Betaine (trimethylglycine)

Betaine (trimethylglycine) comes from food – plentiful in beetroot, spinach and wheat bran – and is formed from choline in the liver and kidneys. It is measured in urine together with SAM, SAH and choline.

What betaine does in the body

In the liver, betaine donates a methyl group to homocysteine and thereby converts it back to methionine – a second pathway independent of folate. As an osmolyte, betaine also keeps water in cells and protects them, for example in the kidneys, from dehydration and salt stress. Gut bacteria can form trimethylamine from betaine, the precursor of TMAO.

Low betaine – what happens in the body?

With little betaine, homocysteine in the liver is recycled to methionine more slowly via this pathway; homocysteine can rise, and less methionine is available for making SAM. Causes are a low intake of betaine or choline.

High betaine – what does it mean?

High levels in urine usually reflect plentiful intake. However, they also occur when the kidneys excrete more betaine – this has been observed, for example, in diabetes. The body then loses betaine.

The interpretation is given in your report.