Betaine, also known as trimethylglycine (TMG), is a naturally occurring nutrient derived primarily from choline and found abundantly in foods such as beets, spinach, and whole grains. It serves as a key methyl donor in the body, supporting the conversion of homocysteine to methionine via the betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) pathway. This makes betaine a crucial participant in the body’s methylation network, working in parallel with folate, vitamin B12, and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to maintain cellular, neurological, and cardiovascular health.
On the Neurotransmitter XL panel, betaine reflects methylation reserve capacity and the body’s ability to sustain healthy homocysteine metabolism, neurotransmitter regulation, and detoxification processes. Because methylation underlies the production and breakdown of key brain chemicals—including dopamine, serotonin, and adrenaline—betaine is deeply connected to mood, energy, focus, and stress resilience.
Betaine acts primarily as a methyl group donor and an osmolyte—a molecule that helps cells maintain fluid balance and protect against stress.
In the methionine cycle, betaine donates one of its three methyl groups to convert homocysteine into methionine, a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme BHMT.
This pathway works as a backup system for maintaining methylation activity, especially when the folate-B12-dependent methionine synthase pathway is impaired.
By restoring methionine levels, betaine indirectly supports the formation of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)—the body’s master methyl donor. Adequate betaine therefore helps sustain healthy methylation rates even under nutrient stress, preventing the accumulation of homocysteine and promoting balanced neurotransmitter turnover.
Betaine maintains steady SAM production, which is necessary for catecholamine breakdown (via COMT), serotonin synthesis, and DNA methylation.
Without sufficient betaine, SAM levels can decline, resulting in low mood, fatigue, and impaired detoxification.
As an osmoprotectant, betaine stabilizes proteins, enzymes, and cell membranes under conditions of oxidative or metabolic stress. This function is especially relevant in the liver, kidneys, and brain, where it helps maintain cellular hydration and mitochondrial integrity.
Betaine’s methylation support indirectly affects multiple neurotransmitter systems:
Dopamine and Noradrenaline: Efficient methylation via COMT requires SAM, which is regenerated through betaine’s methyl donation.
Serotonin and Melatonin: Betaine supports BH4 regeneration, indirectly promoting serotonin synthesis.
Stress and Adrenal Function: Balanced betaine levels help prevent the buildup of homocysteine, which can induce oxidative and excitatory stress in neural tissues.
By supporting SAM production and homocysteine clearance, betaine helps sustain the biochemical balance between neurotransmitter synthesis, turnover, and detoxification—a key feature of healthy emotional and cognitive function.
Low betaine levels suggest reduced methylation capacity, nutrient deficiency, or increased metabolic demand. This can arise from:
Low choline intake or conversion: Since betaine is synthesized from choline, low dietary choline (from eggs, fish, soy, or liver) directly lowers betaine.
Excess methylation demand: Chronic stress, inflammation, or toxin exposure can rapidly deplete methyl donors.
B-vitamin deficiency: Low folate, B12, or B6 reduces methionine cycle efficiency, increasing reliance on betaine for methylation.
Gut dysfunction or liver stress: Impaired choline oxidation in the liver or poor absorption in the gut reduces betaine formation.
Genetic variants: Mutations in BHMT or PEMT genes can impair betaine metabolism and methyl group transfer.
Elevated betaine levels may occur when methylation capacity is impaired downstream—such as when BHMT activity is reduced, SAM synthesis is inefficient, or homocysteine remains elevated despite adequate methyl donors. High levels may also reflect supplement use or reduced utilization due to oxidative inhibition of enzymes involved in the methionine cycle.
Because betaine influences methylation and neurotransmitter balance, deficiency symptoms often overlap with those of low SAM or B-vitamin deficiency:
Low mood, depression, or apathy
Fatigue and mental fog
Poor focus or slow processing speed
Sleep disturbance
Irritability or stress intolerance
Elevated homocysteine on lab results
Digestive sluggishness or liver discomfort
Low betaine may also contribute to fatty liver, muscle weakness, and impaired detoxification, as methylation is essential for lipid transport and phospholipid synthesis.
| Related Marker | Interpretation Insight |
|---|---|
| SAM / SAH Ratio | Low ratio with low betaine indicates reduced methylation and SAM regeneration. |
| Homocysteine | Elevated levels suggest inadequate methylation support, often requiring increased betaine activity. |
| Methionine | Low methionine with low betaine suggests limited methyl donor recycling. |
| Methylmalonic Acid (B12 Status) | Elevated levels indicate B12 deficiency impairing folate-mediated methylation, increasing reliance on betaine. |
| Neopterin | Elevated levels suggest immune-driven oxidative stress consuming methyl donors. |
| Choline | Low choline can precede betaine depletion; both nutrients work together in methylation and liver function. |
Interpreting betaine alongside these markers helps identify whether methylation insufficiency stems from dietary limitation, B-vitamin deficiency, or oxidative stress that increases methyl donor turnover.
