Betaine has three unstable methyl groups and is an effective methyl donor.
Betaine can increase the activity of betaine homocysteine S-methyltransferase, which is the active form of methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine
The synthesis of methionine can provide sufficient methyl, reduce the consumption of methionine, save methionine and promote protein synthesis; At the same time, betaine can also promote the synthesis of lecithin in animals, reduce the activity of lipogenic enzymes in the liver, and promote the synthesis of apolipoprotein.
Betaine participates in the synthesis of homocysteine betaine methyltransferase in human body, catalyzes the conversion of homocysteine to methionine, and is the methionine cycle
To effectively prevent the accumulation of homocysteine; At the same time, the normal operation of methionine circulation can maintain the concentration of methionine in the blood, so betaine can also replace methionine in the treatment of human liver or other diseases.
Folic acid and betaine are two irreplaceable pathways in methylation metabolism.
The urine of normal people, including children, will contain a small amount of betaine, and the increase of betaine intake will not affect its excretion, but the content of betaine in the urine of some patients is very high, for example, about one-third of diabetes patients and other secretory disorders have abnormal excretion of betaine, and the incidence rate of arteriovascular disease in these people is usually high. Homocysteine is a risk factor for arterial vascular disease. The loss of betaine leads to the increase of homocysteine. Although folic acid and other vitamins can reduce homocysteine, they cannot reduce the incidence rate of arterial vascular disease. Tissue storage of betaine regulates cell capacity and provides methyl for homocysteine cycle and other necessary biological methylation. Especially when folic acid is limited, betaine supplementation is the most effective treatment. It is pointed out that human beings cannot convert choline into betaine by themselves, and they must obtain it through diet. Proline betaine or glycine betaine are usually added to diet to provide betaine.
The greatest threat to patients with homocysteine may be vascular and thrombotic complications, especially cerebrovascular and peripheral terminals. High concentration of homocysteine is also associated with abnormal pregnancy, which may induce a serious gynecological complication: placental division. Although the etiology of placental division is not very clear, women with advanced age, smoking, folic acid deficiency and hypertension may have a high prevalence rate, and the regulation of homocysteine by betaine has a certain auxiliary therapeutic effect. Other studies have shown that betaine can reduce the level of homocysteine and actually reduce the risk of osteoporosis. A certain amount of betaine is found in French commercial wine, which can inhibit ischemic coronary heart disease and reduce the content of methionine, thus facilitating the degradation of fat and inhibiting the onset of coronary heart disease.
Betaine has certain curative effect on human coronary heart disease, liver disease, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, and has the function of regulating the metabolic and physiological balance of human body. Its mechanism is that betaine participates in the reaction of methionine and homocysteine. However, the auxiliary reactions and effects of betaine still need to be further studied, such as controlling the coordination between betaine and folic acid, or using more effective methods (such as the use of some enzymes) to improve the efficacy. These studies will provide data support for understanding the complex metabolism of betaine in the human body, and lay a foundation for the further development of disease prevention and other research.