Posted on 07/05/2019 8:55:57 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Many psychiatric drugs act on the receptors or transporters of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. However, there is a great need for alternatives, and research is looking at other targets along the brain's metabolic pathways. Lack of glycine betaine contributes to brain pathology in schizophrenia, and new research shows that betaine supplementation can counteract psychiatric symptoms in mice.
Betaine comes from a normal diet but is also synthesized in the body where it contributes to metabolism in various ways, including as an anti-inflammatory agent. Levels of betaine (glycine betaine or trimethylglycine) in the blood plasma of patients with schizophrenia has previously been found to be low, which suggested a possible therapeutic target.
In the new study, mice missing the Chdh gene, which is involved in making betaine, showed depressive behaviors and greatly reduced betaine levels in both the brain and blood. Betaine levels in the brain recovered when the it was given to the mice as a supplement in drinking water, demonstrating that betaine can pass through the blood-brain barrier.
Psychedelic drugs like PCP and methamphetamine can also produce schizophrenia-like behaviors in both humans and mice. The researchers tested whether betaine supplementation could help alleviate symptoms induced by PCP and methamphetamine in mice. They found that betaine not only improved cognitive deficits and behavioral abnormalities, it also reversed oxidative stress at the molecular level. Oxidative stress is thought to be one mechanism through which these drugs cause psychiatric symptoms in humans.
Finally, investigation of postmortem human brain samples did indeed show reduced betaine levels in patients with schizophrenia, which was unrelated to the amount of antipsychotic drugs taken before death.
Betaine is already used as a drug for the autosomal recessive metabolic disorder homocystinuria, so it could be considered as therapy for psychiatric conditions with minimal concern for adverse effects.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
Pretty amazing.
This would be wonderful. I had a friend who was fully normal and started exhibiting symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia, which got worse and worse and she is extremely far gone now.
A voice in my head likes this idea but the other 3 don’t.
Interesting, thanks for posting this.
...sorry, I thought I was Jim Acosta talking to Donald Trump for a moment.
TMG is available as a supplement.
It has two methyl groups to donate for methylation. Many persons are undermethylators.
Beta-ine is named after Beets: Beta vulgaris. Beets are exceptionally rich in TMG.
Oh man. The voices in my head aren’t going to like this....
You too, huh? Boy mine are having a hell of a brawl right now. All 9 of ‘em. At least I’ve counted that many.
Don’t use “science” and “schizophrenia” together. One has nothing to do with the other.
Maybe let her know. Maybe it can be lessened.
Interesting, thanks for posting. I remember reading a story years ago about a farmer in Canada who helped his manic depressive daughter with vitamins and minerals, lots of the B vitamins.
Betaine HCl (Hydrochloride) with Pepsin Digestive Aid (300 Tablets) $20.99 (click here)
Interesting. Thanks for posting. Health/life BUMP!
If you assume that the disease is nothing but a chemical imbalance.
Physical evidence in the brain for types of schizophrenia
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3762048/posts
interesting. naturally I’m of two minds on the matter. Maybe I’ll give it a try and see if I can approach it one at a time. might even pick up a schedule.
future reference
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