Newly Discovered Compounds Shed Fresh Light On Whole Grain Health Benefits

“This is the first time many of these betaine compounds were observed in the human body in the first place,” Dr Hanhineva says.

At the end of the 12-week follow-up, the researchers also observed a correlation between improved glucose metabolism and increased presence of betaine compounds in the body.

“Pipecolic acid betaine, for example, is particularly interesting. Increased levels of pipecolic acid betaine after the consumption of whole grains was, among other things, associated with lower post-meal glucose levels.”
New compound worked similarly to a heart drug in cell level experiments

One of the betaine compounds discovered by the researchers is 5-aminovaleric acid betaine, 5-AVAB, which seems to cumulate in metabolically active tissues, such as the heart. With this observation in mind, the researchers set out to further test its effects in a cell model.

“We observed that 5-AVAB reduces cardiomyocytes’ use of fatty acids as a source of energy by inhibiting the function of a certain cell membrane protein,” Researcher Olli Kärkkäinen from the University of Eastern Finland says.

“This cell level effect is similar to that of certain drugs used for cardiovascular diseases. However, it is important to keep in mind that we haven’t proceeded beyond cell level experiments yet. We need further research in animals and humans to verify that 5-AVAB really can impact the function of our body.”

However, the discovery of the new compounds associated with whole grains significantly enhances our understanding of why whole grain products are good for our health.

“In the future, we seek to analyse in greater detail the multitude of effects these new compounds can have on the human body, and we will also look into how intestinal microbes possibly contribute to the formation of these compounds,” Dr Hanhineva continues.

The findings were reported in Scientific Reports and The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study was funded by, e.g., the Academy of Finland, Business Finland and Biocenter Finland.