Re: Aspergers

 Thank you! I am familiar with L-carnosine; but I have no idea what trimethylglycine (TMG) is. Would you mind elaborating? I appreciate your input!

Trimethylglycine (TMG, betaine) is a methyl donor, which means it gives up methyl groups to help the body in the manufacturing of other substances such as neurotransmitters, hormones, stomach acid, cartilage, etc. Methyl groups also help with DNA repair, lowers inflammatory homocysteine, helps with osmotic regulation, boosts energy and immunity, help with oxygen utilization and lowers lactic acid, etc. There are about 4,000 methylation reactions that go on in the body.

TMG is produced by the body, but commercial TMG is derived from beet leaves.

Other methyl donors in the body include S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) that contains one methyl group, dimethylglycine (DMG) that contains two methyl group and choline  that contains four methyl groups. But the advantages of TMG are it is stronger and cheaper than SAMe and DMG and safer than choline in higher doses. As TMG breaks down it actually forms in to DMG as it loses one methyl group, then SAMe as it loses a second methyl group.

Methyl donors have been used in the treatment of autism disorders for quite a while, mostly in the form of DMG since it was more widely available. TMG though is becoming more popular now and thus easier to find, and it is a lot less expensive than DMG and especially SAMe.

Here is some information on methylation and autism disorders:

http://www.autism.com/medical/research/jilljames.htm

http://www.discussingautism.com/metallothionein-dysfunction-and-autism/

http://www.denvernaturopathic.com/news/autism.html