Dr. Ann Kulze is a walking nutrition encyclopedia, which is why I wanted her unbiased opinion about D-Ribose, a special good-for-you sugar your body makes that’s supposed to increase energy. As someone who’s dealt with chronic fatigue since my early 30s, I’m always looking for healthy ways to bump up my energy. After reading Dr. Mehmet Oz’s recommendation of D-Ribose in a recent newspaper article, I went for a second opinion with Dr. Ann. I respect her science-based approach to nutrition. No gimmicks. Just the facts. That’s Dr. Ann Kulze.
If this is the first you’ve heard about D-Ribose, here are the basics from Dr. Andrew Weill’s website, which Dr. Ann gave in her own words during the hour:
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 In Dr. Oz’s words, “Of all the things you can do to combat the effects of knee-dragging fatigue, taking a daily ribose supplement is the one that seems to really turbo-charge some people who have diseases associated with low energy. The only side effect is that some people feel too much energy, if that's possible.”
Too much energy? That’s a problem I’d like to tackle
Dr. Ann’s D-Ribose bottom line is the same as Drs. Oz and Weil: there haven’t been enough definitive studies to prove D-Ribose supplements (in pill or powder form) do what they appear to do, which is increase energy, even in people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. That jury is still out.
I’ll be the D-Ribose guinea pig for you. I bought a bottle of D-Ribose powder this past Saturday and starting take a teaspoon every day. I’m thought my burst of energy on Saturday was due to the placebo effect, and Dr. Ann assured me it was (rats!). It doesn’t give you the immediate jolt of caffeine; instead it takes several days or even weeks to work – if it ever does. I hope! I hope!
I’ll keep you posted.
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