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Betaine has gained significant attention in the anti-aging market

2026-01-07
Although betaine has remarkable functions, its source is surprisingly common. Betaine is widely present in both animals and plants, participating in the regulation of various metabolic processes in animals and being an important component for plants to enhance their stress resistance. Currently, betaine is mainly derived from the molasses of sugar beets. It was not until the 1970s and 1980s that its efficacy was gradually recognized. With the deepening of research, more and more functions of betaine have been discovered. In the 2023 edition of "Dietary Reference Intakes for Chinese Residents", the specific recommended intake (SPL) for betaine per day is 1.5 grams.
Methyl donor: The chemical name of betaine is N,N,N-trimethylglycine, which belongs to quaternary ammonium base substances. It is an important methyl donor in the body and participates in the methionine cycle. This process is crucial for the synthesis and metabolism of various substances in the body, helping to lower the level of homocysteine in the blood and supporting liver function.

Osmotic protective agent: Betaine can act as an organic osmotic agent, helping to maintain the water balance and stability of cells, especially providing protection for kidney cells when they are exposed to high osmotic pressure environments.

Liver protection and fat metabolism: Betaine can promote liver fat metabolism, reducing fat deposition in the liver, and has an improving effect on liver diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Antioxidant effect: Betaine possesses antioxidant activity. Its antioxidant mechanism includes activating antioxidant signaling pathways (such as the Nrf2-Keap1-ARE pathway), regulating the levels of related enzymes (such as increasing the RNA levels of antioxidant enzymes like glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT)), eliminating or inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS), and regulating the body's osmotic pressure. Neuroprotection: Betaine can alleviate memory impairment in mice
induced by lipopolysaccharide. In the brains of mice exposed to osmotic pressure, betaine not only acts as an osmotic pressure regulator but also can regulate the production and reuptake of inhibitory neurotransmitters, promoting the excitability of neurons. Through enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, it plays a neuroprotective role in ischemia-reperfusion injury.
2.Betaine has gained significant attention in the anti-aging market.
The anti-aging functional food market has always been a "key battleground". According to data, the global anti-aging functional food market size exceeded 80 billion US dollars in 2024, and is expected to reach 130 billion US dollars by 2030. The Chinese market is even more outstanding, with a scale of 38.6 billion yuan in 2023, and an average annual compound growth rate of over 13% in the past three years.
In recent years, the anti-aging functional food market has mainly focused on product development in areas such as NAD+, cell repair, and metabolic regulation. In essence, the competition in the anti-aging functional food market is actually a competition for raw materials. At least until there is a breakthrough in technological research, the development of raw materials remains the top priority.

It is worth noting that betaine has been well established in the field of anti-aging, although it exists merely as an auxiliary component of popular ingredients like NMN. As is well known, long-term supplementation of NAD+ precursors (such as NMN) can lead to a deficiency of methyl groups, while betaine, as a methyl donor, can replenish the methyl groups consumed during NAD+ metabolism, thereby increasing the efficiency of NAD+ synthesis by approximately 20%. Moreover, betaine can also regulate the intracellular pH value, reduce the accumulation of NAD+ metabolic by-products (such as nicotinamide), and maintain metabolic homeostasis.
The latest research results published in the journal "Cell" have directly revealed the mechanism of action of betaine in anti-aging. It can not only serve as an auxiliary component of NAD+ products, but also exert anti-aging effects through the regulation of the kidneys. This will further promote the application of betaine in the field of anti-aging.
3.Rich in sources and diverse in applications
The source of betaine is quite abundant. Among them, beetroot is one of the richest sources of betaine and also the most accessible source among the betaine product series. The betaine content in beetroot is approximately 130 milligrams per 100 grams, and it also contains active components such as betacyanin.

In terms of application forms, beetroot mainly exists in powder form and can be conveniently combined with other nutrients or functional components. In addition, blackberries, spinach, amaranth, quinoa, etc. all contain abundant betaine, and the combination of multiple components can significantly enhance the value of the product.

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