Tier 2 — strong

Betaine supplementation lowers plasma homocysteine in healthy men and women

Gery R Steenge, Petra Verhoef, Martijn B Katan
The Journal of nutrition 2003 133(5):1291-1295

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 12730412
DOI
10.1093/jn/133.5.1291
Funding
Funding was not specified in the indexed record or accessible funding metadata.
Competing interests
A competing-interest declaration was not available in the indexed record or accessible disclosure metadata.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized controlled trial
ModelHuman participants
Sample36 adults with mildly elevated homocysteine; three groups of 12
InterventionBetaine 6 g/day, folic acid 800 micrograms/day or placebo
Duration6 weeks
EndpointsHomocysteine; Methionine-load response

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2003, this source examined homocysteine, methylation and vascular function. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Sample/model: 36 adults with mildly elevated homocysteine; three groups of 12. The exposure or intervention was Betaine 6 g/day, folic acid 800 micrograms/day or placebo. Follow-up or treatment period: 6 weeks.

Betaine reduced fasting homocysteine by about 1.8 micromol/L relative to placebo and blunted the response to methionine loading. Folic acid lowered fasting levels but did not have the same post-load effect.

Small trial of biomarkers; a lower homocysteine value does not establish prevention of heart attacks or stroke.

Continue with TMG Data Center

Continue with TMG and Homocysteine: How Much Can Betaine Lower It?

Key findings

  • Betaine reduced fasting homocysteine by about 1.8 micromol/L relative to placebo and blunted the response to methionine loading.
  • Folic acid lowered fasting levels but did not have the same post-load effect.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Homocysteine; Methionine-load response.
  • The result applies to the tested exposure: Betaine 6 g/day, folic acid 800 micrograms/day or placebo; 6 weeks.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Small trial of biomarkers; a lower homocysteine value does not establish prevention of heart attacks or stroke.
  • An individual controlled trial must be interpreted alongside its comparator, sample size, endpoint selection and independent replication. It does not validate a different commercial formulation or a general longevity claim.
  • Source basis: Indexed abstract and bibliographic data. Missing method details, funding information or participant denominators are not inferred.

Related papers in the corpus

Tier 1
Betaine supplementation decreases plasma homocysteine in healthy adult participants: a meta-analysis
Marc P McRae et al. · Journal of chiropractic medicine · 2013
Tier 1
Effects of betaine supplementation on cardiovascular markers: A systematic review and Meta-analysis
Damoon Ashtary-Larky et al. · Critical reviews in food science and nutrition · 2022
Tier 2
Effect of homocysteine-lowering nutrients on blood lipids: results from four randomised, placebo-controlled studies in healthy humans
Margreet R Olthof et al. · PLoS medicine · 2005
Tier 2
Low dose betaine supplementation leads to immediate and long term lowering of plasma homocysteine in healthy men and women
Margreet R Olthof et al. · The Journal of nutrition · 2003

Citation network

Articles citing this research paper

4 articles

Biohack Blueprint analyses that reference this study in their evidence base.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology