5 Emerging Benefits of D-Ribose

Written by Grant Tinsley, PhD
Updated on February 14, 2019

3. May Improve Symptoms of Certain Pain Disorders

Due to the association between some pain disorders and problems with energy metabolism, certain studies focus on whether D-ribose supplements can reduce pain (8).

In one study in 41 people with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, improvements in subjective pain intensity, well-being, energy, mental clarity, and sleep were reported after receiving 15 grams of D-ribose daily for 17–35 days (8).

However, a noteworthy limitation of this study is that it did not include a placebo group and participants knew ahead of time that they were receiving D-ribose.

Consequently, the improvements could have been due to a placebo effect (9).

One other case study reported similar pain-reducing benefits of D-ribose supplements in a woman with fibromyalgia, but research in this area remains limited (10).

While some results are positive, the existing research on D-ribose supplements in pain disorders is insufficient to draw any definite conclusions. Additional high-quality research is needed.

SUMMARY
D-ribose could be beneficial for treating certain pain disorders, such as fibromyalgia. However, research in this area is limited.