Effect of Betaine on Reducing Body Fat—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
What this study found
Betaine supplementation was associated with significant reductions in adiposity, but not with meaningful changes in body weight or BMI. In pooled analyses versus control, total body fat mass decreased by -2.53 kg (95% CI: -3.93, -0.54) and body fat percentage decreased by -2.44% (95% CI: -4.20, -0.68). Body weight change was -0.29 kg (95% CI: -1.48, 0.89), BMI change was -0.10 kg/m^2 (95% CI: -5.13, 0.31), and waist circumference change was 0.68 cm (95% CI: -1.72, 3.09), none of which were significant. Overall, the authors concluded that dietary betaine may improve body composition by…
- Study & population
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of 6 randomized controlled trials in adults, including healthy participants and adults with overweight, obesity, or prediabetes.
- Intervention
- Oral betaine supplementation was tested at doses ranging from 2.0 g/day to 6 g/day across 6 randomized trials, with durations from 10 days to 24 weeks.
- Key limitation
- The evidence base was small, with only 6 trials and 195 participants across the active betaine arms.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Animal studies have shown the beneficial effect of betaine supplementation on reducing body fat, while the data from human studies are controversial and inconsistent. The objective of the present systematic review was to investigate the effects of betaine intervention on treating obesity in humans and quantitatively evaluate the pooled effects based on randomized controlled trials with a meta-analysis. The PubMed and Scopus databases, and the Cochrane Library, were searched up to September 2019. Weighted mean differences were calculated for net changes in obesity-related indices by using a random-effects model. Publication bias was estimated using Begg’s test. Six studies with 195 participants were identified. Betaine supplementation significantly reduced the total body fat mass (−2.53 kg; 95% CI: −3.93, −0.54 kg; I2 = 6.6%, P = 0.36) and body fat percentage (−2.44%; 95% CI: −4.20, −0.68%; I2 = 0.0%, P = 0.44). No changes were observed regarding body weight (−0.29 kg; 95% CI: −1.48, 0.89 kg; I2 = 0.00%, P = 0.99) and body mass index (−0.10 kg/m2; 95% CI: −5.13, 0.31 kg/m2; I2 = 0.00%, P = 0.84). The results suggested that dietary betaine supplementation might be an effective approach for reducing body fat.