Tier 4 — mechanistic

Optimal Dietary Intake Composition of Choline and Betaine Is Associated with Minimized Visceral Obesity-Related Hepatic Steatosis in a Case-Control Study

Ting-Yu Chang, Chien-Hsien Wu, Chi-Yang Chang, Fu-Jen Lee, Bei-Wen Wang, Jia-Yau Doong, Yu-Shun Lin, Chang-Sheng Kuo, Rwei-Fen S Huang
Nutrients 2022 14(2):261

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 35057441
PubMed Central
PMC8779168
DOI
10.3390/nu14020261
Funding
Indexed grant support: Grant number MOST:109-2320-B-030-012-MY3. — The Ministration of Science and Technology, Taiwan, ROC.. The indexed list may not contain the complete funding declaration.
Competing interests
Reported disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Study snapshot

DesignCase-control study
ModelHuman participants
Sample105 hepatic-steatosis cases and 104 controls
InterventionHabitual dietary choline and/or betaine intake; no randomized TMG treatment
DurationDietary and ultrasound assessment
EndpointsHepatic steatosis; Dietary methyl donors

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2022, this source examined human observational and biomarker research. Design: Case-control study. Sample/model: 105 hepatic-steatosis cases and 104 controls. The exposure or intervention was Habitual dietary choline and/or betaine intake; no randomized TMG treatment. Follow-up or treatment period: Dietary and ultrasound assessment.

Lower methyl-donor intake was associated with visceral-obesity-related steatosis, and combined choline/betaine intake showed an inverse association.

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

  • Lower methyl-donor intake was associated with visceral-obesity-related steatosis, and combined choline/betaine intake showed an inverse association.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Hepatic steatosis; Dietary methyl donors.
  • 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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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