D-ribose improved symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and
fibromyalgia; glucosamine, chondroitin, and vitamin D helped
rebuild bone in osteoarthritis, and rosehips decreased pain and
cut pain medication in osteoarthritis, three new studies reveal.
In a chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia syndrome
(FMS) study, doctors theorized that the body does not have
enough d-ribose, a simple sugar the body makes from glucose that
cells need to create energy. Researchers recruited 41
participants with CFS or FMS who took three 5-gram doses of
d-ribose per day. After about 18 days, 66% of participants
reported significantly better energy, sleep, mental clarity,
overall well-being and less pain. There were no side effects. In
an osteoarthritis (OA) study, doctors noted that in early OA,
special cells that constantly coordinate to form and break down
bone, called osteoblasts and osteoclasts respectively, fall out
of balance. In the laboratory, researchers incubated OA bone
cells—from knee-replacement surgery—wit