Tier 2 — strong

Maternal betaine status, but not that of choline or methionine, is inversely associated with infant birth weight

Yu-Feng Du, Yuan Wei, Jing Yang, Zi-Yi Cheng, Xi-Fang Zuo, Tian-Chen Wu, Hui-Feng Shi, Xiao-Li Wang
The British journal of nutrition 2019 121(11):1279-1286

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 30837009
DOI
10.1017/S0007114519000497
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

DesignProspective pregnancy study
ModelHuman participants
Sample115 pregnant women
InterventionMeasured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment
DurationMid-pregnancy through birth
EndpointsBirthweight; Maternal betaine

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2019, this source examined human observational and biomarker research. Design: Prospective pregnancy study. Sample/model: 115 pregnant women. The exposure or intervention was Measured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment. Follow-up or treatment period: Mid-pregnancy through birth.

Higher maternal betaine was associated with lower infant birthweight, particularly in selected sex/homocysteine subgroups.

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

Continue with TMG Data Center

Continue with TMG for Weight Loss: Body-Fat Findings and Their Limits

Key findings

  • Higher maternal betaine was associated with lower infant birthweight, particularly in selected sex/homocysteine subgroups.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Birthweight; Maternal betaine.
  • The result applies to the tested exposure: Measured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment; Mid-pregnancy through birth.

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.
  • 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 4
Prospective associations of maternal betaine status with offspring weight and body composition at birth: the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort study
Linde van Lee et al. · The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2016
Tier 4
Association of Maternal and Cord Blood Choline and Betaine Concentrations with Birthweight: A Prospective Mother-Infant Cohort Study
Sumiya Aihemaitijiang et al. · Nutrients · 2026
Tier 4
Maternal Betaine and Methylation Potential during Pregnancy Are Associated with Child Growth at Birth and Early Childhood: Results of the Chilean Maternal & Infant Cohort Study-II
Isis Trujillo-González et al. · The Journal of nutrition · 2026
Tier 4
Early second trimester maternal plasma choline and betaine are related to measures of early cognitive development in term infants
Brian T F Wu et al. · PloS one · 2012
Tier 4
Dietary Choline and Betaine and Risk of CVD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies
Katie A Meyer et al. · Nutrients · 2017
Tier 4
Dietary Choline and Betaine Are Not Associated With the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Elham Sharifi-Zahabi et al. · Journal of diabetes research · 2026

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