Beneficial Effects of Betaine: A Comprehensive Review

Medicinal herbs and many food ingredients possess favorable biological properties that contribute to their therapeutic activities. One such natural product is betaine, a stable, nontoxic natural substance that is present in animals, plants, and microorganisms. Betaine is also endogenously synthesized through the metabolism of choline or exogenously consumed through dietary intake. Betaine mainly functions as (i) an osmolyte and (ii) a methyl-group donor. This review describes the major physiological effects of betaine in whole-body health and its ability to protect against both liver- as well as non-liver-related diseases and conditions. Betaine’s role in preventing/attenuating both alcohol-induced and metabolic-associated liver diseases has been well studied and is extensively reviewed here. Several studies show that betaine protects against the development of alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis, apoptosis, and accumulation of damaged proteins. Additionally, it can significantly prevent/attenuate progressive liver injury by preserving gut integrity and adipose function. The protective effects are primarily associated with the regulation of methionine metabolism through removing homocysteine and maintaining cellular SAM:SAH ratios. Similarly, betaine prevents metabolic-associated fatty liver disease and its progression. In addition, betaine has a neuroprotective role, preserves myocardial function, and prevents pancreatic steatosis. Betaine also attenuates oxidant stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammation, and cancer development. To conclude, betaine exerts significant therapeutic and biological effects that are potentially beneficial for alleviating a diverse number of human diseases and conditions.

The comparison of pancreatic and hepatic steatosis in healthy liver donor candidates

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and pancreatic steatosis (PS) in patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD. 228 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD patients who admitted to the Faculty of Medicine of Demiroglu Bilim University between 2004 and 2019 were included in the study. Demographic, laboratory, histological and radiological findings of the patients were recorded retrospectively. Hepatosteatosis (HS) levels were measured by both CT and biopsy, while PS levels were measured by 3 different CT-based techniques. 89 (39%) of the patients were female and 139 (61%) were male. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.2 ± 4.0. Biochemical parameters were within normal limits. Liver biopsy showed a significant correlation with HS grade on CT scan (p < 0.001). When CT findings were compared, a significant correlation was found between PS and HS (p < 0.05), but there was no correlation between the HS level in biopsy and the pancreatic adiposity on CT (p > 0.05). Our study was the first to compare biopsy-proven NAFLD and PS, and no correlation was found between biopsy-proven NAFLD and PS.