Betaine and Inflammation

An article by Detopoulou et al (2008). "Dietary choline and betaine intakes in relation to concentrations of inflammatory markers in healthy adults: the ATTICA study." showed that participants who consumed >360 mg/d of betaine had, on average:

- 10% lower concentrations of homocysteine
- 19% lower concentrations of C-reactive protein
- 12% lower concentrations of tumor necrosis factor

than did those who consumed <260 mg/d.

This was accompanied by an Editorial by Zeisel "Is there a new component of the Mediterranean diet that reduces inflammation?" and a letter to the editor of AJCN by Slow et al, entitled "Dietary betaine and inflammation". Zeisel draws the correlation between betaine/choline intake and the Mediterranean diet, whilst Slow et al stress the importance of the osmolyte function in addition to the methylation role of betaine. The reply to Slow et al is here.

Papers 2004-7:

Go et al (2005). "Betaine Suppresses Proinflammatory Signaling During Aging: The Involvement of Nuclear Factor-{kappa}B via Nuclear Factor-Inducing Kinase/I{kappa}B Kinase and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases."

Go et al (2007). "Betaine modulates age-related NF-kappaB by thiol-enhancing action."