Betaine: benefits, dosage, contraindications
Other name(s)
TMG
Scientific name(s)
Trimethylglycine
Family or group:
Phytochemicals
Indications
Scoring methodology
EFSA approval.
Homocystinuria ✪✪✪✪✪
Homocystinuria is a genetic disorder in which patients are unable to convert homocysteine (an amino acid) into cysteine, leading to an accumulation of homocysteine in the blood and urine. Betaine, in combination with vitamins B6, B9 and B12, is used to relieve the symptoms of this rare disease. A maintenance dose of 3 grams of anhydrous betaine is generally taken twice daily. However, the dose can be increased individually based on plasma concentrations of homocysteine and methionine. Doses of up to 20 grams per day may be necessary. For children under three years of age, the initial dose is 100 mg/kg per day, with a weekly dose increase of 50 mg/kg.
Posologie
By mouth
6 - 20 g
powder
Synergies
Hyperhomocysteinemia ✪✪✪✪✪
Most clinical research shows that taking betaine 3 to 6 grams per day for 12 weeks can slightly reduce plasma homocysteine levels by 5.5% to 15% in people with normal or slightly elevated levels (<25 micromoles / L), and by 20% to 40% in people with high homocysteine levels.
Posologie
Oral
3 - 6 g
12 - weeks
powder
Long-term effect of betaine on risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome in healthy subjects.
Betaine supplementation decreases plasma homocysteine concentrations but does not affect body weight, body composition, or resting energy expenditure in human subjects.
Orally administered betaine has an acute and dose-dependent effect on serum betaine and plasma homocysteine concentrations in healthy humans.
Dietary and supplementary betaine: effects on betaine and homocysteine concentrations in males.
The effect of low doses of betaine on plasma homocysteine in healthy volunteers
Betaine supplementation lowers plasma homocysteine in healthy men and women.
Dry mouth ✪✪✪✪✪
The symptoms of dry mouth caused either by a pathological condition (Sjögren's syndrome, for example) or by pharmaceutical products appear to be considerably reduced after using a toothpaste containing 4% anhydrous betaine twice daily for 2 weeks.
Posologie
Oral administration
2 - weeks
toothpaste
Fatty liver ✪✪✪✪✪
Clinical research suggests that betaine may be useful for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (this is a disease that affects 20% of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver and involves inflammation of the liver). Using 10 grams twice a day for 12 months can normalize liver enzymes and improve the degree of steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis.
Posologie
Oral administration
20 g
12 - months
powder
Sports performance ✪✪✪✪✪
Some clinical research suggests that betaine improves certain factors associated with resistance training. Indeed, taking 2.5 grams of betaine per day for 2 weeks during resistance training improves work capacity and reduces post-exercise fatigue compared with placebo. Some studies suggest other benefits, including a reduction in body fat in active untrained women, and improved sprint power in active women. In adolescent soccer players, betaine improved muscular power, agility, and sprint time. Mechanism of action: betaine may act as a methyl donor in the formation of creatine in the body (a naturally occurring amino acid derivative found primarily in muscle fibers and the brain), which suggests it may improve athletic performance and increase exercise tolerance and cardiac function in people with heart failure. Betaine may also increase overall oxygen consumption during physical (anaerobic) training, although this is accompanied by an increase in work volume (which may be the causal factor).
Posologie
Oral
2.5 g
2 weeks
powder
Effects of betaine on body composition, performance, and homocysteine thiolactone.
Effect of 15 days of betaine ingestion on concentric and eccentric force outputs during isokinetic exercise.
Effects of Two-Week Betaine Supplementation on Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress, and Aerobic Capacity after Exhaustive Endurance Exercise
The effects of chronic betaine supplementation on exercise performance, skeletal muscle oxygen saturation and associated biochemical parameters in resistance trained men.
Betaine Supplementation Does Not Improve Muscle Hypertrophy or Strength Following 6 Weeks of Cross-Fit Training
Effects of Betaine Supplementation on Markers of Metabolic Flexibility, Body Composition, and Anaerobic Performance in Active College-Age Females
Properties
Metabolic
Betaine, via the enzyme betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT), reduces homocysteine to methionine, one of the two pathways of homocysteine metabolism (the other being a folate-dependent mechanism). Deficiencies in dietary choline or betaine result in an increased dietary folate requirement to compensate. Moreover, betaine is an "osmolyte" (a molecule that regulates cellular water balance) that maintains normal cell volume and protects intracellular enzymes under osmotic stress conditions, without interfering with cellular function. Through this mechanism, it protects renal cells from high concentrations of electrolytes and urea.
Usages associés
Hepatoprotective
Betaine attenuates alcoholic liver disease by reducing oxidative stress, increasing the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (a metabolite involved in methyl group transfer reactions) and glutathione (GSH) (which is involved in a number of detoxification reactions and the removal of reactive oxygen species), and by decreasing hepatic homocysteine levels. It also triggers a cascade of events leading to mobilization of triglycerides from the liver and simultaneously reduces endoplasmic reticulum stress responses (a cellular organelle that synthesizes proteins). Thus, it can act as a lipotropic agent, preventing or reducing fat accumulation in the liver.
Usages associés
Musculoskeletal effects
Betaine plays a key role in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine, an amino acid essential for the synthesis of compounds such as creatine and carnitine, which are important for growth and muscle strength. Studies suggest that betaine intake can positively influence muscle mass, particularly in middle-aged adults. This research found that those with high betaine intake lose less skeletal muscle mass over a three-year period and may even see an increase in leg muscle mass compared with those with low intake.
Safe dosage
Adults (18 years and older): 1.5 g - 6 g (powder)
The European health authorities (EFSA, European Food Safety Authority and the European Commission) state that products containing betaine may claim to contribute to the normal metabolism of homocysteine if and only if they contain at least 500 mg of betaine per serving, and if the labeling informs the consumer that a beneficial effect is observed only from a daily intake equal to or greater than 1.5 grams of betaine. To reduce homocysteine levels, a daily dose of 3 to 6 g is most often recommended. In healthy individuals, a daily dose of 1.5 to 3 g is recommended.
Children (3 years and older): 1.5 g - 6 g (powder)
Betaine is most often used at doses of 3 grams twice daily in children aged at least 3 years to reduce homocysteine levels.
Precautions
Hypercholesterolemia: use with caution
Clinical research suggests that anhydrous betaine may increase total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in healthy individuals, obese patients, and patients with chronic kidney disease. The European health authorities (EFSA, European Food Safety Authority and the European Commission) state that labeling should indicate that a daily intake of betaine exceeding 4 grams may increase blood cholesterol levels.
Pregnant women: avoid
Avoid the use of betaine in pregnant women due to a lack of reliable and sufficient information.
Breastfeeding women: avoid
Avoid the use of betaine in breastfeeding women due to a lack of reliable and sufficient information.
