Ribose is a vital component that is required by all living animals. This carbohydrate is what starts the process of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) production which is used by our body as fuel. It is also a fundamental element, along with another compound called Deoxyribose, which is required by one of the most important tasks – creating the basic elements of the body known as DNA and RNA.
One of the main uses of ribose is to treat patients who suffer from illnesses that are related to deficiency or complete exhaustion of ATP in their system. Good examples of such diseases are fybromyalgia and Huntington’s disease. It is thought that the reason ribose is such an efficient element in benefiting our health is because of its miniature size. This allows it to pass onto our brain from the blood vessels very easily.
Ribose is highly admired by athletes because they claim that this element can provide their body with a surplus of energy. More energy means athletes are provided with greater endurance and stamina which will help them tremendously during training. In more details, increased ribose present in our body is able to supply our cells constantly with ATP. Ribose supplements are regularly used by athletes all around the world and it can be seen that the added ribose in their system really helps their workout. However, ribose has been put under numerous clinical tests to see whether it is actually what helps support athletes and the results are unsatisfying. Tests show that ribose is has very little or no effect on the capability to perform anaerobic exercises by professionals. It also does not help the muscle to recover faster after exercise.
Overall, ribose benefits are vaguely understood. There is very little evidence which can support the claim that ribose supplements boosts an athlete’s endurance and improves their training capabilities. The only possible factor that may be helpful for athletes is that ribose is able to decrease oxidative stress.
However, ribose is extremely useful when it comes to clinical treatment. It is regularly used to treat patients suffering from diseases related to the heart such as coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. Patients who have suffered from a heart attack or have undergone a heart surgery have ribose in their treatment medication. This is because ribose has been seen to help restore heart muscles and help them heal faster. D-Ribose is also able to enhance the performance and diastolic function of the heart.
Ribose is also useful in treating individuals who are inflicted by chronic fatigue syndrome. This is because ribose helps increase the supply of energy in the body which makes it a healthier substitute for caffeine.
One important aspect of ribose is that as it is a natural substance that is made within the body. Taking ribose supplements have no ill effects as it is not possible to overdose, making Ribose supplements extremely safe to be used as a supplement. However, although the use of ribose doesn’t inflict any serious side effects in the body, there may be instances where it may affect people with a few minor side effects. They usually include headaches, queasiness, diarrhea and hypoglycemia, a higher volume of blood supply in the heart and an overall increase of the blood sugar levels in the body. Some precautions are especially directed towards diabetes patients taking insulin, since Ribose could cause a rapid drop in the blood sugar levels. Infants and pregnant or lactating women should also refrain from consuming ribose sugar supplements.
However safe the supplements are, it never hurts to seek medical consultation prior to the usage, and a verdict from the personal healthcare professionals should be welcomed.
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