What is TMG? You need to know!

For the past few months, my research team and I have been hard at work reformulating one of my... [Click here](1770d7/ct0_0/1/ms?sid=TV2%3AcXYKgWNwW) to view this message in your browser | [Click here](1770d7/l-002e/zout?sid=TV2%3AcXYKgWNwW) to stop receiving our messages [] [] Al Sears, MD 11905 Southern Blvd. Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 [] April 22, 2024 [] Reader, For the past few months, my research team and I have been hard at work reformulating one of my most popular supplements… I’m really excited about the new ingredients we’ve added. As you can imagine, I’ve been talking about it a lot – with family, friends, and of course, my patients. But I was surprised to hear that not everyone – in fact, not a lot of people outside the athletic performance community – were familiar with one of the ingredients we added. I’m talking about trimethylglycine, or TMG. TMG, also known as betaine, is a naturally occurring amino acid found in plants. It plays a crucial role in maintaining health by supporting a process called methylation. Methylation is like a tiny switch that controls how your body reads and repairs your DNA. Too much interferes with your cells and triggers illness and fatal disease. But TMG’s benefits go far beyond methylation. TMG is associated with numerous health benefits, including: - Decreases insulin resistance and boosts metabolism. In a study with 2,400 people, increasing TMG along with choline lowered insulin resistance and improved fat metabolism. What’s really remarkable is that the supplement worked for everyone – despite calorie intake, physical activity levels, and body fat.1,2 - Reduces heart disease risk. TMG lowers homocysteine, a critical biomarker that reveals your risk for heart disease. A meta-analysis of five studies found that supplementing daily with 4 grams of TMG for a minimum of six weeks lowered homocysteine levels by 20%.3 - Makes your workouts more effective. One review found that TMG enhanced muscle performance, enlarged arm size, and boosted body composition when combined with exercise. TMG works by improving endurance, reducing fatigue, and increasing muscle power and strength.4 - Boosts brain function. Elevated homocysteine has also been linked to an increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders in older adults. TMG has been used clinically to improve cognitive function in patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s.5 - Fights inflammation. TMG suppresses key inflammatory enzymes and cytokines, including TNF-α and COX2.6 As you know, inflammation is behind almost every chronic disease. - Protect against certain kinds of cancer. One study found that higher betaine intake protects against lung cancer by minimizing the adverse effects of smoking. A second suggests that betaine intake may lower the risk of breast cancer.7,8 - Promote healthy mitochondrial function. Studies looking into TMG’s impact on mitochondria – the power plants in cells that turn fuel into energy – showed a direct influence. When treated with TMG, mitochondria improved their respiration, which in turn, enhanced cellular energy production.9 Try These 3 Easy Ways To Increase TMG Your body produces TMG on its own, but you can get it from certain foods and supplements. Here’s how you can boost your levels of TMG to receive all its benefits: - Get more from your food. Your best source of TMG comes from spinach and beets. Additional sources include seafood like wild-caught shrimp, crab, oysters, and scallops. I also recommend eating more pasture-raised meats like pork, beef, veal, and lamb. - Take a supplement. It’s almost impossible to get what you need from food today. I recommend supplementing with 1,000 mg a day. Some people have reported TMG to be a good sleep aid, while others like taking it after a workout. Experiment to see what works best for you. - Make a beetroot spinach smoothie. Here’s an easy, delicious recipe: Serves 2 Ingredients: - 2 cups grass-fed whole milk - cups raw organic spinach - 2 medium organic beets, chopped - cup frozen organic strawberries - tsp TMG powder Directions: - Place all ingredients in a blender. Add the liquid first since this will help blend the frozen fruit and beets. - Start on low, then increase speed to medium-high. - Blend until smooth. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS --------------------------------------------------------------- References: - GaoX, et al. “High dietary choline and betaine intake is associated with low insulin resistance in the Newfoundland population.” Nutrition. 2017;33:28–34. - Du J, et al. “Betaine supplementation enhances lipid metabolism and improves insulin resistance in mice fed a high-fat diet.” Nutrients. 2018 Jan 26;10(2):131. - McRae M. (2013). “Betaine supplementation decreases plasma homocysteine in healthy adult participants: a meta-analysis.” J Chiropractic Med. 2013;12(1):20–25. - Cholewa J, et al. “Chapter 60: An overview of betaine supplementation, sports performance, and body composition.” Bagchi D., Nair S., Sen C.K., editors. Nutrition and Enhanced Sports Performance. 2nd ed. Academic Press; Cambridge, MA, USA: 2019. 691–706. - Sun J, et al. “Association between malnutrition and hyperhomocysteine in Alzheimer’s disease patients and diet intervention of betaine.” J Clin Lab Anal. 2017;31:e22090. - Go E, et al. ““Betaine suppresses proinflammatory signaling during aging…” J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2005 Oct;60(10):1252-64. - Ying J, et al. “Associations between dietary intake of choline and betaine and lung cancer risk.” PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e54561. - Zhang CX, et al. “Choline and betaine intake is inversely associated with breast cancer risk: a two-stage case-control study in China.” Cancer Sci. 2013;104(2):250-258. - Lee I. “Betaine is a positive regulator of mitochondrial respiration.” Biochem Biophys Res Commun.”2015;456(2):621–625. alsearsmd@send.alsearsmd.com [Preferences | Unsubscribe](1770d7/l-002e/zout?sid=TV2%3AcXYKgWNwW) 11905 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach, Florida 33411, United States