Persistently low betaine levels can contribute to:
Elevated homocysteine and cardiovascular risk
Low SAM and sluggish neurotransmitter metabolism
Depression or cognitive decline
Fatty liver (hepatic steatosis) due to impaired phospholipid methylation
Hormonal imbalance (especially estrogen dominance from poor detoxification)
Weakened antioxidant defense through impaired glutathione recycling
When methylation pathways are underactive, the effects can ripple across neurological, cardiovascular, and metabolic systems, underscoring the importance of adequate betaine and methyl donor support.
Include betaine-rich foods such as:
Beets, spinach, quinoa, and whole grains
Shellfish (shrimp, scallops) and chicken
Wheat bran, sweet potatoes, and broccoli
Also ensure adequate choline intake from eggs, soy, and fish, since choline is a direct precursor to betaine.
Betaine’s methyl donation complements the folate–B12–B6 methylation pathway. Optimal methylation requires:
Folate (5-MTHF form)
Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin or adenosylcobalamin)
Vitamin B6 (P5P)
Riboflavin (B2) and magnesium for enzymatic activity
Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress can block methylation enzymes. Support redox balance with antioxidants such as vitamin C, NAC, glutathione, and CoQ10, and address underlying infections or immune triggers.
Betaine supports liver detoxification and mitochondrial energy production. Consider complementary support with SAMe, taurine, and carnitine, and avoid excessive alcohol or toxin exposure that strain methylation capacity.
In cases of methylation insufficiency or elevated homocysteine, betaine (TMG) supplementation may help restore balance. Typical doses range from 500–3,000 mg/day, depending on clinical context and under professional supervision.
Betaine (trimethylglycine) is a crucial nutrient for maintaining healthy methylation, homocysteine metabolism, and neurotransmitter balance. Low levels often reflect depleted methyl donor reserves, insufficient choline intake, or increased oxidative stress, leading to low energy, poor mood, and reduced detoxification capacity.
On the Neurotransmitter XL panel, evaluating betaine alongside SAM, homocysteine, methionine, and B-vitamin markers provides a detailed picture of methylation efficiency and biochemical resilience.
Import lab results from multiple providers, track changes over time, customize your reference ranges, and get clear explanations for each result. Everything is stored securely, exportable in one organized file, and shareable with your doctor—or anyone you choose.
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Low betaine (trimethylglycine) levels on the Neurotransmitter XL panel indicate a deficiency in methyl donor availability, suggesting that the body’s methylation capacity, homocysteine clearance, and neurotransmitter metabolism may be under strain. Betaine is a key component of the methionine cycle, donating methyl groups via the betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) pathway to convert homocysteine into methionine, thereby sustaining S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) production—the body’s universal methyl donor.
When betaine levels fall, the body’s ability to recycle homocysteine and maintain SAM balance declines. This can contribute to elevated homocysteine, reduced neurotransmitter synthesis, mood changes, and lowered energy metabolism. Because betaine also acts as a cellular osmolyte that protects mitochondria and liver cells from oxidative stress, low levels can additionally compromise liver detoxification, cellular hydration, and mitochondrial resilience.
Betaine is synthesized from choline in the liver through the enzyme choline dehydrogenase. Low dietary intake of choline-rich foods—such as eggs, fish, soy, and legumes—reduces betaine formation. Impaired conversion of choline to betaine can also occur with liver dysfunction, oxidative stress, or genetic variants affecting the choline oxidation pathway (e.g., CHDH or BHMT polymorphisms).
Chronic stress, toxin exposure, or inflammation increases the body’s need for methyl donors, depleting betaine faster than it can be replenished. In such cases, B-vitamin insufficiency (especially folate, vitamin B12, and B6) compounds the issue, as both the folate-dependent and betaine-dependent methylation cycles become inefficient.
When these two methylation routes are compromised simultaneously, the result is low SAM, high homocysteine, and slowed neurotransmitter turnover—a biochemical pattern often seen in fatigue, mood imbalance, or stress-related burnout.
Betaine supports methionine regeneration. If protein or methionine intake is inadequate (common in vegan or low-protein diets), both methionine and SAM levels decline. Over time, this restricts the methylation of catecholamines, phospholipids, and DNA.
Poor nutrient absorption or impaired liver metabolism (from fatty liver, toxin overload, or alcohol use) can reduce both choline availability and betaine synthesis. Because the liver is the primary site of methylation and detoxification, hepatic stress directly translates into betaine depletion and sluggish homocysteine clearance.
