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RiboGen for ME/CFS

Lou

Senior Member
Messages
582
Location
southeast US
This is a new product offered by Life Extension that I haven't tried but appears somewhat promising. Wondered if anyone here had heard of it or used it?

According to the article a molecule named roburin derived from French oak trees improve functioning of our cellular ribosomes.

The human studies done on an extract of roburin, Robuvit, were not described in much detail, but listed the following reductions of symptoms after use of 200 mg/day for six months:

18% reduction in weakness and exhaustion

44% reduction of un-refreshing sleep

29% reduction in short term memory impairment

63% reduction in muscle pain

51% reduction in headaches

47% reduction in tender lymph nodes

Additionally, there were substantial reductions in sensitivities to noise, foods, meds, and chemicals. Also, reductions in dizziness, depression, mood swings and allergies were noted.

Almost sounds to good to be true. After recently throwing two near full cabinets of useless supplements away I've sworn off trying new products for now. If someone tries this please report your results.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
I use several Life Extension products and would be open to trying another. Here's a study using it for CFS:

Improved management of primary chronic fatigue syndrome with the supplement French oak wood extract (Robuvit®): a pilot, registry evaluation.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24231834

Abstract
AIM:
The aim of this supplement study was to evaluate French oak wood extract (Robuvit®, Horphag Research Ltd) used as a supplement in association with a defined management plan for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in healthy subjects with CFS, a condition that has, so far, no specific treatment or management standards.

METHODS:
Robuvit® is a new proprietary and exclusive extract of oak wood with important antoxidant actions. The dosage of the supplementation was 200 mg/day for at least 6 months. The CFS questionnaire and the Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS) questionnaire were used to evaluate mood variations associated with CFS patients. The CFS form includes an analogue scale to record the variations of single symptoms with a score range of 0-10. At inclusion into the registry study, at least 5 symptoms were present. All subjects (age range 35-44; BMI range 24-26) with CFS were tested for oxidative stress: 61 out of 91 subjects had an increased value of oxidative stress. The BMIS scale evaluating mood changes in time was also used. The evaluation was repeated at 3 and 6 months.

RESULTS:
Out of 91 eligible subjects with CFS, 48 subjects (31 with increased oxidative stress) were accepted as part of the supplement registry study using Robuvit; 43 (30 with increased oxidative stress) were accepted as controls using only the management plan. In the Robuvit® group there were 3 drop outs; also 3 controls were lost. Oxidative stress was increased in 64.58% of subjects that used Robuvit and in 69.7% of controls. The average values of oxidative stress were expressed for the whole group. The average follow up was 199.3;9.2 days in the Robuvit group and 202.2;5.5 in the control group with a minimum of 6 months. Considering variations in oxidative stress, there was no significant average change in controls, but a significant decrease from the initial values was observed in Robuvit subjects after 3 and 6 months. The CFS questionnaire variations in score indicated that there was a significant improvement for most symptoms after 3 and 6 months in the Robuvit group. Positive variations were also present in controls, indicating the positive effect of an increased attention to CFS. The improvement in signs/symptoms was significantly more valuable in subjects using the oak wood extract considering the main 8 symptoms and the accessory symptoms. Considering the BMIS variations, the totals for positive and negative items were significantly more favourable for Robuvit subjects. Overall mood evaluation in the oak wood extract group improved from an inclusion average of -6.93;2.1 to +4.32;2.6 at 6 months; in contrast it changed from -6.5;2.5 to -3.4;1.5 in controls. No side effects were observed during the supplementation with Robuvit. The compliance was optimal with 93% of the capsules correctly used.

CONCLUSION:
This promising pilot supplement registry study indicates a new opportunity of management for these difficult and often neglected patients. Correlation between oxidative stress and CFS have to be better explored.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Is this in any way related to Riboceine or a totally different product? I have never tried either of them but just curious!
 

invisiblejungle

Senior Member
Messages
228
Location
Chicago suburbs
I read about this is the most recent issue of the Life Extension Foundation magazine. This study was actually done a year ago, so I'm surprised that we haven't heard any other testimonials about this supplement.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
I ordered three bottles (90-day supply) of RiboGen from this website:
https://www.drvitaminsolutions.com/...rench-Oak-Wood-Extract-30-Vegetarian-Capsules

I decided to go with them because I could get 10% off my order with their coupon, and when I signed up for an account, then signed up for their newsletter, I received a $5 off coupon, bringing my bottle price down to $22.70 each when I bought three bottles.

This Life Extension product was added to the Life Extension product line on October 1, 2014, and it hasn't made it into many online suppliers yet.
http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/item01900/RiboGen-French-Oak-Wood-Extract
Life Extension will have an Annual Sale beginning around November 15th with lowest prices of the year.

You can get it on Amazon from a few suppliers:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OZV8SZY
It's going for $26.48/bottle there (product & shipping).

