A dietician examines the diet of a patient who is complaining that he is unable to build muscle mass. The patient eats mainly fresh fruits, vegetables, pasta, bread, and some fats and oils. Which type of supplement will the dietician most likely recommend?

Muscles are built from proteins, and proteins are made of amino acids. The patient’s diet includes many carbohydrate-rich foods, such as pasta and bread, but appears to lack a strong protein source, so an amino acid supplement is the best choice. Fatty acids supply energy but do not provide the building blocks needed to make muscle protein.

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