Discovered in 1905 by Phoebus Levene, ribose sugar occurs widely in nature, predominately as D-ribose in the ring formation as shown. It is the building blocks of RNA, genetic material that transcribes DNA to proteins. Removing the hydroxyl group at the 2 position would make deoxyribose which is the building blocks of DNA. Phosphorated forms of ribose are consitutents of energy molecules such as ATP and NADH which are essential in metabolism.
Adenosine triposphate or ATP is an energy molecule in our body. Every cell and tissue requires ATP for all physiological acitivity, muscular contraction and movement, circulation of blood, and operations in the repiratory and digestive systems. There are two ways to generate ATP: creating new ATP molecules and recycling old ones, and both processes require D-ribose molecules.
D-ribose is abundant in a variety of foods that humans consume. Thus, it only acts as a supplment in certain circumstances. Nevertheless, ribose has appeared in a wide vairety of products. It has been shown to reduce fatigue, and also used as a treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Recent researches have shown that ribose is effective in increasing endurance, rate of recovery, and muscle mass, making it an ideal supplement for body builders or to improve athletic performance. Furthermore, some doctors are recommending D-ribose as part of treatments to improve cardiovascular health. Since the cardiac muscles can be quickly depleted of ATP, the presence of D-ribose can restore the lost of energy in a case of heart failure and cardiac arrest. Overall, taking supplements will enable one to rapidly generate sufficient ATP for all kinds of activities including immunological reactions.
To date, D-ribose has been deemed to be the most effective energy supplement with the least number of side effects. This ingredient can be taken orally to provide a boost of energy anytime, anywhere.
Reference: (1) http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytochemicals /rutin.php (2) http://www.herbalist.com/wiki.details/RUTIN/ (3) http://www.florahealth.com/flora/home/Canada/ HealthInformation/Encyclopedias/Rutin.htm
