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ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION |
1 From the Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences and the Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands (AM-B, MO, and PV); the Locus for Homocysteine and Related Vitamins, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway (PIH and PMU); and the Clinical Trial Service Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, United Kingdom (RC)
Background: Remethylation of homocysteine to methionine can occur through either the folate-dependent methionine synthase pathway or the betaine-dependent betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase pathway. The relevance of betaine as a determinant of fasting total homocysteine (tHcy) is not known, nor is it known how the 2 remethylation pathways are interrelated.
Objective: The objectives of the study were to examine the relation between plasma betaine concentration and fasting plasma tHcy concentrations and to assess the effect of folic acid supplementation on betaine concentrations in healthy subjects.
Design: A double-blind randomized trial of 6 incremental daily doses of folic acid (50–800 µg/d) or placebo was carried out in 308 Dutch men and postmenopausal women (aged 50–75 y). Fasted blood concentrations of tHcy, betaine, choline, dimethylglycine, and folate were measured at baseline and after 12 wk of vitamin supplementation.
Results: Concentrations of tHcy were inversely related to the betaine concentration (r = –0.17, P < 0.01), and the association was independent of age, sex, and serum concentrations of folate, creatinine, and cobalamin. Folic acid supplementation increased betaine concentration in a dose-dependent manner (P for trend = 0.018); the maximum increase (15%) was obtained at daily doses of 400–800 µg/d.
Conclusions: The plasma betaine concentration is a significant determinant of fasting tHcy concentrations in healthy humans. Folic acid supplementation increases the betaine concentration, which indicates that the 2 remethylation pathways are interrelated.
Key Words: Total homocysteine • tHcy • betaine • folate • folic acid supplementation • healthy population • humans
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