Betaine is the abbreviation of Glycine Betaine. It was first discovered in Europe, a natural substance separated from the waste honey produced by the sugar beet process. Its chemical name is trimethylamine hydantoin or trimethylglycine. Betaine has been widely used in the fields of pharmacy, food, additives, chemical reagents, etc. since it was discovered.

Betaine is an important osmotic pressure buffer substance in the organism, which can protect cells, proteins and enzymes from environmental stress. Betaine is an important methyl donor, one molecule of betaine can provide 3 methyl groups and participate in the methionine cycle pathway. The betaine-homocysteine ​​transmethylase pathway is an important biochemical pathway in the body to achieve homotype reduction.

Maternal nutrition plays an important role in the growth and development of the mother and the fetus, especially the supply of methyl groups from conception to the delivery of the fetus is of great significance. Anas research on animal experiments showed that after conception, the demand for betaine in mice increases, and the accumulation of betaine in the body remains until the embryonic stage. 

High concentration of homocysteine may be related to pre-eclampsia, premature fetal delivery, low birth weight, and fetal growth restriction. When the active folate lowering homocysteine ​​reaches the bottleneck period, betaine can be supplemented to provide methyl groups for the methionine cycle, which can quickly promote the reduction of homocysteine. Maternal intake of foods rich in betaine and methionine can reduce the risk of fetal neural tube defects. Therefore, the intake of betaine throughout pregnancy plays an important role in the health of the mother and fetus.