Does taking betaine lower a risky blood chemical?
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.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Publication
Journal
Nutrition research
Year
2024
Authors
Emilia E. Zawieja, Natalia Drabińska, Henryk H Jeleń, Artur Szwengiel, K. Durkalec-Michalski, A. Chmurzyńska
Related Content
Claims (6)
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 betaine supplements can boost the amount of betaine in your blood by more than three times, which means your body easily absorbs and uses it.
Taking betaine, a natural compound found in foods like beets and spinach, can slightly lower a substance in your blood called homocysteine—which, when too high, might be bad for your heart. This suggests betaine helps your body process certain nutrients better.
People with a certain gene variant (MTHFR C677T T-allele) see a bigger boost in a substance called betaine in their blood when they take betaine supplements, compared to people without that gene variant.
Taking betaine supplements doesn't change the levels of amino acids in the blood of healthy, active guys, which means it doesn't really mess with how their bodies use or balance proteins.