Rev Up with Ribose

More Ways to Get Energized

B Complex, Malic Acid, and Magnesium Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, recommends these three nutrients in combination to optimize energy. They can be found as individual supplements or in formulas. Aim to get 800 micrograms of folic acid, between 50 and 100 milligrams of other key B vitamins, 200 to 400 milligrams of magnesium, and 900 milligrams of malic acid daily.

L-carnitine An amino acid found chiefly in red meat and dairy products and also produced by the liver and kidneys, carnitine is used to turn fat into energy.
As a supplement, it can help people with heart disease and fatigue and is often taken by healthy people to improve energy levels. Amounts taken are most often 1 to 3 grams daily in divided doses and on an empty stomach.

CoQ10 Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), found mainly in organ meats and oily fish, is used by the mitochondria, the energy-generating components of every cell. In studies, patients with heart disease and severe fatigue have improved their ability to function by taking CoQ10, and healthy people and athletes take it to boost energy. Because levels of the nutrient naturally decline as we age, integrative physicians frequently recommend taking 50 to 100 milligrams of supplemental CoQ10 after age 35, and up to 200 milligrams where heart disease or chronic fatigue are present.

NT Factor A whole-food-based ingredient, NT Factor is formulated to replace damaged building blocks of cell membranes, restoring the ability of cells to take in and use all other nutrients. It is available in a variety of formulas. Studies have found that between 1,500 and 4,000 milligrams of NT Factor daily improves energy among people suffering from both moderate and severe forms of fatigue, including patients undergoing chemotherapy.

DID YOU KNOW?
Supplementing with ribose may help your heart and muscles recover more quickly from vigorous exercise.

Holly Jacobson, a nurse in Clermont, Fla., could never get enough sleep. Even after eight hours, she was still exhausted. She also began experiencing heart palpitations, breathlessness, and brain fogginess. One night, Jacobson woke up with her heart racing. First thing the next morning, she called her doctor.

The diagnosis was a mixed blessing. Jacobson had a mild heart problem that could be corrected with a series of noninvasive medical treatments. However, her insurance plan would not immediately approve the procedure. While the insurance coverage was being sorted out, Jacobson’s cardiologist recommended Corvalen D-ribose powder (also called ribose), and she started mixing a scoop of it into her orange juice every day.

Jacobson quickly experienced results. Within a week, she was waking up refreshed and feeling like her old self. Ribose powder became part of her daily routine. Two years later, her heart problem has been resolved, but she still takes ribose. It gives her energy to spare, she says, “Not just to get through my days, but to enjoy every minute of them.”

What Ribose Does
“Ribose is what the energy molecules in our bodies are made from,” explains Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! Consequently, the supplement optimizes energy levels; It also improves sleep and mental clarity and eases pain.

Teitelbaum has studied the effect of ribose on chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. “Our two studies, published in the Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, show an average 45 to 59 percent increase in overall energy after three weeks,” he says. The supplement has also improved energy levels and well-being among people with heart failure, according to studies published in the International Journal of Cardiovascular Research and the European Journal of Heart Failure.

How to Benefit
Teitelbaum recommends using ribose in powder form. Mix 5 grams with juice or food, three times daily for three weeks to build up levels of the nutrient, and then take 5 grams twice daily for maintenance.

Product Examples (from left)

Corvalen D-ribose powder (aka ribose) mixes in your favorite beverage to help boost energy.

Enzymatic Therapy ENERGY REVITALIZATION SYSTEM is formulated to restore vitality and all-day energy in two weeks or less. The nutrient-packed drink mix contains ribose and includes a B-complex vitamin. The drink provides the nutritional equivalent of 35 tablets.

Doctor’s Best Best L-Carnitine Fumarate helps the body burn fat for energy and maintain heart health with L-carnatine and fumarate, which is key in energy production and fat metabolism in the body.

Bluebonnet Ubiquinol CellularActive CoQ10 features the active form of CoQ10 (ubiquinol) that can be immediately utilized by the body.

Nutritional Therapeutics ProPax with NT Factor (not shown) offers broad-spectrum nutrition and has been clinically shown to reduce fatigue.