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Oregon Grape Benefits for Health and More

Oregon Grape Benefits for Health and More

AKA – Mahonia aquifolium – a Beneficial Edible Medicinal Shrub to Know

We have a number of large, expansive, and prolific Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) shrubs in our wooded yard. So we naturally wanted to know more about some the Oregon grape benefits we could put to use.

Oregon Grape is a Beneficial Beauty

Ornamentally, the Oregon grape bush is an attractive evergreen shrub with shiny, pokey, holly-like leaves, but with more of a lighter spring green color rather than the dark green. Easy to grow with no care required, Mahonia is a reliable workhorse of beneficial food and medicine.

Instead of popping vitamin C pills, when the mahonia is in fruit, we pluck a small handful of the Mahonia berries and nibble those instead. Before harvest season is over, (and hopefully before the migrating birds swarm them!), we freeze the excess in order to have them year round. You can also dry them for adding to tea or smoothies, but we prefer them frozen.

Oregon Berries Taste Tart

To some, M. aquifolium berries taste unpleasantly tart. In our family most of us find them pleasant enough. The berries are actually reasonably stout and very firm, looking a lot like a slightly elongated blueberry.

And, as with blueberries, the riper you can grow them (to a deep dark blue-ish purple) the more the tart will be softened with sweetness.

It’s eye-opening to realize that there are hundreds—likely thousands—more fruits, vegetables and weeds to eat than most of us have ever heard of! There are reasons for that, with a primary one being that if it doesn’t travel well or last long, or have mass popularity, it doesn’t get sold in most grocery stores.

So the Mahonia berry is not as sweet as blueberries and while they hold up fairly well to travel and storing, they have as much — or more — seeds as fruit. So these factors make them less desirable as a mass market item for the modern western palate, especially when there are so many other easier option.

But for gardeners and growers, there are definitely Oregon grape benefits as an edible hedge / living fence, and for foodscaping your yard with an edible ornamental.

Oregon Grape aka Mahonia An edible & medicinal ornamental plant
Oregon Grape Benefits, Mahonia aquifolium shrub, fruit, root.

Berberine in Mahonia

Berberine is generally harvested from the root and bark, and while these percentages are small, medicinal compounds typically are, as the potency is concentrated.

  • 3-10% berberine in Mahonia aquifolium root bark
  • 1-3% berberine in Mahonia aquifolium stem bark
  • 0.23% berberine alkaloid in the seeds of M. aquifolium
  • 0.1% or less of the total weight of the M. aquifolium berries

Mahonia fruit and especially the bark and roots (that with the most yellow coloration) contains berberine, which is available in supplements.

The roots and stems of the Oregon grape plant are known to contain the highest concentrations of berberine. According to one study, the root bark of Mahonia aquifolium contains about 3-10% berberine, while the stem bark contains about 1-3% berberine.

The amount of berberine in a particular Mahonia aquifolium product can vary depending on factors such as the quality of the plant material, the extraction method used, and the concentration of the final product.

REFERENCE: Study on the Quantification of Berberine Alkaloids in Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium) Root and Rhizome by C. T. Chandra Sekaran et al. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 60, no. 13, pp. 3290-3296, 2012
EDITOR’S NOTE: We found the referenced information but were unable to locate the direct link to this actual study with the percentages of berberine content.

Some Berberine Benefits

  • Blood Sugar – Increases insulin sensitivity
  • Cholesterol – Reduces in cholesterol/triglyceride
  • Diabetes – Treatment for type 2 diabetes
    • Reduces fatty acids [1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20298851
    • Lowers blood glucose[2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19800084[3]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2410097/
  • Inflammation – Suppresses chronic inflammation
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Obesity – Reduces fat storage
  • Osteoporosis
  • PCOS – Polycystic ovary syndrome

REFERENCE: ThePracticalHerbalist.com[4]https://thepracticalherbalist.com/

DOSAGE: Standard dose of berberine HCL supplements is typically between 900-2,000 mg a day, divided into three to four doses, taken with a meal. However, always follow the recommendations of your health care practitioner or the supplement company’s instructions first and foremost; these are just sample guidelines.[5]https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/supplements-articles/dark-side-metformin/

It’s worth noting that while berberine is one of the most well-known and studied compounds in Mahonia aquifolium, the plant contains many other potentially beneficial compounds as well, including alkaloids, flavonoids, and tannins. These compounds may work synergistically with berberine to produce the plant’s therapeutic effects.

Mahonia nervosa Root

Thanks to Jessy Delleman of RavenSongHerbals.com for letting us use her Mahonia nervosa root images. While we have lots of mahonia bushes in our yard, we’re using the berries and leaves for tea but not making any root tinctures this year and didn’t want to dig up a shrub just to take a photo!

Oregon Grape Root - Mahonia nervosa - Image by Jessy Delleman RavenSongHerbs.com
Oregon Grape Root – Mahonia nervosa – Image by Jessy Delleman RavenSongHerbs.com

Nutritional Content of Mahonia aquifolium Berries

Approximate Nutrients in 1/2 cup (100 grams) of M. aquifolium Berries

  • Vitamin C – 90 mg per (which is 100% of the RDA for males and 120% RDA for women)
  • Sugars/carbs –  12 grams
  • Anthocyanins – 177 mg

Trace Elements in Oregon Grape, M. aquifolium

  • calcium
  • copper
  • iron
  • lead
  • manganese
  • phosphorus
  • potassium
  • zinc

Amounts of nutrients naturally vary depending on growing conditions, age and time of harvest.[6]https://www.nature-and-garden.com/gardening/mahonia-berry.html

Proven Oregon Grape Medicinal Benefits, (Mahonia aquifolium)

Mahonia aquifolium, also known as Oregon grape, is a plant that is native to western North America. It has been used for centuries by Native Americans for its medicinal properties, and modern research has confirmed many of its health benefits.

Here are some of the proven medicinal benefits of Mahonia aquifolium plant, including root, stems, flowers and fruit:

  1. Antifungal: Study results suggest that the jatrorrhizine compound in M. aquifolium reveal the capacity to be a highly potent natural antifungal agent with low probability of side effects.[7]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12916091/
  2. Anti-inflammatory properties: Mahonia aquifolium contains berberine, a compound well known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have shown that berberine can reduce inflammation in the body, which can help to alleviate a variety of health conditions, including arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and skin conditions like psoriasis.[8]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6040276/
  3. Antimicrobial activity: Mahonia aquifolium has been shown to have antimicrobial activity, which means it can help to fight off bacterial and fungal infections.[9]https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/15476315/Antimicrobial_activity_of_Mahonia_aquifolium_crude_extract_and_its_major_isolated_alkaloids_
  4. Anticarcinogenic: Berberine possesses promising antimutagenic/anticarcinogenic potential.[10]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11943071/
  5. Candida: One study found that a cream containing Mahonia aquifolium extract was effective in treating skin infections caused by the fungus Candida albicans.[11]