Determinants of total homocysteine concentration

This study assessed the association between choline and betaine intakes and fasting and post-methionine-load homocysteine concentrations using the USDA revised food-composition tables and evaluated whether the associations varied by folic acid fortification periods in 1325 male and 1407 female participants in the sixth examination (1995-1998) of the Framingham Offspring Study.

A higher choline-plus-betaine intake was associated with lower concentrations of post-methionine-load homocysteine. They found an inverse association between choline-plus-betaine intake and fasting homocysteine concentrations. When stratified by plasma folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations, the inverse association was limited to participants with low plasma folate or vitamin B-12 concentrations. In the postfortification period, the inverse association between choline-plus-betaine intake and either fasting or post-methionine-load homocysteine was no longer present.

Choline and betaine intakes were associated with both fasting and post-methionine-load total homocysteine concentrations, especially in participants with low folate and vitamin B-12 status. The inverse association between choline and betaine intakes and homocysteine concentrations was no longer present in the postfortification period.

Lee et al (2010). "Are dietary choline and betaine intakes determinants of total homocysteine concentration?" Am J Clin Nutr 91(5) 1303-10