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Supplementation With a Combination of [beta]-Hydroxy-[beta]-Methylbutyrate (HMB), Arginine, and Glutamine Is Safe and Could Improve Hematological Parameters

JPEN: Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, Mar/Apr 2004 by Rathmacher, J A, Nissen, S, Panton, L, Clark, R H, Et al

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Independently, the effects of HMB have been investigated. HMB has been extensively studied in young and older adult volunteers and has been demonstrated to decrease muscle protein breakdown and muscle damage when combined with exercise, which results in an increase in muscular mass and strength.11,12,21,37-39 In a safety summary of the studies investigating the effects of HMB, it was reported that HMB supplementation at 3 g/day is safe and well tolerated in humans.10 In addition, HMB supplementation resulted in a net decrease in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure, which suggests a decrease in the relative risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Furthermore, HMB supplementation up to 76 mg/kg of body weight per day (~6 g/day) during resistance training was shown to have no adverse effects on hepatic enzyme function, lipid profile, renal function, or the immune system.15,40

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Arginine at doses as high as 30 to 60 g/day has also been shown to have no adverse events and has been shown to be well tolerated in humans with no differences in liver function tests, creatinine, or blood glucose levels.16,26,41 In clinically stable, HIV-positive adults treated with HAART, arginine supplementation (19.6 g/day) was concluded to be safe according to a lack of adverse clinical, virologic, or neuropsychological events.42

Similarly, in a review by Sacks43 and studies by Ziegler et al,17 it was concluded that glutamine, at doses as high as 40 g/day, was well tolerated without adverse results in healthy volunteers and catabolic patients. Garlick35 recently assessed the safety of glutamine and other amino acids and concluded that some individual amino acids show patterns of toxicity when given in excess. However, no adverse effects of glutamine have been demonstrated when given in doses of 50 to 60 g/day, which is well above the level used in the current 3 studies. Furthermore, the findings from the current 3 studies suggest significant beneficial effects of glutamine and arginine, each at dosages of 14 g/day.

In conclusion, the consumption of HMB, arginine, and glutamine was safe and was not associated with any adverse effects. In addition daily supplementation of these 3 nutrients had some very positive effects on hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell formation, which occurred in all 3 studies but were most prominent in cancer patients. Furthermore, there were also positive effects exerted on lymphocytes and eosinophils, which were most prominent in the AIDS patients. The combination of HMB, arginine, and glutamine also improved mood and decreased perception of weakness. According to these observations, the combination of HMB, arginine, and glutamine should be considered safe and has the potential to improve the overall health of both cancer and AIDS patients.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank Getachew Feleke, Mehraj Din, Tabassum Yasmin, Gurpreet Singh, Faroque Khan, Ann Hourihane, Shawn Baier, John C. Fuller, Jr., and Melodi Meshek for their support in this research. This research was supported in part by a grant from Metabolic Technologies, Inc, Ames, Iowa, and by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (1R43CA83443-01).

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Supplementation With a Combination of [beta]-Hydroxy-[beta]-Methylbutyrate (HMB), Arginine, and Glutamine Is Safe and Could Improve Hematological Parameters

JPEN: Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, Mar/Apr 2004 by Rathmacher, J A, Nissen, S, Panton, L, Clark, R H, Et al

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