Tier 4 — mechanistic

Dietary Choline and Betaine Intake and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in an Iranian Population

Monireh Sadat Seyyedsalehi, Marta Rossi, Maryam Hadji, Hamideh Rashidian, Maryam Marzban, Maria Parpinel, Federica Fiori, Ahmad Naghibzadeh-Tahami, Yusuf A Hannun, Chiara Luberto, Kazem Zendehdel, Paolo Boffetta
Cancers 2023 15(9):2557

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 37174024
PubMed Central
PMC10177422
DOI
10.3390/cancers15092557
Funding
Reported funding/support: National Institute of Medical Research Development (NIMAD)940045Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC)IG-24706National Cancer Institute P01CA97123The study was funded by the National Institute of Medical Research Development (NIMAD) (Grant N. 940045) and Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC): Grant N. IG-24706, and National Cancer Institute (NCI P01CA97123).
Competing interests
Reported disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Study snapshot

DesignCase-control study
ModelHuman participants
Sample865 colorectal-cancer cases and 3206 controls
InterventionHabitual dietary choline and/or betaine intake; no randomized TMG treatment
DurationRetrospective dietary assessment
EndpointsColorectal-cancer odds

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2023, this source examined human observational and biomarker research. Design: Case-control study. Sample/model: 865 colorectal-cancer cases and 3206 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 estimated betaine intake was associated with modestly lower colorectal-cancer odds, while some choline forms showed opposite associations.

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 estimated betaine intake was associated with modestly lower colorectal-cancer odds, while some choline forms showed opposite associations.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Colorectal-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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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