What is "dimethylglycine"

n. (context organic compound English) A derivative of glycine in which both hydrogen atoms of the amino group are replaced by methyl groups

Dimethylglycine is a derivative of the amino acid glycine with the structural formula (CH)NCHCOOH. It can be found in beans and liver. It can be formed from trimethylglycine upon the loss of one of its methyl groups. It is also a byproduct of the metabolism of choline.

When DMG was first discovered, it was referred to as Vitamin B, but, unlike true B vitamins, deficiency of DMG in the diet does not lead to any ill-effects and it is synthesized by the human body in the citric acid (or Krebs) cycle meaning it does not meet the definition of a vitamin.