Possible Interaction: Betaine and Homocysteine

“Fasting plasma homocysteine after 6-wk daily intakes of 1.5, 3 and 6 g of betaine was 12% (P < 0.01), 15% (P < 0.002) and 20% (P < 0.0001) less than in the placebo group, respectively.”

“Thus, doses of betaine in the range of dietary intake reduce fasting and postmethionine loading plasma homocysteine concentrations.”

“ Glycine betaine (GB) is known to decrease tHcy in other clinical settings, but whether it is beneficial in chronic renal failure has not been established.”

“Post-methionine tHcy decreased with both treatments and was 18% lower on GB than on folate and pyridoxine alone (P < 0.001).”

“ Betaine has been used successfully to reduce homocysteine levels in homocystinuria.”

“ Betaine is effective in reducing cerebrospinal fluid homocysteine , but concentrations are still significantly raised during treatment.”

“It also showed that CHOL and BET have greater influence on folate-dependent remethylation of HCY (via Met synthase) than on BET-dependent remethylation (via BET-HCY methyltransferase) and that levels of CHOL and BET and type of S amino acid deficiency effect remethylation and HMB efficacy.”

“ Betaine was less effective in lowering tHcy on the background of normal or increased methionine intake, while exacerbating hypermethioninemia.”

“Also the elevation of cellular homocysteine and inhibition of protein expression of BHMT were prevented by betaine only in H4IIE cells which express BHMT.”

“ Betaine could promote the metabolism of homocysteine in healthy subjects and was used for hyperlipidemia, coronary atherosclerosis, and fatty liver in clinic.”

“Long-term therapy with B vitamins or betaine in patients with homocystinuria due to cystathionine β-synthase deficiency decreases homocysteine and reduces the rate of vascular events by 90%.”

“ Betaine , by virtue of aiding in the remethylation of homocysteine , removes both toxic metabolites (homocysteine and S-adenosylhomocysteine), restores S-adenosylmethionine level, reverses steatosis, prevents apoptosis and reduces both damaged protein accumulation and oxidative stress.”