Effects of low-dose B vitamins plus betaine supplementation on lowering homocysteine concentrations among Chinese adults with hyperhomocysteinemia: a randomized, double-blind, controlled preliminary clinical trial

Lu XT, Wang YN, Mo QW, et al. · European Journal of Nutrition

In people who actually had elevated homocysteine, a combination containing only 1 g of betaine lowered plasma homocysteine by a mean of 3.87 umol/L versus placebo (10.1% reduction, P=0.012), with the fall tracking rises in both blood folate and blood betaine.

Population

Adults aged 18-65 with hyperhomocysteinemia in South China, no background folic-acid fortification, 12 weeks; 100 were randomised but 8 never started because of COVID-19, leaving 92 analysed

Intervention

400 ug folic acid, 8 mg vitamin B6, 6.4 ug vitamin B12, 1 g betaine and 9.6 mg zinc citrate daily

Comparator

Placebo

Limitations

The betaine effect cannot be separated from the B vitamins, or the zinc, given alongside it in one tablet; 92 participants for 12 weeks, with 17 withdrawing along the way; described by its authors as preliminary; registered as NCT03720249.