Sources and literature

The published research that informed how Biocare was formulated. Thirty two references, grouped by the formulation decision each one relates to, with links to the original journals.

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Protein, leucine and lean mass

Informed the whey and casein blend, the leucine level, and the vitamin D dose alongside it.

  1. Cereda, Emanuele, Roberto Pisati, Mariangela Rondanelli, and Riccardo Caccialanza. 2022. “Whey Protein, Leucine- and Vitamin-D-Enriched Oral Nutritional Supplementation for the Treatment of Sarcopenia.” Nutrients 14 (7): 1524. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14071524
  2. Chang, Min Cheol, and Yoo Jin Choo. 2023. “Effects of Whey Protein, Leucine, and Vitamin D Supplementation in Patients with Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Nutrients 15 (3): 521. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15030521
  3. Devkota, Suzanne, and Donald K. Layman. 2010. “Protein Metabolic Roles in Treatment of Obesity.” Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care 13 (4): 403–7. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCO.0b013e32833a7737
  4. Devries, Michaela C., and Stuart M. Phillips. 2015. “Supplemental Protein in Support of Muscle Mass and Health: Advantage Whey.” Journal of Food Science 80 (S1): A8–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.12802

Creatine

Informed the decision to add creatine monohydrate rather than rely on dietary intake.

  1. Brosnan, John T., Robin P. Da Silva, and Margaret E. Brosnan. 2011. “The Metabolic Burden of Creatine Synthesis.” Amino Acids 40 (5): 1325–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-011-0853-y
  2. Kreider, Richard B., and Jeffery R. Stout. 2021. “Creatine in Health and Disease.” Nutrients 13 (2): 447. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020447
  3. Ostojic, Sergej M., and Scott C. Forbes. 2022. “Perspective: Creatine, a Conditionally Essential Nutrient: Building the Case.” Advances in Nutrition 13 (1): 34–37. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab111
  4. Ostojic, Sergej M., Darinka Korovljev, and Valdemar Stajer. 2021. “Dietary Intake of Creatine and Risk of Medical Conditions in U.S. Older Men and Women: Data from the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.” Food Science & Nutrition 9 (10): 5746–54. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.2543

Micronutrients that support protein utilization

Informed the vitamin D, zinc, B6 and B12 levels, which sit above Daily Value for a stated reason.

  1. Allen, Lindsay H. 2012. “Vitamin B-12.” Advances in Nutrition 3 (1): 54–55. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.111.001370
  2. Bischoff-Ferrari, Heike, Hannes B. Stähelin, and Paul Walter. 2011. “Vitamin D Effects on Bone and Muscle.” International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 81 (4): 264–72. https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000072
  3. Chen, Bonan, Peiyao Yu, Wai Nok Chan, Fuda Xie, Yigan Zhang, Li Liang, Kam Tong Leung, et al. 2024. “Cellular Zinc Metabolism and Zinc Signaling: From Biological Functions to Diseases and Therapeutic Targets.” Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy 9 (1): 6. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-023-01679-y
  4. Daniel, Deepu, Patrick Hardigan, Natasha Bray, Dennis Penzell, and Christina Savu. 2015. “The Incidence of Vitamin D Deficiency in the Obese: A Retrospective Chart Review.” Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 5 (1): 26069. https://doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v5.26069
  5. Dědečková, Eva, Roman Viták, Michal Jirásko, Markéta Králová, Ondřej Topolčan, Ladislav Pecen, Tomáš Fürst, Pavel Brož, and Radek Kučera. 2023. “Vitamin D3 Supplementation: Comparison of 1000 IU and 2000 IU Dose in Healthy Individuals.” Life 13 (3): 808. https://doi.org/10.3390/life13030808
  6. Hernández-Camacho, Juan Diego, Cristina Vicente-García, Douglas S. Parsons, and Ignacio Navas-Enamorado. 2020. “Zinc at the Crossroads of Exercise and Proteostasis.” Redox Biology 35 (August): 101529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2020.101529
  7. Kato, Norihisa, Akiko Kimoto, Peipei Zhang, Chanikan Bumrungkit, Sajith Karunaratne, Noriyuki Yanaka, and Thanutchaporn Kumrungsee. 2024. “Relationship of Low Vitamin B6 Status with Sarcopenia, Frailty, and Mortality: A Narrative Review.” Nutrients 16 (1): 177. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16010177
  8. Sharma, Sowmya, Rohini Bhadra, Sumithra Selvam, and Sucharita Sambashivaiah. 2024. “Vitamin B12 Status and Skeletal Muscle Function among Elderly: A Literature Review and Pilot Study on the Effect of Oral Vitamin B12 Supplementation in Improving Muscle Function.” AGING MEDICINE 7 (4): 480–89. https://doi.org/10.1002/agm2.12346

Digestive comfort

Informed the four ingredients included for gastrointestinal tolerance, at the doses used in that research.