Here are two more studies that were done on healthy volunteers:

Effect of the French oak wood extract robuvit on markers of oxidative stress and activity of antioxidant enzymes in healthy volunteers: a pilot study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25254080


Absorption, metabolism, and effects at transcriptome level of a standardized French oak wood extract, robuvit, in healthy volunteers: pilot study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24354337
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
Here's a recent article posted at Pro Health yesterday. I'm surprised we haven't heard more about this.

New Option For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=19389

I'm NOT surprised we haven't heard more about this. Distribution takes time.

There's only been one study done on CFS patients, published in print Panminerva Med. 2014 Mar, published online 2013 Nov 14 (?). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24231834

The only distributor of the patented extract Robuvit®, is Life Extension, who made it available October 1, 2014, under the product name Ribogen.
http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/item01900/RiboGen-French-Oak-Wood-Extract

BTW, the Prohealth article is a reprint from a Life Extension article, which only became available online within the last two days.
http://www.lef.org/Magazine/2014/12/New-Option-For-Chronic-Fatigue-Syndrome/Page-01

I ordered Ribogen (see post #6) and started taking it on November 10th. No complaints so far, but it's too early to tell if it's working or not. I'll definitely be posting my progress in this thread.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
I've been taking Ribogen for seven days now and there are a few subtle things happening:

1. Change in the types of food I want to eat. I wouldn't say I'm hungrier or that I have hypoglycemia. I get the hunger that says, an apple or a candy bar won't do, I need a real meal. I remember a 8 months' pregnant woman saying to me one time, "a bag of chips won't do, I need a sandwich." That's what I've been experiencing. Fortunately, I have Meals on Wheels delivery, and they deliver 14 nutritionally balanced meals every week, similar to TV dinners that you can pop in the microwave. Without those, I don't know what I would do.

2. Slight change in how my body feels. I just started to notice today when I woke up that I had slightly less pain in my arms, especially my forearms. I don't know what it is about the forearms, but they ached like crazy when I first had CFS/ME. I also have FM.

No change in energy or overall pain levels yet.

I don't want to post about things that I think are changing too soon, as I don't want to give false hope, but I also don't want to hold information back, because I know some of you might be thinking about trying Ribogen and want to hear something positive first.

ProHealth now stocks Ribogen, if you want to compare prices.

My history: I'm 60 years old, came down with CFS/ME at age 36 with an acute viral onset. My activity level is a 3, which means I can putter around on the computer a few hours a day, but not much else. My trash is piling up because I'm too weak to take it out. About six months ago I gave up walking outside even a few minutes a day, just because it takes a lot out of me. I don't get dressed into street clothes - I wear a nightgown all day (Wow, does this cut down on the laundry!) I need at least 9 hours of sleep in order to feel my best, which isn't that great.

When I'm not on the Internet, I'm watch TV or reading books a few pages at a time. Before I came down with CFS I worked a full-time job, could cycle 15 miles and work out in a gym after work. I used to be a competitive swimmer.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@CFS_for_19_years thank you for the detailed report on Ribogen and for sharing more of your story. I enjoy learning more about people here and consider all you guys my extended family! I am so glad you have Meals on Wheels and that is a great support. Is there a neighbor or anyone who can help you with the trash?
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
I found another article on Ribogen, published online November 14, 2014, written by the same authors as the first article here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24231834
-- -- - - - -- -- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - - - -- - - - - -- - - - - - - -- - - -
QR (Quercus Robur Extract, Robuvit) supplementation in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and increased oxidative stress. A pilot registry.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25394351
Abstract
The aim of this registry was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with Robuvit (French Quercus robur extract) capsules in subjects with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) associated with an increased oxidative stress. Robuvit is a wood extract from Quercus robur (Horphag Research Ltd) used to improve liver dysfunction and chronic fatigue. After excluding any disease, subjects observed a defined management plan to improve CFS. Signs/symptoms had been present for more than 6 months in association with an increase in oxidative stress (measured as plasma free radicals). Blood tests were within normal values.

METHODS:
The registry included 38 CFS subjects and 42 comparable controls. There were no dropouts in the 4 weeks of follow up; the subjects were evaluated for a further period of 6 months. The management plan included: improved/increased sleep; reduction/abolition in smoking and alcohol or any other agent that may have affected them; control of diet, increase in dietary proteins; good hydration; rest (1/2-1 hr/day) and exercise (at least 30 min/day); planned relaxation time; increased time in open spaces. In the Robuvit supplementation group - 300 mg/day of Robuvit was used.

RESULTS:
Symptoms improved in both groups with a significantly more important improvement in the supplement group (p<0.05). The single items in the MAF questionnaire were statistically better improved (p<0.05) in the supplement group. A parallel improvement in oxidative stress was observed in the supplemented subjects. In the post-registry follow up, at 6 months no organic disease was discovered or disease markers found.

