For education only, not medical advice. Ask your doctor before you change your diet or any medication.

Betaine in Plant Based Foods

285 plant foods ranked by betaine per 100 g. Search a food, pick a food group or keep whole foods only.

  • 285 plant foods with betaine data
  • Source: USDA Choline Database, Release 2
  • Published: 2008 — USDA Agricultural Research Service
  • Units: mg betaine per 100 g fresh weight

Top 50 of 120 whole foods (285 with the switch off), per 100 g unless marked.

# Group
1 Quinoa Grains 630
2 Beets, raw Vegetables 130
3 Kamut, uncooked Grains 110
4 Bulgur wheat, cooked Grains 83
5 Amaranth Grains 68
6 Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, without salt Vegetables 35
7 Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dried Seeds 35
8 Oat bran, raw Grains 20
9 Spices, basil, dried Spices and Herbs 16
10 Cornmeal, whole-grain, yellow Grains 12
11 Mushrooms, raw Vegetables 11
12 Spices, oregano, dried Spices and Herbs 9.8
13 Spices, turmeric, ground Spices and Herbs 9.7
14 Spices, pepper, black Spices and Herbs 8.9
15 Spices, paprika Spices and Herbs 7.1
16 Veggie burgers, unprepared Legumes 6.1
17 Corn bran, crude Grains 4.6
18 Spices, cinnamon, ground Spices and Herbs 3.9
19 Spices, ginger, ground Spices and Herbs 3.4
20 Seeds, flaxseed Seeds 3.1
21 Buckwheat groats, roasted, dry Grains 2.6
22 Teff, uncooked Grains 2.3
23 Soybeans, mature seeds, raw Legumes 2.1
24 Spices, mustard seed, yellow Spices and Herbs 1.9
25 Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, with salt added Seeds 1.5
26 Spices, cloves, ground Spices and Herbs 1.4
27 Nuts, coconut meat, dried (desiccated), sweetened, flaked, packaged Nuts 1.3
28 Cattail shoots American Indian/Alaska Native Foods 1.1
29 Spices, poppy seed Spices and Herbs 0.9
30 Figs, dried, uncooked Fruits 0.8
31 Raspberries, raw Fruits 0.8
32 Nuts, pistachio nuts, dry roasted, with salt added Nuts 0.8
33 Avocados, raw, California Fruits 0.7
34 Nuts, pecans Nuts 0.7
35 Seeds, sesame seed kernels, dried (decorticated) Seeds 0.7
36 Asparagus, raw Vegetables 0.6
37 Nuts, walnuts, black, dried Nuts 0.6
38 Peanuts, all types, raw Legumes 0.6
39 Kiwi fruit, (Chinese gooseberries), fresh, raw Fruits 0.5
40 Nuts, almonds Nuts 0.5
41 Buckwheat groats, roasted, cooked Grains 0.5
42 Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked Grains 0.5
43 Blueberries, wild, raw (Alaska Native) American Indian/Alaska Native Foods 0.5
44 Chokecherries, raw, pitted American Indian/Alaska Native Foods 0.5
45 Basil, fresh Spices and Herbs 0.4
46 Dates, deglet noor Fruits 0.4
47 Plums, dried, (prunes), uncooked Fruits 0.4
48 Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw Vegetables 0.4
49 Cabbage, raw Vegetables 0.4
50 Carrots, raw Vegetables 0.4

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Good to know

Methyl donor synergy

Betaine and choline are both methyl donors that feed the same methylation cycle. High dietary betaine helps lower plasma homocysteine, a key cardiovascular risk marker, and can spare the body’s requirement for choline.

Questions

How much betaine should you eat per day?

There is no official Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for betaine. Typical intake on a Western diet runs 100–300 mg/day. Studies on cardiovascular benefits and athletic performance have used supplement doses of 1,000–2,500 mg/day. A whole-food plant based diet rich in spinach, quinoa, wheat germ, oat bran, and beets can deliver 500–1,000 mg/day naturally from food. There is no established tolerable upper intake level for dietary betaine from food sources.

What is the difference between betaine and choline?

They are closely related methyl donors. Choline is an essential nutrient used to build cell membranes (as phosphatidylcholine) and produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. When choline is oxidised in the liver and kidneys, it becomes betaine — so betaine is actually a metabolite of choline. Betaine then acts as an alternative methyl donor in the same methylation cycle. A practical consequence: high dietary betaine intake reduces the body's demand for choline, making betaine-rich plant foods like spinach, quinoa, and wheat germ particularly valuable.

What is the difference between betaine HCl and betaine TMG?

These are two different supplements with completely different purposes. Betaine HCl (betaine hydrochloride) is used to increase stomach acidity and support protein digestion — it is not the same compound and should not be used interchangeably. Betaine TMG (trimethylglycine or betaine anhydrous) is the naturally occurring form found in wheat germ, spinach, and beets; it functions as a methyl donor and is used for homocysteine management, liver support, and methylation. When choosing a supplement for cardiovascular or methylation support, specifically look for "betaine anhydrous" or "TMG" — not betaine HCl.

Is betaine the same as beet extract or beetroot powder?

No. Beetroot contains betaine but is not synonymous with it. Betaine was first isolated from sugar beet molasses in the 19th century, which is how the compound got its name. However, beetroot is not the richest source — wheat bran (~1,340 mg/100g) and wheat germ (~1,240 mg/100g) contain several times more betaine than whole beets (~128–297 mg/100g). Beetroot supplements marketed for athletic performance typically target their nitrate content, which boosts nitric oxide production via a different pathway entirely. Betaine and nitrates are distinct compounds with distinct mechanisms.

Can you get enough betaine on a plant based diet?

Yes — plant based diets are among the best dietary patterns for betaine intake. Unlike choline (where plant based eaters sometimes need to be deliberate), betaine is abundant in whole grains, leafy greens, and pseudocereals that are staples of a whole-food plant based diet. Regular consumption of oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, quinoa, spinach, beets, and chard easily delivers 400–800 mg of betaine per day without any supplementation. This makes plant based eaters well-positioned to benefit from betaine's cardiovascular and methylation-supporting roles.

What foods are high in TMG?

Among plant foods, the highest TMG (betaine) sources are wheat bran, wheat germ, oat bran, spinach, quinoa, amaranth, beetroot, chard, and rye bread. Wheat germ and wheat bran top the list at over 1,000 mg/100g — several times higher than beets (~128–297 mg/100g), which are often highlighted but are not actually the richest source. Use the ranking table above to browse and filter by food group.

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