Graphic abstract. Credit: Cell reports (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112717
RUSH researchers recently discovered that a muscle-building supplement called beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, also called HMB, can help protect memory, reduce plaques and ultimately help prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The results of the study have been published in Cell reports.
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 exercise performance. HMB is considered safe even after prolonged use, with no known side effects.
“This may be one of the safest and easiest approaches to halting disease progression and protecting memory in patients with Alzheimer’s disease,” says Kalipada Pahan, Ph.D., the Floyd A. Davis, MD, professor of neurology and professor of neuroscience, biochemistry, and pharmacology at RUSH Medical College.
Reduces plaques
Studies in mice with Alzheimer’s disease have shown that HMB successfully reduces plaques and increases neuronal growth factors to protect learning and memory, according to neurological researchers at RUSH.
“Understanding how the disease works is important for developing effective drugs to protect the brain and halt the progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” Pahan said.
Previous studies indicate that a family of proteins known as neurotrophic factors are drastically reduced in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s and have been found to aid in the survival and functioning of neurons, which are cells that receive and transmit messages from the body to the brain and vice versa.
“Our study showed that after oral consumption, HMB enters the brain to increase these beneficial proteins, restore neuronal connections and improve memory and learning in mice with Alzheimer’s-like pathology, such as plaques and tangles,” Pahan said.
‘Promising treatment route’
The study findings indicate that HMB stimulates a nuclear hormone receptor called PPARα in the brain that regulates fatty acid transport, which is key to HMB’s success as a neuroprotective supplement.
“If mouse results with HMB are replicated in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, it would open a promising avenue for treating this devastating neurodegenerative disease,” Pahan said.
More information:
Ramesh K. Paidi et al, Muscle building supplement β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate binds to PPARα to improve hippocampal functions in mice, Cell reports (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112717
Quote: Bodybuilding supplement may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease progression (2023, July 20) Retrieved July 23, 2023 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-07-bodybuilding-supplement-stave-alzheimer.html
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