Variants in BHMT (betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase) can slow or limit the conversion of homocysteine to methionine, even when betaine levels appear adequate. Similarly, MTHFR or MTR polymorphisms that reduce folate/B12 function can increase the body’s reliance on the betaine pathway, accelerating its depletion.
Betaine deficiency disrupts multiple physiological systems, especially those dependent on efficient methylation and detoxification:
Low betaine reduces SAM formation, leading to insufficient methylation of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin. This imbalance can contribute to low mood, anxiety, and cognitive sluggishness.
Without adequate betaine, homocysteine levels rise, increasing oxidative stress and inflammation within blood vessels. Chronically elevated homocysteine is linked to cardiovascular risk, neurodegeneration, and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Betaine supports phosphatidylcholine synthesis, essential for fat transport from the liver. Deficiency can promote hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) and sluggish detoxification, resulting in toxin buildup and reduced hormone clearance.
As an osmolyte, betaine helps maintain cellular hydration and protein stability. Low levels can make cells more vulnerable to oxidative and osmotic stress, especially in the liver, kidneys, and nervous system.
Because methylation and detoxification influence so many systems, low betaine can manifest with diverse symptoms:
Neurological and Emotional Symptoms
Low mood or depression
Fatigue and low motivation
Brain fog and reduced focus
Anxiety or poor stress tolerance
Sleep disturbances
Metabolic and Physical Symptoms
Elevated homocysteine levels
Fatty liver or sluggish digestion
Hormonal imbalance (e.g., estrogen dominance)
Muscle weakness or slow recovery
Sensitivity to caffeine, medications, or alcohol
These symptoms often appear alongside low SAM or elevated homocysteine on testing, confirming broader methylation inefficiency.
| Related Marker | Interpretation Insight |
|---|---|
| SAM / SAH Ratio | A low ratio with low betaine indicates reduced methylation capacity. |
| Homocysteine | Often elevated when betaine is insufficient, signaling impaired methyl group recycling. |
| Methionine | Low methionine with low betaine shows poor homocysteine-to-methionine conversion. |
| Methylmalonic Acid (B12 Status) | Elevated levels confirm B12 deficiency, reducing betaine efficiency in methylation. |
| Neopterin | High neopterin indicates immune activation and oxidative stress consuming methyl donors. |
| Choline | Low choline and low betaine together suggest limited substrate availability for both pathways. |
Interpreting betaine alongside these related biomarkers clarifies whether the depletion is driven by nutrient deficiency, metabolic overload, or genetic methylation variants.
Persistently low betaine can contribute to:
Depressive symptoms and cognitive decline (due to neurotransmitter imbalance)
Elevated homocysteine and cardiovascular risk
Fatty liver and impaired detoxification
Hormonal dysregulation (poor estrogen clearance)
Reduced energy and mitochondrial resilience
Accelerated oxidative aging (due to impaired methylation and glutathione synthesis)
Long-term methylation inefficiency can amplify both neurochemical depletion and metabolic vulnerability, emphasizing the need for early correction.
Increase intake of betaine- and choline-rich foods:
Beets, spinach, quinoa, shellfish, and whole grains for betaine
Eggs, fish, soy, and liver for choline
These nutrients work synergistically to restore methylation balance and support liver detoxification.
Ensure sufficient intake of:
Folate (5-MTHF form)
Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin)
Vitamin B6 (P5P)
Riboflavin (B2) and magnesium for enzymatic support
These vitamins sustain both the folate-dependent and betaine-dependent methylation cycles.
Address sources of chronic inflammation (e.g., infections, poor gut health, toxin exposure). Antioxidant nutrients like vitamin C, NAC, glutathione, CoQ10, and resveratrol protect methylation enzymes and preserve betaine stores.
Use taurine, carnitine, and SAMe to enhance hepatic and mitochondrial detoxification.
Maintain a balanced intake of protein and omega-3 fatty acids for cellular repair and energy metabolism.
Under medical supervision, betaine supplementation (typically 500–3,000 mg/day) may help normalize homocysteine, support SAM regeneration, and restore methylation efficiency, especially in individuals with genetic variants or increased methylation demand.
Low betaine levels signify depleted methyl donor reserves and impaired homocysteine-to-methionine conversion, often driven by nutrient deficiency, oxidative stress, or liver dysfunction. This imbalance can lead to low mood, fatigue, elevated homocysteine, and reduced detoxification capacity.
On the Neurotransmitter XL panel, assessing betaine alongside SAM, homocysteine, methionine, and B-vitamin markers provides a detailed picture of methylation health and biochemical resilience.
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Easily upload lab results from any provider, whether it's a hospital, independent lab, or home testing service. We support PDFs, scanned documents, and JPEGs from patient portals. No need to log in to multiple platforms — everything is centralized in one secure space.
Easily upload lab results from any provider — we support PDFs, scans, and images. Keep all your reports organized in one secure place.
