Betaine Metabolism and Distribution

A couple of studies investigating the intake and distribution of betaine in tissues:

Clow et al (2008) "Elevated tissue betaine content in developing rats are due to dietary betaine, not synthesis"

Increase in tissue betaine reflects high dietary betaine and not a change in endogenous betaine synthesis.

Slow et al (2008) "Plasma Dependent and Independent Accumulation of Betaine in Male and Female Rat Tissues"

The authors measured the betaine concentration of plasma and various tissues (brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidney, spleen, intestine, reproductive tissues, skeletal muscle and skin) in male and female rats. Some of the findings were:

- betaine was highest in the liver and kidney
- plasma betaine concentrations were significantly lower than tissue levels except in the brain and skeletal muscle
- there was significant plasma-related accumulation of betaine in the heart, skin and skeletal muscle, while the lung, liver, kidney, spleen, and intestine showed significant plasma-related and plasma-independent accumulations of betaine.