Tier 4 — mechanistic

Choline and betaine intake and the risk of colorectal cancer in men

Jung Eun Lee, Edward Giovannucci, Charles S Fuchs, Walter C Willett, Steven H Zeisel, Eunyoung Cho
Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology 2010 19(3):884-887

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 20160273
PubMed Central
PMC2882060
DOI
10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-09-1295
Funding
Indexed grant support: DK55865 — NIDDK NIH HHS — United States; R03 CA125763 — NCI NIH HHS — United States; R01 DK055865 — NIDDK NIH HHS — United States; P01 CA055075 — NCI NIH HHS — United States; P30 ES010126 — NIEHS NIH HHS — United States; P30 DK040561 — NIDDK NIH HHS — United States; CA55075 — NCI NIH HHS — United States; CA125763 — NCI 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

DesignProspective cohort
ModelHuman participants
Sample47302 men; 987 colorectal-cancer cases
InterventionHabitual dietary choline and/or betaine intake; no randomized TMG treatment
Duration1986-2004
EndpointsColorectal-cancer incidence

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2010, this source examined human observational and biomarker research. Design: Prospective cohort. Sample/model: 47302 men; 987 colorectal-cancer cases. The exposure or intervention was Habitual dietary choline and/or betaine intake; no randomized TMG treatment. Follow-up or treatment period: 1986-2004.

Dietary betaine and choline were not significantly associated with colorectal-cancer incidence.

Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome.

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Key findings

  • Dietary betaine and choline were not significantly associated with colorectal-cancer incidence.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Colorectal-cancer incidence.
  • The exposure was observed rather than assigned as an isolated supplement treatment.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome.
  • 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: Accessible full-text extract plus indexed 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

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