A heart-saving nutrient: D-Ribose

I had some cardiac challenges last February and went to the hospital. I am now out of the danger zone, and have been for a while, but I continue to research those nutrients which might be good for my heart. And if they are good for my heart, they may be good for yours also, even if you haven’t had an “event.”

I have been combining a protocol of three prescribed medicines and additional dietary supplements which help the heart. These include ubiquinol (a form of co-enzyme Q-10), magnesium orotate, carnitine, serrapeptase (which I wrote about recently), and betaine. These nutrients either help the heart directly; or others, such as vitamin K2, betaine, and serrapeptase help to keep the arteries clear.

I recently visited the web site of Andrew Weil, M.D. He mentions another nutrient, one I had never heard of: D-Ribose. Dr. Weil writes:

“Ribose is a naturally occurring sugar made in the body from glucose and is an essential component of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the compound that stores and delivers energy in all cells. Ribose also occurs in RNA (ribonucleic acid), one of the main information-carriers of living organisms. Because ATP is rapidly used by muscles in high-intensity workouts and because RNA is important in protein synthesis, ribose supplements and energy drinks containing ribose are being promoted for energy enhancement and better exercise performance. The supplements are said to speed muscle tissue recovery after exercise, and limit post-exercise fatigue.”

This is good to know, especially for athletes. But what Dr. Weil had to say about the positive effects of D-Ribose on the heart were especially interesting:

“…emerging evidence does suggest that (D-Ribose supplementation) benefits patients with congestive heart failure, a serious condition in which the heart cannot pump sufficient blood to meet the body’s circulatory needs. In a study in The European Journal of Heart Failure, ribose appears to improve heart function and quality of life among these patients by increasing levels and availability of ATP. Patients with congestive heart failure (or other forms of heart disease) should discuss ribose supplementation with their physicians.”

In a perfect world, more physicians would know about D-Ribose. But most doctors do not have the time or inclination to stray too far from FDA-recommended pharmaceuticals.

“D-Ribose:Energize your heart, save your life, rejuvenate cardiac cellular energy production,” by Julius Goepp, M.D.:

“Some exciting studies have emerged showing how D-Ribose affects active human heart tissue and its function. Investigators have shown how increased ATP levels translate into improved heart muscle function, better blood flow, and quicker recovery with protection from the ravages of reperfusion-induced oxidation.

“Ischemic (no blood flow) events such as a heart attack cause areas of the heart muscle to ‘hibernate’ exactly as if they were awaiting a higher-energy environment to return to their normal rates of activity.”

Cardiologists at the Oregon Health Sciences University studied this phenomenon in a group of patients with coronary artery disease, subjecting them to a “thallium stress test.”

In this test, patients are injected with a radioactive tracer immediately following moderate exercise, and the distribution of the tracer is followed using special cameras. The patients received either D-Ribose infusion or a placebo. The tests were repeated at four and 24 hours, respectively. The groups were then switched to receive the opposite preparation.

The results were stunning—the images taken just four hours after D-Ribose infusion revealed 21 areas of defective tissue that had not been seen in the placebo group, indicating that D-ribose was “waking up” viable areas of heart muscle and helping improve identification of viable ischemic heart muscle.

Cardioprotection

Survivors of heart attacks face the prospects of permanently damaged heart muscle, which saps the heart’s pumping abilities and produces a host of symptoms from mild exercise intolerance to severe congestive heart failure. And, since rehabilitation for practically any heart condition requires regular moderate exercise, it is vital to assure that heart muscle cells optimize ATP levels.

A problem aging humans face is that their heart muscle enlarges and becomes “stiff.” The result of this enlargement is a reduction in ability to contract to pump blood out and to relax to allow blood in. People with ventricular hypertrophy often have limited exercise tolerance and their hearts are often especially vulnerable to ischemia and subsequent further damage.

In a study with far-reaching implications for humans, researchers examined the effects of D-Ribose in animals to determine whether the supplement, given in advance, could protect their hearts against experimentally induced ischemia. They also studied the effects of D-Ribose in animals with hypertension and enlarged heart muscles, the same hypertrophy that so commonly develops in humans with sustained high blood pressure.

The first study results were stunning. The heart muscles of healthy animals given D-Ribose before ischemia held out 25 percent longer before the onset of irreversible injury and had significantly elevated stores of energy-rich glycogen. In human terms, that could translate into valuable extra time for modern emergency medical services to do their part, and could result in dramatically improved survival after stabilization.

Summary of D-Ribose’s benefits

Fatigue and exhaustion often occur as a result of depletion of the molecule ATP in human muscle.

Injured or heavily used muscle is particularly vulnerable to low ATP supply and is slow to recover those levels.

A simple sugar molecule, D-Ribose, is one of the key components of ATP. The more D-Ribose available, the faster ATP levels return to normal.

D-Ribose supplementation has been shown to boost heart muscle function following heart attacks, and to improve blood pumping in people with congestive heart failure.

Better heart muscle function after D-Ribose supplementation can lead to better delivery of energy-rich blood to skeletal muscles, revving them up for increased activity.

Increased ATP levels in skeletal muscle following D-Ribose supplementation can help to reduce the muscle pain and fatigue that prevent people from keeping up their vital exercise regimens.

Cardiologists and exercise physiologists are increasingly turning to D-Ribose as a means of “rejuvenating” their patients’ cardiac and skeletal muscles and improving their quality of life.

Although D-Ribose supplements are probably not available in the CNMI, they are readily available online. 8 oz. on eBay costs $26.00; it will last you three months if you take ½ tsp per day in a water or vitamin cocktail.

Each morning I make a “shake” of nutrients in a blender, and D-Ribose is now a key ingredient in it. Why I feel better already!