  1. Hewlings, Susan, and Douglas Kalman. 2020. “A Review of Zinc-L-Carnosine and Its Positive Effects on Oral Mucositis, Taste Disorders, and Gastrointestinal Disorders.” Nutrients 12 (3): 665. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12030665
  2. Majeed, Muhammed, Shaheen Majeed, Kalyanam Nagabhushanam, Sivakumar Arumugam, Anurag Pande, Mahesh Paschapur, and Furqan Ali. 2018. “Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of a Multienzyme Complex in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.” Journal of Medicinal Food 21 (11): 1120–28. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2017.4172
  3. Majeed, Muhammed, Kalyanam Nagabhushanam, Shaji Paulose, Sivakumar Arumugam, and Lakshmi Mundkur. 2023. “The Effects of Bacillus Coagulans MTCC 5856 on Functional Gas and Bloating in Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.” Medicine 102 (9): e33109. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000033109
  4. Raveendra, Kadur Ramamurthy, Jayachandra, Venkatappa Srinivasa, Kadur Raveendra Sushma, Joseph Joshua Allan, Krishnagouda Shankargouda Goudar, Hebbani Nagarajappa Shivaprasad, et al. 2012. “An Extract of Glycyrrhiza Glabra (GutGard) Alleviates Symptoms of Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012: 216970. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/216970
  5. Shah, Neha D., and Berkeley N. Limketkai. 2017. “The Use of Medium-Chain Triglycerides in Gastrointestinal Disorders.” Practical Gastroenterology, 7.

Fiber, and pairing it with the probiotic

Informed the choice of prebiotic fiber types rather than fiber generally.

  1. Baker, Ella J., Elizabeth A. Miles, Graham C. Burdge, Parveen Yaqoob, and Philip C. Calder. 2016. “Metabolism and Functional Effects of Plant-Derived Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Humans.” Progress in Lipid Research 64 (October): 30–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plipres.2016.07.002
  2. Parikh, Mihir, Thane G. Maddaford, J. Alejandro Austria, Michel Aliani, Thomas Netticadan, and Grant N. Pierce. 2019. “Dietary Flaxseed as a Strategy for Improving Human Health.” Nutrients 11 (5). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051171
  3. Parikh, Mihir, Thomas Netticadan, and Grant N. Pierce. 2018. “Flaxseed: Its Bioactive Components and Their Cardiovascular Benefits.” American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology 314 (2): H146–59. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00400.2017
  4. Włodarczyk, Michał, and Katarzyna Śliżewska. 2021. “Efficiency of Resistant Starch and Dextrins as Prebiotics: A Review of the Existing Evidence and Clinical Trials.” Nutrients 13 (11): 3808. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113808
  5. You, Siyong, Yuchen Ma, Bowen Yan, Wenhui Pei, Qiming Wu, Chao Ding, and Caoxing Huang. 2022. “The Promotion Mechanism of Prebiotics for Probiotics: A Review.” Frontiers in Nutrition 9: 1000517. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.1000517

Mineral form, absorption and shelf stability

Informed the use of chelated minerals, the vitamin K2 pairing with calcium, and microencapsulation.

  1. Alonso, N., A. Meinitzer, E. Fritz-Petrin, D. Enko, and M. Herrmann. 2022. “Role of Vitamin K in Bone and Muscle Metabolism.” Calcified Tissue International 112 (2): 178–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-022-00955-3
  2. Mandatori, Domitilla, Letizia Pelusi, Valeria Schiavone, Caterina Pipino, Natalia Di Pietro, and Assunta Pandolfi. 2021. “The Dual Role of Vitamin K2 in ‘Bone-Vascular Crosstalk’: Opposite Effects on Bone Loss and Vascular Calcification.” Nutrients 13 (4): 1222. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041222
  3. Maresz, Katarzyna. 2015. “Proper Calcium Use: Vitamin K2 as a Promoter of Bone and Cardiovascular Health.” Integrative Medicine (Encinitas, Calif.) 14 (1): 34–39.
  4. Mattar, Ghadeer, Amira Haddarah, Joseph Haddad, Montserrat Pujola, and Francesc Sepulcre. 2022. “New Approaches, Bioavailability and the Use of Chelates as a Promising Method for Food Fortification.” Food Chemistry 373 (March): 131394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131394
  5. Ward, L. n.d. “TruCal Milk Calcium Significantly Increases Bone Strength and Improves Bone Biomarkers In Vivo.”
  6. Yan, Cuie, Sang-Ryoung Kim, Daniela R. Ruiz, and Jordan R. Farmer. 2022. “Microencapsulation for Food Applications: A Review.” ACS Applied Bio Materials 5 (12): 5497–5512. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsabm.2c00673

This list is provided so that formulation decisions can be checked against their sources. Citation of a study does not mean the study was conducted on Biocare, or that its findings apply to any individual. Much of this literature examines isolated ingredients in other populations, sometimes at doses that differ from ours. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.