Tier 2 — strong

Betaine supplementation modulates betaine concentration by methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotype, but has no effect on amino acid profile in healthy active males: A randomized placebo-controlled cross-over study

Emilia Zawieja, Natalia Drabińska, Henryk Jeleń, Artur Szwengiel, Krzysztof Durkalec-Michalski, Agata Chmurzynska
Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.) 2024 127:63-74

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 38876040
DOI
10.1016/j.nutres.2024.05.003
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

DesignRandomized crossover controlled trial
ModelHuman participants
SampleHealthy active men; 20 in the washout subgroup, not the total cohort
InterventionBetaine versus placebo; dose and genotype analyses
Duration21-day supplementation and washout analyses
EndpointsBetaine concentration; Homocysteine; TMAO; MTHFR genotype

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2024, this source examined homocysteine, methylation and vascular function. Design: Randomized crossover controlled trial. Sample/model: Healthy active men; 20 in the washout subgroup, not the total cohort. The exposure or intervention was Betaine versus placebo; dose and genotype analyses. Follow-up or treatment period: 21-day supplementation and washout analyses.

Betaine increased blood betaine and lowered homocysteine without changing the overall amino acid profile. The TMAO increase did not reach conventional statistical significance (P=0.053).

The 20-person washout subgroup is not the total trial size. Genotype findings are exploratory and this report overlaps the earlier cardiometabolic study. Related reports from the same research program may share participants. Read trial registration and linked companion reports before counting independent studies.

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Continue with TMG and Homocysteine: How Much Can Betaine Lower It?

Key findings

  • Betaine increased blood betaine and lowered homocysteine without changing the overall amino acid profile.
  • The TMAO increase did not reach conventional statistical significance (P=0.053).
  • The recorded outcome domains were Betaine concentration; Homocysteine; TMAO; MTHFR genotype.
  • The result applies to the tested exposure: Betaine versus placebo; dose and genotype analyses; 21-day supplementation and washout analyses.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • The 20-person washout subgroup is not the total trial size. Genotype findings are exploratory and this report overlaps the earlier cardiometabolic study. Related reports from the same research program may share participants. Read trial registration and linked companion reports before counting independent studies.
  • 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.

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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