Every lab result is automatically organized on a chronological timeline, giving you a complete picture of your health journey. Whether you're tracking a condition, managing treatments, or staying proactive, the timeline helps you and your doctor understand how things progress over time.
Every lab result is automatically organized on a chronological timeline, giving you a complete picture of your health journey.
Whether it's a blood test, GI panel, urinalysis, or something else, lab reports measure numerous biomarkers that reveal what's happening inside your body. Our extensive database covers over 10,000 biomarkers, providing clear, simple explanations of what each result means and how you can take action—no matter your membership level. Say goodbye to confusion and get the insights you need to better understand your health.
Our database covers over 10,000 biomarkers with clear, simple explanations—so you can finally understand your results and what to do next.
If you'd like to handle inputting your health data into your account, you can do so with our easy-to-use data entry forms. Our user-friendly form is designed to guide you through the quick and easy submission process, making it simple to keep track of your health metrics. This is available to both Complete plan and Unlimited plan members.
Our user-friendly form guides you through a quick, simple submission process, making it easy to enter your health metrics.
Add your results anytime with our easy entry form. It's quick, guided, and helps you stay organized — free for all members.
View your lab data through easy-to-read graphs and tables. Quickly spot patterns, track changes, and compare results across different dates — all without digging through multiple reports. You can also select and compare graphs of specific biomarkers side-by-side to better understand how they relate and change over time.
See your lab reports in clear graphs and tables. Spot patterns, track changes, and compare results over time — all in one place.
After collecting lab results from different providers, you can download your entire history combined into a single file. Choose from PDF, Excel, or CSV formats to easily review, share, or get a second opinion—no more juggling multiple reports.
After collecting lab results from different providers, you can download your entire history combined into a single file.
Our inclusive service handles the data entry for your lab reports. Just submit your information and we'll take care of the rest. Complete plan members receive one report entered for free, then $15 per report after that. Unlimited plan members receive ten report entries for free, then $15 per report after that.
Our inclusive service handles the data entry for your lab reports. Just submit your information and we'll take care of the rest.
Whether you're working with a doctor, nutritionist, caregiver, or wellness coach, you can securely share your complete lab history by sending an invite link to anyone you trust. You have full control over who sees your information and for how long, ensuring your privacy and peace of mind at every step.
Share your full lab history with your doctor, nutritionist, or coach using a secure invite link.
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I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
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What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
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As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
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Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.
With a Healthmatters account, you can:
Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.
It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.
If you're on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.
The Complete Plan ($15/month) is perfect for individuals who want ongoing access to their health data. It includes unlimited lab imports, visual tracking, custom ranges, result explanations, full account exports, and secure sharing — all with a simple monthly subscription. You can cancel anytime and restart your plan whenever you're ready — your data will still be there waiting for you. You can also upgrade to the Unlimited Plan at any time, with the cost prorated based on what you've already paid.
The Unlimited Plan ($250 one-time) is also designed for individuals but offers lifetime access with no ongoing subscription. You'll get all the same features as the Complete Plan, plus a larger initial data entry allowance (10 reports), making it a great choice if you prefer a one-time payment and long-term use without monthly fees.
In short:
There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."
Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.
For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.
We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.
Our Data Entry Service is for when you don't want to manually type in your lab results yourself. You simply upload your report (PDF, image, or screenshot), and our trained team enters the information into your Healthmatters account for you — accurately and neatly organized, ready to view in graphs, tables, and timelines.
The $15 per report covers the time and care it takes for a real person to review your file, make sure each result is entered correctly, and double-check for accuracy. This ensures your health data is precise and easy to work with — without you having to spend the time doing it yourself.
Prefer to do it yourself? You can always use our free self-entry tool to add results manually — it just takes a bit more time and attention.
For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.
Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.
Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.
All professional accounts allow you to import and onboard an unlimited number of clients and their lab results. The distinction between professional plans lies solely in the data entry service.
The Pro Monthly Plus plan is priced at $75 per month and includes a data entry service for five reports each month. Additional reports can be self-entered at no extra cost or, if preferred, you can use our data entry service for an additional fee of $15 per report.
The Pro Monthly plan is priced at $45 per month and does not include a data entry service. Self-entry is free for an unlimited number of reports, and you can opt for the data entry service at a fee of $15 per report.
You also have the option to upgrade to higher monthly or to annual plans, which come with substantial discounts. All upgrades can be done directly from your account.
Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.
Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.
We've crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.
1. Graph View:Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.
2. All Tests ViewExplore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.
3. Table View:For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.
Yes, you can download your information anytime. We offer two easy ways to export your lab data:
This makes it simple to save, back up, or share your health data whenever you need.
Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.
Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.
Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.
A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.
The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.
To learn more about Healthmatters Pro, please refer to the professional page.
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