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Dietary and supplementary betaine: acute effects on plasma betaine and homocysteine concentrations under standard and postmethionine load conditions in healthy male subjects^1,2,3

¹ From the Clinical Biochemistry Unit, Canterbury Health Laboratories, Christchurch, New Zealand (WA, JE, ML, and PMG), and the Pathology Department, University of Otago, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand (ML, STC, and PMG)

Background: Betaine comes from the diet and from choline, and it is associated with vascular disease in some patient groups. Betaine supplementation lowers plasma total homocysteine.

Objective: We compared the acute effects of dietary and supplementary betaine and choline on plasma betaine and homocysteine under standard conditions and after a methionine load.

Design: In a randomized crossover study, 8 healthy men (19–40 y) consumed a betaine supplement (500 mg), high-betaine meal (517 mg), choline supplement (500 mg), high-choline meal (564 mg), high-betaine and -choline meal (517 mg betaine, 622 mg choline), or a low-betaine and -choline control meal under standard conditions or postmethionine load. Plasma betaine, dimethylglycine, and homocysteine concentrations were measured hourly for 8 h and at 24 h after treatment.

Results: Dietary and supplementary betaine raised plasma betaine concentrations relative to control (P < 0.001) under standard conditions. This was not associated with raised plasma dimethylglycine concentration, and no significant betaine appeared in the urine. A small increase in dimethylglycine excretion was observed when either betaine or choline was supplied (P = 0.011 and < 0.001). Small decreases in plasma homocysteine 6 h after ingestion under standard conditions (P 0.05) were detected after a high-betaine meal and after a high-betaine and high-choline meal. Dietary betaine and choline and betaine supplementation attenuated the increase in plasma homocysteine at both 4 and 6 h after a methionine load (P 0.001).

Conclusions: Dietary betaine and supplementary betaine acutely increase plasma betaine, and they and choline attenuate the postmethionine load rise in homocysteine concentrations.

Key Words: Betaine • choline • total homocysteine • tHcy • diet • supplementation • postmethionine load • healthy subjects

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