Tier 4 — mechanistic

Plasma betaine concentrations correlate with plasma cortisol but not with C-reactive protein in an elderly population

Michael Lever, Malina K Storer, John G Lewis, Peter M George, Stephen T Chambers
Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine 2012 50(9):1635-1640

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 22962225
DOI
10.1515/cclm-2017-9910
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

DesignCross-sectional clinical comparison
ModelHuman participants
Sample64 ambulant older adults and 55 hip-fracture patients
InterventionMeasured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment
DurationMorning blood and urine sampling
EndpointsCortisol; CRP; Older adults

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2012, this source examined human observational and biomarker research. Design: Cross-sectional clinical comparison. Sample/model: 64 ambulant older adults and 55 hip-fracture patients. The exposure or intervention was Measured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment. Follow-up or treatment period: Morning blood and urine sampling.

Betaine was related to cortisol and metabolic measures but not clearly to CRP, suggesting stress and inflammation are not interchangeable explanations.

Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome. A publisher erratum is linked to this article. Read the original report with the erratum; the indexed notice does not provide enough detail here to characterize every change. Publication update

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Key findings

  • Betaine was related to cortisol and metabolic measures but not clearly to CRP, suggesting stress and inflammation are not interchangeable explanations.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Cortisol; CRP; Older adults.
  • 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. A publisher erratum is linked to this article. Read the original report with the erratum; the indexed notice does not provide enough detail here to characterize every change. Publication update
  • 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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Elham Sharifi-Zahabi et al. · Journal of diabetes research · 2026
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Association of choline and betaine with the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: Meta-analysis
Qinglin Yang et al. · European journal of clinical investigation · 2023
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Jiyoung Youn et al. · Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) · 2019

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