153 What Is HMB and What Does it Do? HMB ( β -hydroxy- β -methylbutyrate) is an active metabolite of leucine that may protect muscle cells and preserve muscle tissue.* Leucine is an essential amino acid found in various protein-rich foods. HMB has been studied for over 25 years, has been the subject of over 50 publications, and is included in Juven, Ensure Enlive, and PROTALITY ™ Advance. HMB supplementation has been shown to 1,2, * • Help reduce muscle protein breakdown • Help promote muscle protein synthesis What Is the Recommended Dose of HMB? 3 g of HMB has been shown to support muscle health. HMB can be found in small amounts in some foods, such as grapefruit, alfalfa, and catfish, and is naturally produced in low levels in the body from protein. While the body can produce HMB from leucine, only about 5% of dietary leucine is converted into HMB. An individual would have to eat one of the following to get 3 g of HMB: Daily Values and Reference Daily Intakes Food labels report the Daily Value (DV), usually represented as both a value and a percentage of the DV (%DV), based on a 2000-kcal dietary intake for ages 4 and above. The DVs themselves are based on two reference nutrient sets for food labeling purposes: 1) Daily Reference Values (DRVs) and 2) Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs). DRVs cover total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sodium, protein, and added sugars; RDIs cover the vitamins and minerals for everyone above the age of 4. Typically, the DV is the DRV or RDI per 2000 kcal (occasionally other caloric values are used or shown on food labels). DRVs and RDIs were revised by the FDA in 2016. The overall purpose of the DV is to aid the individual to assess the nutritional content of a particular food and compare foods. RAE = Retinol Activity Equivalents; 1 mcg RAE = 1 mcg retinol, 2 mcg supplemental beta-carotene, 12 mcg dietary beta-carotene, or 24 mcg dietary alpha-carotene or beta- cryptoxanthin IU = International Units NE = Niacin Equivalents; 1 mg NE = 1 mg niacin = 60 mg tryptophan DFE = Dietary Folate Equivalents; 1 DFE = 1 mc g naturally occurring folate = 0.6 mcg folic acid Vitamin E = label claim is listed in mg alpha-tocopherol 1 mg alpha-tocopherol = 1 mg of natural alpha-tocopherol 1 mg alpha-tocopherol = 2 mg of synthetic alpha-tocopherol Nutrient Base: Refers to the amount of product needed (calorie/volume) to meet or exceed 100% of the RDIs • 110 large eggs • 14 chicken breasts • 70 cups of 1% milk • 32 tilapia fillets • 6 beef steaks • 46 cups of lentils *3 g of HMB has been shown to support muscle health. Juven, Ensure Enlive, and PROTALITY Advance contain 1.5 g HMB per serving.. References: 1. Wilkinson DJ, et al. J Physiol. 2013;591(11):2911-2923. 2. Wilkinson DJ, et al. Clin Nutr. 2018;37(6 Pt A):2068-2075.