A naturally occurring compound that has been of interest for its role in osmoregulation. As a drug, betaine hydrochloride has been used as a source of hydrochloric acid in the treatment of hypochlorhydria. Betaine has also been used in the treatment of liver disorders, for hyperkalemia, for homocystinuria, and for gastrointestinal disturbances

Betaine anhydrous is also used for treating high blood homocysteine levels, liverdisease, depression, osteoarthritis, congestive heart failure (CHF), and obesity; for boosting the immune system; and for improving athletic performance. It is also used for preventing noncancerous tumors in the colon (colorectal adenomas).

Topically, betaine anhydrous is used as an ingredient in toothpastes to reduce the symptoms of dry mouth.

APPLICATION AREAS

Betaine is an important ingredient in broiler nutrition. It improves production performance and replaces other methyl group donors such as choline and methionine, assists birds under heat stress conditions and improves slaughter characteristics.

Betaine is used in many healthy foods, such as beverages and dietary supplements.

PRODUCERS

Betain is produced by several companies

Natural Betaine is manufactured in Finland by Danisco.

PROCESS

The natural betaine is extracted    from sugar beet molasses, a side stream of sugar production.

SAMPLE OF IMPORT IN INDIA

GLOBAL MARKET FOR BETAINE

The betaine market size is projected to increase with a rise in the awareness about nutritional value of this product when used in dietary supplement as well as its multi-functional usage such as surfactant and methyl donor. The increase in the popularity of energy and sports drinks, in which betaine is used has further extended the scope for the market. The emerging markets with increasing demand are estimated to generate potential opportunities in the market.

The betaine market is driven by the increase in consumption of natural betaine in food, beverages and feed industry. Betaine is being widely used as an additive to add nutritive value in dietary supplements and energy drinks. The consumption of natural betaine in other food products such as confectioneries, cereal based products, and so on is projected to abet the growth of the betaine market in the food and beverage industry. The inclusion of betaine in feed helps to improve the metabolic functions, and reduce the effects of heat stress in animals. Synthetic betaine is widely being used in industrial applications such as cosmetics, detergents, reagents and many others. In cosmetics, betaine is used as an anti-wrinkling agent, where as it is used as a mild surfactant in soaps, shampoos, and detergents to avoid skin and eye irritation.

The global market for betaine has been witnessing a noticeable growth on account of increasing demand from its end-user industries. The global demand for betaine is anticipated to increase on account of rise in health awareness regarding the nutritional value of betaine as a dietary supplement as well as multi-functional usage such as surfactants and cosmetics. In addition, growing popularity of sports and energy drinks containing betaine has further contributed towards the growth of the market. Emerging markets in Asia Pacific and Latin America with increasing demand for functional and nutritional foods are expected to generate potential opportunities for the growth of the market. Moreover, growth of the feed application industries has also contributed towards the growth of the market in these regions. Wide scale growth of animal husbandry in emerging economies such as China and India has led to the increase in consumption of feed, which in turn are leading to the rise in betaine consumption.