CONCLUSIONS:
This preliminary registry indicates that supplementation with Robuvit improves CFS in otherwise healthy subjects with no presence of clinical disease or risk conditions. The effects of Robuvit in CFS may be partially mediated by an important action on plasma free radicals and oxidative stress.

MAF stands for Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue
http://www.rheumatology.org/Practic...Multidimensional_Assessment_of_Fatigue_(MAF)/
The MAF is a 16 item scale that measures fatigue according to four dimensions: degree and severity, distress that it causes, timing of fatigue (over the past week, when it occurred and any changes), and its impact on various activities of daily living (household chores, cooking, bathing, dressing, working, socializing, sexual activity, leisure and recreation, shopping, walking, and exercising)
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
I did a PubMed search on the words "quercus robur," the Latin name for French oakwood extract to see if there were any explanations about how it worked.

Influence of oak wood polyphenols on cysteine, homocysteine and glutathione total levels and PON1 activities in human adult volunteers - a pilot study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25367762
Gen Physiol Biophys. 2014 Nov 4
Abstract
Oxidative stress reflects an imbalance between antioxidants and pro-oxidants. Many diseases like atherosclerosis or heart failure are involved in oxidative stress. Increased oxidative stress is one of the potential contributing factors to aging. The aim of this study was to monitor the total thiol levels as markers of oxidative stress in 20 healthy volunteers after polyphenols intake (extract from the French oak wood Quercus robur - Robuvit® (300 mg/day)).

Polyphenols are known as biomodulators with antioxidant activities. Homocysteine, cysteine and glutathione total levels were determined by using HPLC with electrochemical detection. The activity of the antioxidant enzyme paraoxonase-1 toward two substrates was determined by spectrophotometry. The level of thiol compounds and paraoxonase-1 activities were controlled after run-in (week 0), intervention (week 4) and washout (week 6) period.

After the intervention period the results showed that Robuvit® had no significant influence on glutathione level (p = 0.382) and paraoxonase activities towards both, arylester and lactone substrates. On the other hand, homocysteine and cysteine levels decreased significantly (p = 0.029; p < 0.001, respectively). The negative correlation between paraoxonase lactonase activity and homocysteine level was noticed. This confirms that paraoxonase might play an important role in homocysteine-thiolactone metabolism.
 
Last edited:

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
I emailed Life Extension yesterday to ask about how their supply of Ribogen would hold up if a million or so patients decided to use it. I also asked about the directions on the bottle that say to no exceed the recommended dose of 200mg/day.

Here's their reply:
Life Extension certainly hopes that those suffering with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome will be able to benefit from taking our RiboGen™ French Oak Wood Extract. At this time, we do not have any concerns regarding our supply.

Additionally, there are no known concerns with taking an additional capsule of RiboGen™ French Oak Wood Extract. The studies have found no side effects during the supplementation with Robuvit, and as you pointed out, one study used 300 mg daily. Therefore, you may take an additional capsule if needed.
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
The management plan included: ... exercise (at least 30 min/day);
Robuvit improves CFS in otherwise healthy subjects with no presence of clinical disease or risk conditions.
This sound like it was people with non-ME CFS.
 
Messages
37
Hi, re-new here. I left all such groups years ago because I felt the answer wasn't in the synthetic drugs. I've been doing pretty good. There was a deep need within me to get back to the earth and all she offers. I think it was a good choice.

I received an email from Pro Health about this French Oak Wood Extract. I read the really long article and just know in my bones this is going to do some good. I immediately ordered my 90-day supply of RiboGen. It's backordered, actually, but only until Dec. 11, so I can deal with that.

Thanks for posting about this, cfs for 19 yrs. I'm looking forward to your progress reports. I'll post some of my own.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@Unduki I got that e-mail from Prohealth too and immediately thought of @CFS_for_19_years and wondered how she was doing on Ribogen. I have recently started some new supplements so not ready for Ribogen yet but it is intriguing. Please keep us posted how you do on it once you try it.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
I have no big changes to report yet. As soon as I finish my first bottle, I'm going to take it twice a day as opposed to the stated once a day directions and see if there's any change.

This was received as an email reply from Life Extension:
Additionally, there are no known concerns with taking an additional capsule of RiboGen™ French Oak Wood Extract. The studies have found no side effects during the supplementation with Robuvit, and as you pointed out, one study used 300 mg daily. Therefore, you may take an additional capsule if needed.

ProHealth isn't the only place that stocks it. In addition to getting it directly from Life Extension and Amazon, check out other places here:

http://www.thefind.com/search?query=ribogen+-aor+-atp

There's another product by the same name, manufactured by AOR, that has nothing to do with the product Ribogen that uses the proprietary ingredient Robuvit.