Tier 1 — highest

Betaine supplementation fails to improve body composition: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Damoon Ashtary-Larky, Reza Bagheri, Grant M Tinsley, Omid Asbaghi, Sara Salehpour, Sara Kashkooli, Wesam Kooti, Alexei Wong
The British journal of nutrition 2022 128(5):975-988

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 34743773
DOI
10.1017/S0007114521004062
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

DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs
ModelEvidence synthesis; mixed research models
SampleHuman supplementation trials; endpoint-specific pooled samples
InterventionBetaine versus control across doses and populations
DurationSearch through August 2021
EndpointsBody weight; Fat mass; Fat-free mass

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2022, this source examined safety assessments and evidence synthesis. Its evidence base was Human supplementation trials; endpoint-specific pooled samples. It evaluated Betaine versus control across doses and populations across Search through August 2021.

No significant overall benefit was found for weight, BMI, body-fat percentage, fat mass or fat-free mass.

Limited small trials and heterogeneous settings; this later analysis does not confirm the more favorable earlier fat-loss meta-analysis.

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Key findings

  • No significant overall benefit was found for weight, BMI, body-fat percentage, fat mass or fat-free mass.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Body weight; Fat mass; Fat-free mass.
  • This synthesis reuses the included study populations; it is not an additional randomized participant cohort.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Limited small trials and heterogeneous settings; this later analysis does not confirm the more favorable earlier fat-loss meta-analysis.
  • Pooled estimates depend on the included trials and may share participants with companion publications or other reviews. A statistically significant surrogate outcome does not establish disease prevention.
  • Source basis: Indexed abstract and bibliographic data. Missing method details, funding information or participant denominators are not inferred.

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Emilia E Zawieja et al. · Journal of dietary supplements · 2021
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Safety of betaine as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 258/97
EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) et al. · EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority · 2017
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Safety of betaine as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283
EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (EFSA NDA Panel) et al. · EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority · 2019
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Citation network

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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