TRIMETHYLGLYC INE (BETAINE)

Methyl donor, homocysteine fighter

If two methyl groups are beneficial, then three must be better. Many scientists believe this is true, and I tend to agree. Trimethylglycine, also known as betaine, may not be an imme-diately recognizable nutrient, but it’s readily available (in the form of betaine hydrochloride) as a digestive aid. For the millions of people who lack a sufficient amount of stomach acids, it’s a truly useful supplement.

Of late, interest in betaine, apart from the hydrochloride, which releases hydrochloric acid, has been rekindled because it reduces blood levels of homocysteine, a toxic amino acid and a dangerous independent risk factor for heart disease, among other illnesses. There’s little need to avail ourselves of betaine specifically for homocysteine control, because folic acid, B6 and B12 do the job quite well.

Its real value, though, is in its generous methyl donation, which comes courtesy of that third methyl group. Betaine neutralizes homocysteine through this reaction, converting it into the amino acid methionine. The process could also be linked to protection from cancer, based on some animal research, liver disorders and the very act of grow-ing old.

The research in this direction is still too early and too fragmented to know how this concept will play out, but I suspect that it will prove more valuable that DMG. The dosage used most often is 125 mg three to four times daily.