Betaine hydrochloride (Betaine HCl) is a dietary supplement primarily used for treating low stomach acid. In the past, betaine HCl has been used as an over-the-counter digestive aid. However, the FDA banned this substance from being used in over-the-counter products in the 1980s due to a lack of evidence that betaine HCl is safe and effective. This article is about the main benefits of betaine hydrochloride, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.
Potential benefits
It is important to note that all of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. Generally, the higher the dose, the more pronounced the effects are. However, they do reach a plateau at a certain point. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.
Many possible benefits fall under the umbrella of ‘correcting a choline deficiency’ and are therefore not mentioned in the article. If you are deficient in choline, betaine HCl supplements can positively affect your cognition, performance, and overall health.
Major benefits
Reduced symptoms of hypochlorhydria – Hypochlorhydria is an insufficiency of stomach acid needed to digest food properly. Hypochlorhydria affects around 20% of people and is most common in those who smoke, use antacids, or are older. Symptoms of hypochlorhydria include feeling full early, indigestion, gas, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea.
Correcting or preventing a choline deficiency – While betaine (trimethylglycine) cannot fully replace choline in its functions, it can decrease your choline needs by about a half. This is because betaine is vital in the methylation process and a lot of choline you consume has to convert into betaine to support methylation. If you get enough betaine, the choline you consume can instead be utilized for other processes, such as forming the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Most adults need about 550 mg of choline. Betaine (TMG) can replace about half the choline you need, so about 275 mg. This means that if you consume 275 mg or more of betaine, you only need to get 275 mg of choline to avoid a deficiency. If you are experiencing symptoms of choline deficiency or know that your choline levels are too low, correcting a deficiency is one of the main benefits of betaine HCl supplements. It is important to note that choline donors and TMG supplements are much better for getting enough choline than betaine HCl.
Minor benefits
Improved digestion – This is the most common reason why people supplement with betaine HCl. Increased stomach acidity can lead to improvements in digestion even if you don’t suffer from hypochlorhydria. The reason this benefit falls into the category of minor benefits and not major ones is that there isn’t much scientific evidence to prove that betaine HCl improves digestion in people without hypochlorhydria. While lots of anecdotal evidence suggest betaine HCl is beneficial in this area, there seem to be better supplements for people suffering from digestive problems, especially when they are not directly related to low stomach acid.
Possible side effects
These side effects are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.
Heartburn – This is the most common side effect associated with betaine HCl.
Peptic ulcer disease – There is a concern that the hydrochloric acid produced from betaine hydrochloride might irritate stomach ulcers or keep them from healing.
Contamination – Contaminated supplements are uncommon in the USA and other well-regulated countries. However, if you wish to buy products from China, India, or other countries without strict regulations, beware that the supplements may be contaminated. Either way, you need to choose the brand you order from wisely. It is highly recommended to check the certificates or read through some reviews for the specific product before you buy it. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has the power to regulate dietary supplements but can only do so after they have been on the market for a while. That’s because supplement companies are not obligated to announce to the FDA when releasing a new product on the market. The FDA has to discover the product and test it for potential impurities, which can take a lot of time. During that time, the supplement can be sold on the market even if it’s impure. Also, the supplement companies can change their manufacturers at any time without announcing it to the FDA.
Who should not take betaine HCl?
You should probably avoid taking the supplement if you:
don’t experience issues related to low stomach acid
experience an adverse reaction after taking the supplement
are a child
are a pregnant or breastfeeding woman
take antacids, PPIs, or H2 blockers (betaine HCl can reduce the effectiveness of these)
are on a tight supplement budget (since there are more cost-effective supplements on the market for most people)
Who will benefit the most?
You should consider taking the supplement if you:
suffer from low stomach acid and safer options to increase stomach acid don’t seem to work for you
are deficient in choline (however, there are much better supplements to treat a choline deficiency than betaine HCl)
Betaine HCl vs. betaine anhydrous
Betaine anhydrous is another name for TMG (trimethylglycine). This is the form of betaine used in the methylation process. While betaine HCl can likely support methylation as well, its effects are fairly different from betaine anhydrous.
The main potential benefit of betaine HCl is improved digestion in people who suffer from low stomach acid. TMG, on the other hand, is a lot more efficacious for replacing choline in the methylation process and for protecting the liver from damage caused by certain compounds, such as niacin.
In the vast majority of cases, TMG is a safer and more beneficial supplement than betaine HCl. Betaine HCl is only worth the consideration if you’ve tried safer digestive aids and they don’t seem to work.
How much betaine HCl should you take?
If you are taking the supplement to improve digestion, 300-650 mg appears to be the best dose to take for most people. This amount should provide most of the benefits without intense side effects.
The higher the dose you take, the higher the risk for side effects. Taking more than 650 mg daily should not be necessary and is not recommended unless you have a great reason to do so.
Best time to take betaine HCl
Since the main benefit of the supplement is increasing stomach acid for improved digestion, the best time to take betaine HCl is right after eating a meal. Taking it before a meal may create a false experience of heartburn and can turn off stomach acid production for this meal.
Interactions with other supplements
Pepsin Betaine HCl itself is not very effective at supporting a breakdown of protein. An enzyme called pepsin is often added to betaine HCl supplements because it aids protein digestion.
Antacids, PPIs, and H2 blockers Betaine HCl can reduce the effectiveness of these pharmaceuticals.
NSAIDs Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as corticosteroids and Ibuprofen, may harm your stomach lining. Taking betaine HCl and NSAIDs together can lead to many side effects, such as a peptic ulcer.
Where to buy betaine HCl
Amazon seems to be the best option for ordering betaine HCl supplements in most countries. They offer some very affordable products backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands without having to search through other markets on the internet.
Beware some brands display the dosage per serving instead of per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.
FAQ
Yes. Because of its unclear side effect profile, you do not want to take betaine HCl daily unless you have a very good reason to do so.
Yes. The doesn’t seem to impact your sleep in any negative way in the short term.
The supplements rarely go bad, but they can lose potency over time.
Keep the supplements in a cold, dark, and dry place, and they will remain just as potent for many months or even years.
The supplement doesn’t directly reduce acne.
Too much betaine HCl can cause some health problems, such as heartburn. To stay on the safe side, it is best to stay below 650 mg a day to prevent these side effects.
The supplement has a very rapid onset. It takes 2-10 minutes before the supplement starts working as a digestive aid.
The majority of betaine HCl supplements on the market are vegan-friendly but always check the label to be sure.
The supplement is water-soluble, which means you technically don’t have to take it with food to absorb it well. However, taking it with food is still much better for many reasons. Taking betaine hydrochloride on empty stomach can significantly increase the risk of heartburn and other side effects.
While betaine hydrochloride doesn’t seem to interfere with fasting, you still don’t want to take it in a fasted state. Taking betaine hydrochloride on an empty stomach significantly increases the risk for heartburn and other side effects associated with the supplement. There also doesn’t seem to be any point of taking betaine hydrochloride without food as its main benefit is increasing stomach acid to help you digest food.
References
Most of the information provided in this guide is supported by scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything said in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.
