Barberry is a bush that grows wild in Europe and North America.
It is closely related to Berberis aquifolium). The root, stem,
bark, and fruit of barberry are all used medicinally. Barberry
was traditionally used as a treatment for digestive problems,
including constipation, diarrhea, dyspepsia (stomach upset),
heartburn, and loss of appetite. It was said to work by
increasing the flow of bile, and on this basis it has also been
used for liver and gallbladder problems. Topical preparations of
barberry have been recommended for the treatment of eczema,
psoriasis, and minor wounds. There are no medically established
uses of barberry. Only double-blind placebo-controlled studies,
can establish a treatment effective, and none have been
performed on barberry. (For information on why this type of
study is essential, see Why Does This Database Rely on Double-
Blind Studies?) Very weak evidence (too weak to be relied upon
at all) hints that barberry root extracts may have anti-
inflammatory, fever-reducing, and analges