Tier 4 — mechanistic

Choline and betaine intakes are associated with reduced risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in adults: a case-control study

F-f Zeng, C-h Xu, Y-t Liu, Y-y Fan, X-l Lin, Y-k Lu, C-x Zhang, Y-m Chen
British journal of cancer 2014 110(3):808-816

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 24169354
PubMed Central
PMC3915107
DOI
10.1038/bjc.2013.686
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

DesignMatched case-control study
ModelHuman participants
Sample600 nasopharyngeal-cancer cases and 600 controls
InterventionHabitual dietary choline and/or betaine intake; no randomized TMG treatment
DurationRetrospective dietary assessment
EndpointsNasopharyngeal-cancer odds

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2014, this source examined human observational and biomarker research. Design: Matched case-control study. Sample/model: 600 nasopharyngeal-cancer cases and 600 controls. The exposure or intervention was Habitual dietary choline and/or betaine intake; no randomized TMG treatment. Follow-up or treatment period: Retrospective dietary assessment.

Higher betaine and choline intake was associated with lower nasopharyngeal-cancer odds.

Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome. Diet recall, case selection or illness-related metabolite changes may introduce bias.

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Key findings

  • Higher betaine and choline intake was associated with lower nasopharyngeal-cancer odds.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Nasopharyngeal-cancer odds.
  • 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. Diet recall, case selection or illness-related metabolite changes may introduce bias.
  • 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

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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