Reducing power supply
Pentose phosphate pathway (NADPH source)
Also searched as Pentose phosphate pathway (NADPH source).
Antioxidant capacity is a metabolic output, not a stock. Glutathione does not stay reduced by itself — regenerating it costs nadph, and nadph comes from glucose through this pathway. The entire NRF2 output depends on it. A cell short of glucose flux is short of antioxidant capacity.
In depth
The pentose phosphate pathway — the principal source of nadph and of ribose for nucleotides.
What drives it
Sugar burning increases it.
Glucose-6-phosphate is the branch point into the pentose phosphate pathway. Carried by the intermediary-metabolism and clinical reviews. doi 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101755 · PMC9967593
Sugar overflow pathway reduces it.
Damage by two routes at once: the conversion consumes NADPH, which is the same NADPH glutathione regeneration needs. Carried by the intermediary-metabolism and clinical reviews. doi 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101755 · PMC9967593
Thiamine status increases it.
Transketolase is thiamine-dependent - it gates the pentose phosphate pathway too. Carried by the intermediary-metabolism, micronutrient and redox reviews. doi 10.3390/nu18132141 · PMC9967593
What it drives
It increases Master antioxidant.
Antioxidant capacity is a metabolic output, not a stock. Glutathione does not stay reduced by itself - regenerating it costs NADPH, and NADPH comes from glucose through this pathway. Carried by the intermediary-metabolism and clinical reviews. doi 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101755 · PMC9967593
It increases Antioxidant defense.
The entire NRF2 enzymatic output depends on NADPH supply. Carried by the intermediary-metabolism and clinical reviews. doi 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101755 · PMC9967593
It reduces Oxidative stress.
Reducing power is what actually neutralizes reactive species. Carried by the intermediary-metabolism and clinical reviews. doi 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101755 · PMC9967593
It reduces DNA integrity.
Ribose-5-phosphate from this pathway supplies nucleotide synthesis for repair. Carried by the intermediary-metabolism and clinical reviews. doi 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101755 · PMC9967593
It increases Thiol antioxidant system.
NADPH-dependent, like glutathione regeneration. Carried by the intermediary-metabolism, micronutrient and redox reviews. doi 10.3390/nu18132141 · PMC9967593
Blends that modulate it
Each blend page names this pathway and carries the study behind its claim.
See it on the map
Open the causal map to follow this pathway upstream and downstream, arrow by arrow, each with its study.