A new breakthrough study in Cell reveals a surprising and powerful role for one of the body’s fundamental sugar-processing systems: the pentose phosphate pathway.
The researchers found that in spinal cord injuries, oral intake of ribose led to the building of new nerve cells and supported the healing of damaged nerves. This metabolic route also plays an important role in maintaining nerve health and supporting repair after injury, offering new insight into how the body uses sugar-derived molecules at a cellular level beyond energy production.
Understanding the Pentose Phosphate Pathway
Sugar metabolism is often discussed only in terms of energy and blood glucose. In reality, the body processes sugars through multiple tightly regulated pathways, each with very different biological roles.
The pentose phosphate pathway, often referred to as the PPP, diverts sugar away from energy production and towards cellular maintenance. Its main functions include supporting the body’s ability to manage oxidative stress and supplying essential components needed for DNA and RNA production.
This pathway relies on ribose produced naturally by the body to support repair and regeneration. Experimental studies also show that supplemental ribose can enhance these processes when the pathway is otherwise limited.
A Metabolic Control Point for Nerve Function
The study shows that the pentose phosphate pathway acts as a metabolic control point within the nervous system.
In peripheral sensory nerves, this pathway helps maintain normal function under constant mechanical strain. Following injury, it becomes more active and redirects metabolic resources toward repair, allowing damaged nerve fibres to regrow.
Importantly, this is a matter of metabolic regulation, not sugar consumption for energy. The pathway determines how sugar-derived molecules are used, not whether more sugar is consumed.
Why Regeneration Differs Across the Nervous System
One of the key findings is the contrast between peripheral nerves and the central nervous system.
Peripheral nerves activate the pentose phosphate pathway after injury, supporting regeneration. In the brain and spinal cord, this response is limited, contributing to poor repair outcomes after spinal cord injury.
In experimental models, stimulating this pathway by increasing specific enzymes or providing external ribose, complementing the ribose already produced naturally by the body, supported nerve regeneration and improved functional recovery.
The Importance of Sugar Type and Metabolic Context
This research reinforces an important distinction between sugar quantity and sugar type.
Not all sugars behave the same way metabolically. Certain sugars are more closely linked to specific cellular pathways and structural functions, rather than rapid energy release or blood glucose spikes.
Ribose is one such sugar. It is a naturally occurring five-carbon sugar that the body produces for nucleotide structures and cellular repair. Providing additional ribose externally, as included in Dr Coy’s sugar mixtures, supports the pathway’s function without relying on sugar consumption for energy. This is why ribose forms part of Dr Coy’s carefully designed sugar mixtures, where the focus is on metabolic compatibility rather than sweetness or caloric delivery.
The inclusion of specific sugars is based on how they integrate into existing metabolic pathways, not on promoting higher sugar intake.
What This Means for Intelligent Sugar
This study supports a core principle behind Intelligent Sugar and Dr Coy’s work: health outcomes are influenced not just by how much sugar is consumed, but by how specific sugars are metabolised within the body.
Understanding pathways like the pentose phosphate pathway helps explain why formulation matters, why sugar choice matters, and why a one-size-fits-all view of sugar is outdated.
While this research is still at an early stage, it adds to a growing body of evidence showing that metabolic precision, not blanket restriction, is key to supporting long-term cellular health and resilience.
Reference:
https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)01379-0