the detox process rather than promote it (1, 17).

However, there’s also evidence that goldenseal may help your body get rid of certain drugs more quickly through the urine. Because of this, some believe goldenseal may help hide the use of illegal drugs to pass a drug test (1).

Keep in mind that newer drug testing methods are now able to detect the use of goldenseal in urine samples, reducing the likelihood of a false negative result on a drug test (17).

While goldenseal’s detoxifying potential may depend on the type of toxin or harmful substance at hand, more studies are needed to confirm this.

Cell studies suggest that berberine, one of the main active compounds in goldenseal, may protect your body against various bacteria and fungi (18, 19, 20, 21).

For instance, berberine may stop bacteria from sticking to the walls of your bladder, potentially preventing or helping treat a UTI (22).

Berberine is also believed to keep Candida albicans, a fungus that’s naturally present in the human body, from multiplying in excess (23).

When present in normal numbers, Candida poses no health issues. However, when present in excessive amounts, this fungus can cause vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, skin rashes, and UTIs (24, 25).

In one study, people with recurrent UTIs given a mix of herbal extracts containing berberine were less likely to experience another UTI than those given no berberine (26).

Although the results from this study seem promising, no human studies have directly examined the effect of goldenseal on UTIs or yeast infections to date. Therefore, more studies are needed before strong conclusions can be made.

Chlamydia and herpes are some of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world (27, 28).

When left untreated, chlamydia can cause various complications, including infertility. Moreover, babies born vaginally to mothers with chlamydia have a higher risk of pneumonia and vision problems (28).

Herpes is a viral infection that causes watery blisters on the skin or mucous membranes of the lips, mouth, or genitalia. It can be transmitted through oral or sexual contact (28).

A handful of older studies suggest that berberine, one of the main active compounds in goldenseal, may help treat herpes and chlamydia infections.

For instance, some of these studies suggest that vaginal chlamydia infections may be treated with berberine-containing douches, vaginal suppositories, or various types of oral goldenseal supplements (29).

They also propose that berberine-containing plants may help prevent the herpes virus from replicating. One particular study observed that goldenseal mixed with myrrh and thyme helped treat oral herpes (30, 31).

That said, few of these studies looked at the direct effects of goldenseal in humans, and no recent research can be found to support these older findings. Therefore, more research is needed.

Berberine-containing plants like goldenseal may benefit your skin.

Older test-tube studies suggest that berberine, one of the main active compounds in goldenseal, may help fight P. acnes, the bacterium responsible for acne (32).

In addition, animal research suggests that berberine’s anti-inflammatory effects may help treat inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis (33).

However, research on this topic is limited and not specific to goldenseal. Therefore, more research is needed.

One study suggests that an herbal mouth rinse containing various herbs and goldenseal reduced the growth of bacteria responsible for dental plaque and gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease (31).

Another study suggests that using goldenseal as a toothpaste or mouthwash may help soothe inflamed gums (34).

Still, research is limited, and more studies are needed to confirm these proposed oral health benefits of goldenseal.

A few test-tube studies suggest that goldenseal extracts may fight H. pylori, a bacterium that can infect the lining of your stomach and has been linked to the appearance of stomach ulcers (35, 36).

Goldenseal extracts also appear effective against the C. jejuni bacterium, which is a main cause of gastroenteritis (37).

Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines that causes diarrhea and vomiting. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), infections with C. jejuni are the most common cause of gastroenteritis (38).

Berberine, one of the main active compounds in goldenseal, is thought to be largely responsible for this plant’s potential ability to protect against H. pylori and C. jejuni (39, 40).

Yet, no studies have observed these effects directly in humans. Therefore, more research is needed before strong conclusions can be made.

Animal studies suggest that the berberine in goldenseal may induce labor by stimulating the uterus to contract (41).

However, goldenseal and other berberine-containing plants may not be safe to use during pregnancy for several reasons.

First, berberine administration in rats caused lower weight in both mothers and babies. In addition, berberine is believed to cause or worsen jaundice in newborns, which — in a low number of cases — may cause brain damage (4, 41, 42).

As such, women are advised to avoid goldenseal during pregnancy.

Studies in mice and hamsters suggest that the berberine in goldenseal may help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels (43, 44).

A recent review of 12 studies found similar results in humans. The authors concluded that berberine may help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels by 20–55 mg/dL (45).

Although these results seem promising, there’s currently no scientific proof that goldenseal produces the same effects.

Therefore, more research is needed to determine whether goldenseal has any cholesterol- and triglyceride-lowering effects in humans.

Studies suggest that berberine, one of the main compounds in goldenseal, may reduce sugar absorption from the gut, lower insulin resistance, and promote insulin secretion — all of which are factors that may help lower blood sugar levels (46).

Research further suggests that the blood-sugar-lowering effects of berberine may be as effective as those of metformin, a common antidiabetic medication (46).

Moreover, the combination of berberine with blood-sugar-lowering medication appears to be more effective than taking blood-sugar-lowering medications on their own (47).

However, although the benefits of berberine appear promising, it’s unclear whether the amount of berberine in goldenseal is sufficient to produce the same effects. Therefore, more goldenseal-specific studies are needed.