Tier 2 — strong

Co-administration of methyl donors along with guanidinoacetic acid reduces the incidence of hyperhomocysteinaemia compared with guanidinoacetic acid administration alone

Sergej M Ostojic, Barbara Niess, Marko Stojanovic, Milos Obrenovic
The British journal of nutrition 2013 110(5):865-870

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 23351309
DOI
10.1017/S0007114512005879
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
Sample20 healthy volunteers
InterventionGuanidinoacetic acid 2.4 g/day alone or with betaine HCl 1.6 g/day plus B vitamins
Duration8 weeks
EndpointsHomocysteine; Creatine metabolism; Adverse events

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2013, this source examined homocysteine, methylation and vascular function. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Sample/model: 20 healthy volunteers. The exposure or intervention was Guanidinoacetic acid 2.4 g/day alone or with betaine HCl 1.6 g/day plus B vitamins. Follow-up or treatment period: 8 weeks.

The methyl-donor combination largely prevented the homocysteine elevation seen with guanidinoacetic acid alone, while both groups increased creatine measures.

A small combination trial using betaine HCl, not isolated anhydrous TMG. It does not establish that all creatine or NAD precursor users need betaine.

Continue with TMG Data Center

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

Key findings

  • The methyl-donor combination largely prevented the homocysteine elevation seen with guanidinoacetic acid alone, while both groups increased creatine measures.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Homocysteine; Creatine metabolism; Adverse events.
  • The result applies to the tested exposure: Guanidinoacetic acid 2.4 g/day alone or with betaine HCl 1.6 g/day plus B vitamins; 8 weeks.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • A small combination trial using betaine HCl, not isolated anhydrous TMG. It does not establish that all creatine or NAD precursor users need betaine.
  • 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
Betaine supplementation lowers plasma homocysteine in healthy men and women
Gery R Steenge et al. · The Journal of nutrition · 2003
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

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