Can a supplement lower a harmful blood chemical?

Taking a supplement called betaine can lower a substance in your blood called homocysteine, which is linked to a higher chance of getting Alzheimer’s—so this supplement might help protect your brain.

Taking 4 to 6 grams of betaine every day for at least six weeks lowers a harmful blood chemical called homocysteine by about 1.2 points, which helps your body process proteins better.

Taking a daily supplement called betaine (4–6 grams) can quickly lower a substance in your blood called homocysteine—within about a month—and keeping it up keeps the levels low.

Taking betaine supplements for a few months might raise your 'bad' cholesterol a little bit—about 5 points—which could cancel out the heart benefits you get from lowering another blood chemical called homocysteine.

Taking betaine supplements doesn’t change your ‘good’ cholesterol or fat levels in your blood, but it does lower your ‘bad’ cholesterol and overall cholesterol — so it’s picky about which fats it affects.