Betaine: The Molecule Behind Exercise’s Anti-Aging Effects

But have you ever wondered how exercise actually slows aging? By identifying what those adaptations are, we can tap into the systems nature has evolved to optimize our health.

Nothing matches the health benefits of exercise. It’s the closest thing we have to a universal prescription for healthy aging.

But have you ever wondered how movement actually slows aging?

Movement isn’t magic. Exercise initiates a complex cascade of biochemical events that lead to adaptations designed to improve whole-body health. By identifying what those adaptations are, we can tap into the systems nature has evolved to optimize our health.

That’s the question the researchers behind today’s study set out to explore.

They weren’t trying to replace exercise — but they were curious if they could “bottle up” part of its benefits.

In this study, 13 relatively sedentary men were instructed to exercise by running 5 kilometers — first every other day, then every day — for 25 days. The researchers measured a broad suite of metabolites in their bodies before and after the exercise regimen.

Exercise Fights Inflammation and Aging (… And Water is Wet

Exercise decreased markers of inflammation, including hsCRP and TNF-alpha, and increased so-called geroprotective (anti-aging) antioxidant proteins and pathways like Nrf2 (see this letter), SOD1, and Glutathione. These proteins and pathways help defend your body from oxidative stress — basically, the wear and tear that contributes to aging.

So, exercise is good for you! No duh, right?

But then the researchers dug deeper: they wanted to know which metabolites were linked to these anti-inflammatory and geroprotective effects of exercise. One molecule stood out — betaine.

Betaine Fights Aging at the Cellular Level

Betaine was originally discovered in beets — hence the name — and is also known as trimethylglycine. While betaine is easier to say, tri-methyl-glycine tells you exactly what it is: the amino acid glycine with three (tri) methyl groups attached to it. Fancy that — terminology that actually makes sense!

Betaine can be consumed through the diet as from beets (114-297 mg/100g) or spinach (600-645 mg/100g) or can be produced by the body.

*Warning: Eating a lot of beets can turn your urine pink. It’s called “beeturia,” caused by a natural dye found in beets called betanin (not to be confused with betaine). It’s totally harmless, so don’t panic. It certainly freaked my out when I first saw it.

Anyway, betaine plays a key role in metabolic pathways as a “methyl donor” — basically serving as a reservoir for important molecular tags (methyl groups) involved in gene expression, detoxification, neurotransmitter synthesis, and so on — and is generally thought to support cardiovascular health and physical performance.

Betaine Stop the TANK!

By combining their human data with results from experiments on rodents and cells, the researchers dissected a fascinating pathway.

They found that exercise boosts the body’s production of betaine — especially in the kidneys, by about 73%. Then betaine then acts as an inhibitor of a protein called TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), which helps regulate immune and inflammatory responses.

Now, you don’t need to memorize “TANK-binding kinase 1,” but consider it a memory aid for the metabolic actions of betaine: Just picture “Tank Man” — the lone protester who stood in front of the tanks in Tiananmen Square. Like Tank Man, betaine steps in to block the inflammatory "tanks" that accelerate aging.

And the results?

In aged mice, inhibiting these immune system "tanks" with betaine reduced several signs of aging. The mice showed:

• Lower levels of cellular senescence — a key marker of biological aging

• Improved grip strength

• Increased muscle size

• Better cognitive performance.

Now, let’s shift gears to discuss other benefits of betaine.

In the rest of today’s letter, we discuss:

• Additional benefits of betaine

• Lowering Homocysteine for heart health

• Improving Athletic Performance

• Testosterone and Cortisol

• How Best to Dose Betaine