2023-08-18 17:00:00
It is a food supplement, over the counter, available in all fitness shops. HMB, or hydroxymethylbutyrate, very popular with bodybuilders, would help, according to researchers at Rush University (Chicago), to prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The results of their work were published July 25 in the journal Cell Reports.
“This is perhaps one of the safest and easiest approaches to stopping disease progression and protecting the memory of Alzheimer’s patients,” notes Dr. Kalipada Pahan, professor of neurology, biochemistry and pharmacology, lead author of the study.
Renowned for its ability to build muscle mass without gaining fat mass, HMB, which is neither a drug nor a steroid, is a safe product, used for a long time by bodybuilders and without any known side effects to date. .
Good for the functioning of neurons
Prof. Pahan and his team administered HMB to mice with Alzheimer’s disease. The product reduced amyloid plaques around neurons, a phenomenon implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. It also acted on proteins known to participate in the proper functioning of neurons, in very small numbers in sick people.
“Our study found that after oral intake, HMB enters the brain to increase these beneficial proteins, restore neuronal connections, and improve memory and learning in mice with Alzheimer’s-like pathology.” Kalipada Pahan.
Another advantage of the HMB? It boosts a nuclear hormone receptor in the brain, PPAR-alpha, involved in the transport of fatty acids, some of which are known to be neuroprotective. “If the results of the mouse with HMB are reproduced in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, this would open a promising avenue for the treatment of this devastating neurodegenerative disease”, further specifies the researcher.
To note : According to the WHO, more than 55 million people are affected by dementia in the world. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause, implicated in 60-70% of cases. In France, it most often appears after the age of 65 and strikes approximately 225,000 people each year.
Source : Rush university medical Center
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