Tier 4 — mechanistic

Plasma Betaine Is Positively Associated with Developmental Outcomes in Healthy Toddlers at Age 2 Years Who Are Not Meeting the Recommended Adequate Intake for Dietary Choline

Alejandra M Wiedeman, Cecil M Y Chau, Ruth E Grunau, Deanna McCarthy, Karin Yurko-Mauro, Roger A Dyer, Sheila M Innis, Angela M Devlin
The Journal of nutrition 2018 148(8):1309-1314

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 29986040
DOI
10.1093/jn/nxy108
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

DesignObservational secondary analysis of a nutrition RCT
ModelHuman participants
SampleHealthy toddlers in a fatty-acid-supplement trial
InterventionHabitual dietary choline and/or betaine intake; no randomized TMG treatment
DurationAges 1-2 years
EndpointsToddler development; Betaine status

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2018, this source examined human observational and biomarker research. Design: Observational secondary analysis of a nutrition RCT. Sample/model: Healthy toddlers in a fatty-acid-supplement trial. The exposure or intervention was Habitual dietary choline and/or betaine intake; no randomized TMG treatment. Follow-up or treatment period: Ages 1-2 years.

Higher plasma betaine was associated with better visual-motor integration at age 2; betaine itself was not the randomized treatment.

Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome. The randomized parent intervention did not randomly assign the betaine exposure examined here.

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Key findings

  • Higher plasma betaine was associated with better visual-motor integration at age 2; betaine itself was not the randomized treatment.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Toddler development; Betaine status.
  • 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. The randomized parent intervention did not randomly assign the betaine exposure examined here.
  • 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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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