The liver is one of the most remarkable organs in the human body. Unlike most other organs, it has the ability to regrow after part of it is removed.
This is why surgeons can safely remove sections of the liver to treat liver cancer, remove damaged tissue, or even transplant part of a healthy liver into another person. Even though the liver can regenerate, the healing process places enormous stress on the body. Scientists are searching for safe ways to help the liver recover more effectively after major surgery.
Researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil have reported encouraging results from a new animal study involving a nutritional supplement called beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, or HMB. Their findings were published in the journal Acta Physiologica.
HMB is a natural substance made from leucine, an essential amino acid found in protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Only a small amount of leucine is converted into HMB inside the body, mostly in the liver.
Because of this, HMB supplements have become popular for helping older adults preserve muscle mass and supporting recovery after illness or long periods of inactivity. However, scientists have carried out relatively few high-quality studies in people, and much less is known about how HMB affects the liver itself.
The Brazilian researchers wanted to see whether taking HMB before liver surgery could help prepare the organ for the stress of healing. In their study, mice received a daily dose of HMB equivalent to about 3 grams a day for a 70-kilogram adult. The supplement was given for 10 days before surgery and then stopped completely.
The researchers removed about 70% of each mouse’s liver, which is a standard laboratory model used to study liver regeneration. As expected, both treated and untreated animals regrew their liver tissue within about one week. At first glance, HMB did not appear to make the liver regenerate faster.
The scientists then asked a different question. Instead of looking only at how quickly the liver grew back, they wanted to know whether the regenerated liver was healthier and stronger.
Seven days after surgery, they challenged the liver again by giving the mice a high dose of acetaminophen, a medicine that can seriously damage the liver when taken in excessive amounts.
This second test revealed clear differences. Mice that had received HMB before surgery showed less liver damage, healthier energy production inside their cells, and better signs of tissue repair.
Their liver cells also maintained healthier mitochondria, the tiny structures that produce energy for nearly every activity inside a cell. Healthy mitochondria are especially important when tissues are under stress.
One surprising finding was that all of these benefits remained even though HMB had been stopped before surgery. Nearly three weeks passed between the last dose of HMB and the second liver injury. This suggests the supplement may have prepared the liver in advance rather than acting only while it was being taken.
The researchers believe this idea of metabolic preparation could become an important area of medicine. If doctors could safely strengthen organs before major surgery, patients might recover better and be more resistant to complications.
However, the researchers also stress that these findings should be interpreted carefully. The study was performed only in mice, not in people. Animal studies are valuable because they allow scientists to test new ideas under carefully controlled conditions, but many treatments that work in animals do not produce the same results in humans.
The study also did not show that HMB speeds up liver regrowth. Instead, it suggests the supplement may improve the quality of recovery by helping liver cells function better after they regenerate. Much larger clinical studies in patients will be needed before doctors can recommend taking HMB before liver surgery.
Study analysis: This research provides promising early evidence that HMB may improve the quality of liver recovery rather than simply speeding regeneration. The experimental design was strong, including a second injury test that demonstrated better liver resilience.
However, because the work was limited to mice, the results should not yet change medical practice. Human clinical trials will be essential to determine whether HMB offers the same benefits before liver surgery.
If you care about liver health, please read studies that refined fiber is link to liver cancer, and the best and worst foods for liver health.
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Source: State University of Campinas (UNICAMP).
