Interactions on record — worth a quick check against your medications. Based on 1 of 2 ingredients. Check your meds →
Dietary supplement

D-Ribose Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by Seeking Health

Powder Category: Non-nutrient/non-botanical
Most serious interaction: Moderate
The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

D-Ribose is a dietary supplement by Seeking Health with 2 active ingredients. Its ingredients are commonly taken for energy and fatigue, athletic performance and recovery, fibromyalgia symptoms.Based on those ingredients, 86 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are D-Ribose, Powder. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of D-Ribose by Seeking Health

Our pharmacy team’s full take, with four database checks built into the cards below — a summary of what is known, not a grade of the product itself.

From our pharmacy team — supplement deep dive

What’s inside

Full disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Full

Every active ingredient lists its own amount on the label.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 1 of its 1 active ingredient.
  • No proprietary blends here — you can verify the dose of every single component.

This product contains one active ingredient: D-Ribose, a naturally occurring five-carbon sugar. D-Ribose is involved in energy production at the cellular level and has been studied for several uses including athletic performance and heart health.

Does it work?

Couldn't assess
Evidence for Intended Use · database check
By FDA rules, dietary supplements can’t claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease — so labels speak in careful marketing language. We discern each product’s intended use from its name, label claims, and label statements, then grade the clinical evidence for that use. How these ratings are computed
Not assessable

This is a single-ingredient Ribose product and its label doesn't state a use — see Ribose's own graded uses on its monograph.

Why this rating?
  • We looked at the product name, claims, and label statements and couldn't find a stated purpose to grade.

The evidence is limited. For athletic performance and McArdle disease (a rare metabolic disorder), D-Ribose is rated possibly ineffective.

For restless legs syndrome, muscle soreness, heart failure, and recovery after heart bypass surgery, there isn't enough reliable evidence yet to say whether it works.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Ribose

How safe is it?

Well-documented data
Safety Information · database check
Well characterized

Adverse-effect, pregnancy, and general safety data are on file for most of these ingredients.

Why this rating?
  • We hold adverse-effect (side-effect) data for 1 of the 1 matched ingredient.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding safety ratings cover 1 of 1.
  • General safety write-ups exist for 1 of 1.
  • Remember: this measures how much safety information exists. Thin data is not the same as being safe.

D-Ribose is generally well tolerated when taken by mouth for up to a month. The most common side effects are diarrhea, gastrointestinal discomfort, headache, nausea, and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

A few people have reported anxiety, lightheadedness, or increased appetite — and in some cases, lowering the dose made these go away. Long-term safety hasn't been well studied.

There isn't enough safety information to use D-Ribose during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about whether it's right for you in these situations.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Ribose

Meds to double-check

Moderate interaction found
Known Interaction Concern · database check
Moderate identified

The most serious documented interaction for these ingredients is Moderate. Check your medications for a personalized result.

Why this rating?
  • 1 of the 1 matched ingredient can interact with medications — Ribose.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • Some involve high-stakes drug classes: diabetes medications.
  • For scale: 86 individual medications appear in the full list. A big number alone doesn't make a product dangerous — what matters is whether YOUR medication is on it, so run yours through the interaction checker on this page.

Check before you start if you take insulin or antidiabetes drugs (Moderate risk of low blood sugar). The combination could require dose adjustment or closer blood sugar monitoring — talk it over with your doctor or pharmacist.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glanceFully disclosed formula with no assessable stated purpose. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and safety information is well characterized.

D-Ribose is best considered if you're interested in cellular energy support and don't take insulin or blood sugar medications. If you do take those drugs, check with your doctor or pharmacist first — the risk of low blood sugar is real.

For other uses, the evidence is weak or absent. Either way, a conversation with your own healthcare provider before starting will help you make the right call.

Educational only — not medical advice; always confirm with your pharmacist. Our editorial policy · How we use AI

Assessment coverage: 1 of 1 active ingredient matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Dec 22, 2019.

This Scorecard evaluates available label information, ingredient evidence, and known medication-safety considerations. It does not independently verify product identity, purity, potency, contamination, or manufacturing quality. How these ratings are computed

At a glance

General information

Key facts about D-Ribose, straight from the product label.

Brand Seeking Health
Barcode (UPC) 828054135840
Net contents 10.58 oz.; 300 Gram(s)
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Dec 22, 2019
DSLD ID 211358
Product type Non-nutrient/non-botanical
Supplement form Powder
Dietary claims / uses Nutrient, All Other
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years), Gluten Free, Dairy Free
From the label
Everything in this section is reproduced from the manufacturer’s own product label — it’s the label speaking, not HelloPharmacist. We show it so you can see exactly what the maker states; we don’t verify or endorse those statements.

Supplement Facts

The label details for D-Ribose by Seeking Health, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Daily Value (DV) Target Group(s):
Adults and children 4 or more years of age
Minimum serving Sizes:
5 Gram(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
5 Gram(s)
Servings per container
60
UPC/BARCODE
828054135840
IngredientAmount% DV
Calories20 Calorie(s)--
Total Carbohydrates5 Gram(s)2%
Sugar5 Gram(s)--
D-Ribose, Powder5 Gram(s)--

Other ingredients: None

Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.

Label statements
These statements are the manufacturer’s wording, reproduced from the product label — the label is saying it, not HelloPharmacist. We don’t verify or endorse them.
Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

Suggested use: 1 scoop (approx. 5 grams) once daily or as directed by your health care professional. Mix in water or juice and take with or between meals.

Formula

D-Ribose is a naturally occurring five-carbon (pentose) sugar found in all living cells. D-Ribose is only found in small amounts in the diet. The body must synthesize D-Ribose from glucose.

