Animal Studies on Body Composition

A couple of new studies add to the body of evidence that betaine increases muscle and decreases fat mass:

Huang et al (2008) "Effect of dietary betaine supplementation on lipogenic enzyme activities and fatty acid synthase mRNA expression in finishing pigs."

Betaine supplementation led to:

- increased lean muscle mass
- decreased body fat proportion
- decreased lipogenic enzyme activity in adipose tissue (acetyl-CoA carboxylase, malic acid and FAS (including mRNA expression))

Reduction in adipose tissue with betaine might result from diminished rates of lipogenesis as a consequence of decreased activities and gene expression of lipogenic enzymes.

Jahanian and Rahmani (2008) "The Effect of Dietary Fat Level on the Response of Broiler Chicks to Betaine and Choline Supplements"

Dietary betaine inclusion instead of choline resulted in:

- increased lean muscle mass
- reduced abdominal fat proportion
- improved blood lipids (decreased triglycerides and VLDL, increased HDL)


Fernandez-Figares et al (2008). "Synergistic effects of betaine and conjugated linoleic acid on the growth and carcass composition of growing Iberian pigs." J. Anim Sci. 86(1): 102-111.

Dietary supplementation of betaine + CLA increased:

- average daily gain
- protein
- water
- lean deposition

There appears to be a synergistic action.

Papers 2004-7:


Sillence (2004) "Technologies for the control of fat and lean deposition in livestock."

Eklund et al (2005) "Potential nutritional and physiological functions of betaine in livestock."

Eklund et al (2006) "Effects of betaine and condensed molasses solubles on nitrogen balance and nutrient digestibility in piglets fed diets deficient in methionine and low in compatible osmolytes."

Zhan et al (2006) "Effects of methionine and betaine supplementation on growth performance, carcase composition and metabolism of lipids in male broilers."

Huang et al (2006)" Changes in hormones, growth factor and lipid metabolism in finishing pigs fed betaine."

Huang et al (2007) "Effect of betaine on growth hormone pulsatile secretion and serum metabolites in finishing pigs."