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Loyal Reader Asked

Loyal Reader Asked

Loyal Reader is still very much around and still bringing up some unusual topics. [Bless him!] One he brought up months ago was HBM. There were a bunch of other topic requests before his, but there was also no way I was going to omit one of his topics. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate. And, yes, that is English and it will be explained. Let’s begin with what it does and doesn’t do to our bodies.

“Supplementation with HMB will lead to an improvement in body composition, seeing this improvement from the first month of supplementation. Likewise, it will improve the levels of Prealbumin and IGF-1 as an anabolic hormone. To observe a greater effect on muscle mass with an HMB module…, regular physical activity should be prescribed, since a possible effect of supplementation without it, may only have the effect of slowing down catabolism.”

It’s clear that today’s blog will need a glossary of sorts, so here it is.

Anabolic:

1. Pertaining to a chemical reaction in which small 

molecules, such as amino acids, are combined to 

form larger molecules, such as proteins.

2. Of any substance that increases the rate of 

metabolism of a cell or organism.

3. Of a drug, such as a male sex hormone, that 

promotes body bulk. The Medical-Dictionary

Catabolism: “degradative metabolism involving the release of energy and resulting in the breakdown of complex materials (such as proteins or lipids) within the organism” Merriam-Webster [You didn’t think I’d ignore my favorite dictionary, did you?]  

HMB: “Suzette Pereira, PhD, an Abbott researcher specializing in muscle health, explains that HMB stands for beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, and as scientific as that sounds, its purpose is easier to understand when you realize it’s been part of your diet for a long time.

HMB is naturally produced in small amounts when your body breaks down leucine, an essential amino acid that you can get through eating protein foods including milk and Greek yogurt, soybeans, beef and chicken. It can also naturally be found in very small amounts in foods like avocado, grapefruit, cauliflower and catfish. But it’s difficult to get amounts found to support muscle health just by diet alone and is often found in nutrition supplements.”

IGF-1: ”IGF-1 is a hormone that manages the effects of growth hormone (GH) in your body. Together, IGF-1 and GH promote normal growth of bones and tissues.” MedlinePlus

Prealbumin: “Prealbumin is a protein that is made mainly by your liver. Your body uses it to make other proteins. Prealbumin also carries thyroid hormones in the blood.” University of Rochester Medical Center.

Interesting, but I can just about hear you asking what all this has to do with chronic kidney disease. But first, I found some material about how HMB functions in connection with the kidneys:

“HMB, a water-soluble metabolite of leucine, is excreted in the urine and is not reabsorbed by the kidneys back into the bloodstream. Studies have shown that approximately half of the supplemented HMB is lost through urine. Since the kidneys don’t reabsorb HMB, dividing the daily HMB dosage into three separate doses throughout the day may help to maintain steadier levels of HMB in the blood and thereby enhance its effectiveness….”

Thank you, Examine.com. I did have a hard time finding any information about taking HMB with damaged kidneys, but this paragraph leads me to believe that damaged kidneys may not cause the HMB to be totally excreted from your body.

I was able to locate a positive conclusion from a study published in the BioMedical Journal of Scientific and Technical Research. There was only one problem; the study had a population of ONE person:

“Adequate nutritional advice together with an increase in physical activity, abandoning a sedentary lifestyle, constitute the necessary tools to preserve a good functionality in CKD patients. Weight loss together with an active life will favor the functional capacity of patients with CKD. Supplementation with HMB will lead to an improvement in body composition, seeing this improvement from the first month of supplementation. Likewise, it will improve the levels of Prealbumin and IGF-1 as an anabolic hormone. To observe a greater effect on muscle mass with an HMB module, as in our case, regular physical activity should be prescribed, since a possible effect of supplementation without it, may only have the effect of slowing down catabolism.”

Furthermore, Western New York Urology Associates warned, “However, full safety studies have not been performed, so HMB should not be used by young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease, except on the advice of a physician.” Loyal Reader, take heed.

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Photo by Nashua Volquez-Young on Pexels.com

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Photo by Nashua Volquez-Young on Pexels.com

That said, WebMd offered possible uses of HMB while also cautioning us of the lack of ‘good’ scientific validity of these uses:

“HMB might promote muscle growth. It can be found naturally in small amounts in grapefruit, alfalfa, and catfish. It’s also naturally made in the body.

People use HMB for building muscle or preventing age-related muscle loss. It’s also used for athletic performance, muscle loss due to HIV/AIDS, muscle strength, obesity, and many other purposes, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.”

However, there is an alternative. That is to eat your HMB. VeryWellHealth tells us:

“You can obtain HMB from a few foods. Your body can also make HMB from leucine, which can also be found in foods.

HMB is produced by the body when leucine is broken down. You may be able to increase HMB by eating more foods that contain leucine.”

Foods like grapefruit, alfalfa, and catfish are said to contain HMB. However, these foods may only contain very small amounts of HMB.

Leucine is a part of most proteins and is more easily found in foods than HMB. Leucine is present in animal products in higher amounts than plant-based foods. You can find leucine in….

  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Dairy products
  • Fish
  • Legumes (beans, lentils, peas)
  • Grains (buckwheat, oats, millet)
  • Nuts (cashews, pine nuts, hazelnuts, almonds)
  • Certain fruits and vegetables

Here’s hoping there was enough pro and con re HMB for Loyal Reader – and anyone else considering the use of HMB – to make an informed decision.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

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