Tier 4 — mechanistic

Dietary choline and betaine assessed by food-frequency questionnaire in relation to plasma total homocysteine concentration in the Framingham Offspring Study

Eunyoung Cho, Steven H Zeisel, Paul Jacques, Jacob Selhub, Lauren Dougherty, Graham A Colditz, Walter C Willett
The American journal of clinical nutrition 2006 83(4):905-911

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 16600945
PubMed Central
PMC2430728
DOI
10.1093/ajcn/83.4.905
Funding
Indexed grant support: P30 DK040561 — NIDDK NIH HHS — United States; R01 DK055865 — NIDDK NIH HHS — United States; DK 56350 — NIDDK NIH HHS — United States; DK 55865 — NIDDK NIH HHS — United States; CA 108341 — NCI NIH HHS — United States; R03 CA108341 — NCI NIH HHS — United States; N01 HC025195 — NHLBI NIH HHS — United States; P30 DK056350 — NIDDK NIH HHS — United States; N01 HC 25195 — NHLBI NIH HHS — United States. The indexed list may not contain the complete funding declaration.
Competing interests
A competing-interest declaration was not available in the indexed record or accessible disclosure metadata.

Study snapshot

DesignCross-sectional cohort analysis
ModelHuman participants
Sample1960 Framingham Offspring participants
InterventionQuestionnaire-estimated dietary choline and betaine
DurationObservational assessment
EndpointsDietary methyl donors; Homocysteine

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2006, this source examined food sources, absorption and nutrient metabolism. Design: Cross-sectional cohort analysis. Sample/model: 1960 Framingham Offspring participants. The exposure or intervention was Questionnaire-estimated dietary choline and betaine. Follow-up or treatment period: Observational assessment.

Higher combined intake was associated with lower homocysteine, particularly when folate intake was low.

Self-reported diet and residual confounding; the result does not isolate betaine or prove benefit from supplements.

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Continue with Foods High in Betaine: TMG Amounts and Practical Portions

Key findings

  • Higher combined intake was associated with lower homocysteine, particularly when folate intake was low.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Dietary methyl donors; Homocysteine.
  • The exposure was observed rather than assigned as an isolated supplement treatment.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Self-reported diet and residual confounding; the result does not isolate betaine or prove benefit from supplements.
  • Confounding, dietary patterns, illness, medication use and reverse causation can influence an association. Blood or dietary concentrations do not identify the effect of starting a capsule.
  • Source basis: Indexed abstract and bibliographic data. Missing method details, funding information or participant denominators are not inferred.

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Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

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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