Precautions

Do not use if shrinkwrap is broken or missing.

Keep out of reach of children.

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place below 85 degrees F away from direct light. Do not freeze.

General Statements

This product was made in a GMP and ISO 9001:2008 registered facility. Physician Formulated

FDA Statement of Identity

Dietary Supplement

Formulation

Does not contain: milk/casein, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat/gluten, corn, yeast, and soybeans. Contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

See for yourself

D-Ribose by Seeking Health label

The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.

What’s inside

The Ingredients in D-Ribose by Seeking Health

These are the 2 active ingredients this product is made of. Select any to open its full monograph.

Serving size5 Gram(s) Dosage formPowder Servings per container60 Amounts shown are per serving.

Most supplement products combine several ingredients, and a medication can interact with the product through any one of them. Each ingredient below shows whether it has known drug interactions.

Sugar

5 Gram(s) per serving

D-Ribose, Powder

Interacts with
86 drugs
5 Gram(s) per serving

Ribose (D-ribose) is a simple sugar your body makes naturally and uses to build energy molecules like ATP. Some people take it for fatigue, fibromyalg...

D-Ribose, Powder monograph & interactions

Other (inactive) ingredients: None. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.

Interaction report

D-Ribose by Seeking Health Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against D-Ribose?

Ask about interactions with your drugs in plain English — “Can I take it with lisinopril?” — and we find you the answer in seconds, ingredient by ingredient.

Go to the checker
86Drugs
86 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in D-Ribose with known interactions, here are the types of medications it can affect. Open any type for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

D-Ribose, Powder2 drug types · 86 drugs

Antidiabetes Drugs

Theoretically, taking ribose in combination with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
In clinical research, ribose decreases serum glucose levels in a dose-dependent manner.

Likelihood Probable Evidence B
Insulin

Theoretically, taking ribose with insulin could increase the hypoglycemic effect of insulin.
In clinical pharmacokinetic studies, oral administration of ribose modestly increased serum insulin levels.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for D-Ribose, from the product label.

Seeking Health

See all Seeking Health products
Name
Seeking Health
Street Address
3140 Mercer Ave
City
Bellingham
State
WA
ZipCode
98225
Phone Number
(800) 547-9812
Web Address
www.seekinghealth.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

D-Ribose by Seeking Health: Common Questions

Does D-Ribose by Seeking Health interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, D-Ribose has a known interaction with 86 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
D-Ribose contains 2 active ingredients, and an interaction can come from any of them. We check every ingredient, combine the results into one list per medication, and show which ingredient and mechanism is responsible.
Where does this information come from?
The product label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD); the interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database and reviewed by HelloPharmacist pharmacists.
Will D-Ribose help me with athletic performance?
The evidence suggests it won't. D-Ribose is rated possibly ineffective for athletic performance, so research hasn't shown a real benefit in this area.
Can I take D-Ribose if I have heart failure?
There isn't enough reliable evidence to say whether it helps. If you're interested in trying it, talk with your cardiologist first — especially since it can lower blood sugar.
What are the most common side effects?
Diarrhea, stomach discomfort, headache, nausea, and low blood sugar are the ones seen most often. Most of these went away when people lowered their dose in studies.
Is D-Ribose safe to take long-term?
It's been studied for safety up to about one month, and it's generally well tolerated in that window. Long-term safety hasn't been well studied, so it's something to discuss with your doctor if you're thinking about using it longer than that.
Can I take D-Ribose while pregnant or breastfeeding?
There isn't enough safety information, so it's best avoided in both cases. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about your options if you're pregnant or nursing.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Not sure if D-Ribose is safe with your meds?

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Ask a pharmacist

Label information is sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database and reflects the product version on file; always read your actual product label. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements and medications.

D-Ribose label
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

D-Ribose's label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; the ingredient interaction data is from the Natural Medicines database, reviewed by our pharmacists.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

The 8 references behind this product’s interaction data

Every citation that drives the interaction findings for this product’s ingredients, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Open an ingredient to browse its citations — links open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Ribose 8 references
  1. Segal S, Foley J. The metabolism of D-ribose in man. J Clin Invest 1958;37:719-35. PubMed
  2. Perlmutter NS, Wilson RA, Angello DA, et al. Ribose facilitates thallium-201 redistribution in patients with coronary artery disease. J Nucl Med 1991;32:193-200.
  3. Hegewald MG, Palac RT, Angello DA, et al. Ribose infusion accelerates thallium redistribution with early imaging compared with late 24-hour imaging without ribose. J Am Coll Cardiol 1991;18:1671-81. PubMed
  4. Pliml W, von Arnim T, Stalein A, et al. Effects of ribose on excercise-induced ischaemia in stable coronary artery disease. Lancet 1992;340:507-10.
  5. Burke ER. D-Ribose What You Need To Know. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing Group 1999;1-43.
  6. Gross M, Reiter S, Zollner N. Metabolism of D-ribose administered continuously to healthy persons and to patients with myoadenylate deaminase deficiency. Klin Wochenschr 1989;67:1205-13. PubMed
  7. Teitelbaum JE, Johnson C, St Cyr J. The use of D-ribose in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia: a pilot study. J Altern Complement Med 2006;12:857-62. PubMed
  8. Thompson J, Neutel J, Homer K, Tempero K, Shah A, Khankari R. Evaluation of D-ribose pharmacokinetics, dose proportionality, food effect, and pharmacodynamics after oral solution administration in healthy male and female subjects. J Clin Pharmacol 2014;54 PubMed

See these in context on the Ribose monograph →

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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