Reducing IR and NAFLD

This is an abstract from the 2008 AASLD meeting. Rats were fed one of 3 diets for 8 months:

- standard chow (SF) (9% cal for fat)
- high fat (HF) (20% cal from fat)
- HF plus betaine (HF+B) (1.5% betaine in drinking water)

In this high fat diet-induced model of insulin resistance and NAFLD, oral betaine:

- reduced fasting insulin and glucose
- reversed hepatic steatosis
- increased activation of the insulin signaling pathway
- reversed hepatic insulin resistance, as demonstrated by reduced gluconeogenesis and increased glycogen content

Kathirvel et al (2008). "Betaine reduces insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis, and augments hepatic signaling, in an animal model of NAFLD." Hepatology 48(S1): 408A-505A.