A super supplement has been shown to improve memory and muscle health in old age, with researchers saying the findings open up a “promising avenue” for treating Alzheimer’s disease.
Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, also known as HMB, is not a prescription drug or steroid, but an over-the-counter supplement available in sports and fitness stores.
Bodybuilders regularly use HMB to increase exercise-induced gains in muscle size and strength while improving workout performance. HMB is considered safe, even after long-term use, with no known side effects.
Bodybuilders regularly use HMB to increase exercise-induced gains in muscle size and strength
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There is ample evidence that HMB is effective in improving muscle strength and performance.
For example, in a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, researchers evaluated the benefits of HMB supplementation in older adults with sarcopenia, a medical condition characterized by extreme muscle loss.
The study found that HMB significantly enhanced the effect of resistance training on muscle strength, physical performance and muscle quality. It also reduced inflammatory markers.
Scientists are now investigating the possibilities of improving cognitive performance.
Research in mice with Alzheimer’s disease has shown that HMB successfully reduces plaques and increases factors that contribute to neuronal growth to protect learning and memory.
In a mouse study published in the journal Cell reports, Researchers investigated whether HMB could reach the brain after oral administration.
Three days after oral treatment, HMB was found in the hippocampus of mice that had received HMB, compared to mice that had not received control. This indicates that HMB can cross the blood-brain barrier.
The hippocampus is a brain region responsible for learning and memory. Leaks in the blood-brain barrier have been linked to forgetfulness in old age.
HMB was detected in the hippocampus of HMB-fed mice
Cell reports
Previous studies have shown that a family of proteins known as neurotrophic factors are dramatically reduced in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. These proteins appear to play a role in the survival and function of neurons. Neurons are cells that send messages from the body to the brain and vice versa.
“Our research has shown that after oral administration, HMB travels to the brain and increases beneficial proteins, restores neuronal connections and improves memory and learning in mice with Alzheimer’s-like conditions such as plaques and tangles,” said Kalipada Pahan, a professor of neurology at RUSH Medical College.
The study results indicate that HMB stimulates a nuclear hormone receptor called PPAR? in the brain that regulates the transport of fatty acids, which is crucial to HMB’s success as a neuroprotective supplement.
“If the results with HMB in mice can be replicated in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, it would open up a promising avenue for treating this devastating neurodegenerative disease,” said Professor Pahan.
“This may be one of the safest and simplest ways to stop disease progression and protect memory in Alzheimer’s patients,” he added.