Effects of phosphatidylcholine and betaine supplements on women's serum choline

Abstract

Background: Maternal phosphatidylcholine supplements have shown benefit in the development of the human fetal brain, as assessed both by newborn physiological measurements and by a related decrease in later childhood behavioral abnormalities. However, the relatively low choline component of phosphatidylcholine mandates high doses that are difficult for pregnant women to consume.

Objective: Betaine can substitute for some choline effects. The hypothesis was that betaine supplementation would significantly increase women's serum choline.

Design: A three-arm crossover clinical trial was used to assess serum concentrations of choline after betaine supplements at two doses, in comparison with phosphatidylcholine supplementation. The effects of both a single dose and of one-week twice-daily doses were assessed in normal non-pregnant women.

Results: Betaine supplements at two doses failed to increase serum choline concentrations after single administration or one-week twice-daily dosing. Phosphatidylcholine supplements raised choline concentrations after both single doses (mean change from baseline 8.34 ± 7.29 ng/ml, paired t = 3.24, df 7, p = 0.014, range 1-21 ng/ml, d' = 1.15) and one-week twice-daily doses (mean change from baseline 4.58 ± 3.68 ng/ml standard deviation; paired t = 3.51, df 7, p < 0.001, range 2-13 ng/ml, d' = 2.65). Betaine concentrations rose after both betaine and phosphatidylcholine supplementation.

Conclusions: Betaine supplements did not substitute for phosphatidylcholine supplements, which raise serum choline concentrations both after a single dose and after repeated administration. However, serum betaine concentrations did rise after both betaine and phosphatidylcholine consumption and, therefore, betaine may be a stable indicator of choline intake.

Keywords: Betaine; Choline; Dimethylglycine; Phosphatidylcholine; Pregnancy.

Fig. 1.

Biochemical structures of choline, betaine and phosphatidylcholine.

Fig. 2.

Serum choline estimated mean levels following acute and 1-week treatment with phosphatidylcholine and two doses of betaine. All choline levels after acute phosphatidylcholine choline treatment are significantly elevated over the 0-h baseline, until 12 h post treatment (p < 0.05). The arrow points to fasting levels obtained 12–14 h after the last dose in a 1-week twice daily dosing regimen. Choline levels were not elevated after either betaine treatment.

Fig. 3.

Serum betaine estimated mean levels following acute and 1-week treatment with phosphatidylcholine and two doses of betaine. All choline and betaine levels after both acute phosphatidylcholine and betaine treatment were significantly elevated over the 0-h baseline (p < 0.05).