Dimethylglycine (DMG) has one less methyl group than Betaine (TMG)

In the last post I mentioned that I started taking a specific form of an amino acid after I had found out that I have a genetic defect but that I didn’t really know how much might be necessary per day. The difference in my genes affects my ability to convert betaine the common name for trimethylglycine, into a more usable form called dimethylglycine. Betaine has one more methyl group than DMG. It is also called vitamin B15.  Methyl groups are important for many things including preventing cancerous changes from occurring in the genetic structure of cells. [1]

What I didn’t know was how much might be necessary for me to take for daily health. A reference suggested that two grams per day is a minimal daily goal but that up to ten grams per day may be more optimal for health – not enough information is available about that however.

Two to ten grams per day is a specific number. I was taking two 100 milligram tablets per day. Two hundred milligrams is 1800 milligrams less than two grams – so I let my fingers doing the walking and found a bulk supply which I will be able to spoon into something liquid and just drink or eat. The switch will also save me a significant amount of money.  [2]

The bottle of sixty 100 mg tablets provided 6000 milligrams / 6 grams of DMG at a price of $7.64 which I would use in one month. That seems inexpensive but it only provides 200 mg per day not 2 grams which is 2000 milligrams. At that level of use the bottle would last three days. At 10 grams per day I would need more than one bottle per day. The one kilogram bag supplies 1,000,000 milligrams for $65.96. If I use 2 grams per day the bag will last me 500 days or 100 days if I tried to use 10 grams per day. (2 grams of powder is roughly less than one teaspoon, there’s about 5 grams of liquid in a teaspoon but you would need to know the density/weight/mass of a powder to be able to calculate how many grams of a powder would fit in a teaspoon [3])

The genetic defect is in the gene that produces an enzyme that helps break down betaine/trimethylglyine into dimethylglycine and it is also involved in methionine metabolism but that is a different supplement/different topic. The gene is BHMT/1 (Call – T), and the enzyme it encodes for is Betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT). See point #3 in the following post: Methylation Cycle Defects – in me – genetic screening “for research purposes only” . The post includes the link to the company that provides the genetic screening tests ‘for research purposes only’ (in other words: it can not be claimed to be ‘for diagnostic purposes’ legally at this stage of research and federal regulations).

The screening panel was developed to screen for defects that have been found to be more common in patients with autism. It was created by a scientist with a PhD and experience in genetics rather than an MD. The company provides nutritional information and possibly supplements but I haven’t spent enough time looking at the information to provide any review or opinion. I looked up information about my defects (11 out of 30) on my own. My notes are included in the linked post, it is not written as an essay type article with a beginning and end, it is a long list of notes for each defect*/gene allele/anomaly.

*Some gene differences are not negative as the word ‘defect’ suggests; allele is the word used in genetics for all the many known variations of one gene, there can be many slightly different forms with effects that might be good, bad, or cause no difference in health.

Nutrigenomics is an new area of science which specializes in providing individualized dietary counseling based on a person’s specific genetic structure. A person with typical genetic structure wouldn’t need to consider such a high dose of Dimethylglycine.

If the concern however is glyphosate substituting for glycine within proteins, then assuring that the body has a plentiful supply of the right kind of puzzle pieces (glycine) could help the body build more functional proteins, as repair and growth occurs every day. Glycine is an essential amino acid and and is not considered dangerous in isolation to my knowledge. (Aspartic acid and glutamate are also free amino acids and they can e dangerous in quantity to the brain as they can activate cell function and cause overwork to the point of cell death, hence the nickname excitotoxins – they are used in the food supply in a popular artificial sweetener and as a flavoring agent in substances such as MSG.)

/Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes./

  1. http://naturalhealingretreats.com/products/essential-vitamins/vitamin-b-15-dimethylglycine-dmg/
  2. https://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-N-Dimethyl-Glycine-Powder-Kilogram/dp/B00GI24VNG/ref=sr_1_12_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1474328044&sr=8-12&keywords=dimethylglycine&th=1
  3. https://www.reference.com/food/many-grams-make-teaspoon-cfafd9ead940e296