4 Proven Benefits of Inositol Supplements

Myo-Inositol is the most common form of Inositol. It is made in your body and is found in whole grains, and has a number of important roles in maintaining good health. For example, it is used as a precursor to many compounds that are important for membrane synthesis. It is also important for regulating glucose metabolism and acts as a secondary messenger for glucose uptake. There is a lot of conflicting information available online about the effects of Myo Inositol. In this article, we explore four scientifically proven benefits of Inositol supplements, which are especially helpful to women with hormone imbalances.

Effects and Benefits

 

1.     Helps to maintain healthy hormone levels for women

Inositol supplements are especially helpful for women who suffer from hormonal issues. Inositol has been studied extensively in women who suffer from hormonal imbalances. [caption id=""attachment_845"" align=""alignright"" width=""291""] Liftmode's inositol: 99%+ purity[/caption] Scientists have found that supplementing regularly with Inositol is very useful for improving the hormone balance. Women with hormone problems tend to have higher than normal androgen levels, but supplementing with Inositol appears to be effective at improving these levels.[1] For example, one study found that supplementing daily with 4 grams of Myo-Inositol significantly helped improve hormone levels. In the double-blind study, forty-two women were given either Inositol or placebo. After the study, the testosterone levels in the group receiving Inositol had dropped by 65%. The scientists also found that the participant’s triglyceride levels had dropped by over 50% and that their blood pressure was lower than before. The conclusion was that Inositol is effective at improving supporting healthy hormone balance and a healthy metabolism.[2]  

2.     Helps to maintain a healthy circulatory system

Various studies have indicated the effectiveness of Inositol in helping to support a healthy circulatory system.[3] The way that it works is by acting as a ‘secondary messenger’ to help your body take up more glucose from your blood. [caption id=""attachment_1825"" align=""alignright"" width=""300""] Inositol helps to promote a healthy circulatory system[/caption] When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into glucose. Glucose is used by your cells for energy. When your body detects high levels of glucose, messengers in your blood trigger the membranes of your cells to open up and let the glucose in. However, women with hormone imbalances often have problems because their body doesn’t react properly to the primary messenger – insulin.[4] This causes all kinds of problems, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, higher levels of cholesterol (if you consume meat), weight gain, and high triglyceride levels. In the long term, these kinds of issues can result in more serious complications.[5] Luckily, scientists have suggested that Inositol acts as a powerful “secondary messenger” and helps to support a healthy body and a healthy circulatory system. [6]  

3.     Helps to reduce symptoms of stress and boosts mood

Inositol is a powerful stress-reducing and mood-boosting supplement, especially at high doses. Many people who take Inositol because of hormonal issues often report feeling a noticeable improvement in their daily mood. This is because Inositol has a complex effect on the serotonin levels in your brain.[7] [caption id=""attachment_1639"" align=""alignright"" width=""300""] Inositol has been shown to help reduce feelings of stress[/caption] Serotonin is an important molecule in your brain and is often crudely thought of as the ‘happiness molecule’. Many antidepressants, as well as some recreational compounds, work by preventing your brain from breaking down excess serotonin. Inositol’s powerful effects on your brain’s serotonin levels have prompted scientists to test its efficacy in clinical trials.[8] Inositol supplements are effective in boosting mood and reducing stress.[9] [10]  

4.     May help to support female fertility

Myo-Inositol has been shown to help improve fertility in women with hormone problems. Women with hormone problems often struggle with infertility, as a result of increased androgen levels and hormone imbalance. A growing number of studies indicate that even very small doses of Inositol are effective at improving fertility for women with hormone disorders.[11] For example, some very interesting results were found by scientists in 2010. [caption id=""attachment_1827"" align=""alignright"" width=""300""] Inositol may help to promote fertility in women with PCOS[/caption] One hundred and twenty women with hormone imbalance were either treated with 4 grams of Inositol/day or a first-line prescription medication. As a plan-B, if women did not fall pregnant after one month of treatment, r-FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) was added to the dose. The results showed that 50% of patients treated with the medication resumed normal ovulation, with just over 18% obtaining pregnancy. After adding FSH, a further 26% of the women fell pregnant. For the group that was treated with Inositol, 65% immediately resumed normal ovulation, and 30% of them fell pregnant. After adding FSH, a further 28% of the women obtained pregnancy.[12] Another recent study by Lisi et al (2012), indicated that Myo-Inositol treatment may be effective at improving fertility, even in women who are not suffering from hormonal disorders.[13]  

Recommended Dosage

[caption id=""attachment_1828"" align=""alignright"" width=""252""] Many people struggle to get the correct dosage of supplements, which is why we recommend using scoops[/caption] The recommended dosage for Inositol varies depending on the type of benefit that you are trying to get out of it. For improving issues relating to hormone problems, like maintaining a healthy circulatory system and supporting fertility, 200mg – 4000mg is the recommended dose range. This is a very large variety of dose sizes, but unfortunately the recommended daily allowance for Inositol has not yet been established. A higher dose (closer to 4000mg / day), before breakfast, appears to be most effective. People tend use much higher doses of Inositol for reducing stress and boosting their mood (up to 18 grams / day).[14]  

Side Effects and Warnings

One of the best things about taking an Inositol supplement is that you don’t have to worry about experiencing side effects. Studies have found that Inositol is very well-tolerated and without reported adverse effects in doses as high as 12 grams per day.[15] Even at higher doses of up to 30 grams per day, researchers have found that the only reported adverse effects are some gastrointestinal discomfort.[16]  

Conclusion

[caption id=""attachment_1829"" align=""alignright"" width=""300""] Inositol is a great health-promoting supplement![/caption] In conclusion, Inositol is a fantastic supplement for promoting good health! You can try Inositol for helping to promote healthy hormone levels, to maintain a healthy circulatory system, and for reducing stress and boosting your mood. Inositol supplements are especially beneficial for women with hormone problems. Most of the research into the effects of Inositol supplements comes from studies on women with PCOS. The forth benefit of Inositol is especially important for women as research has indicated that it may improve fertility, even in otherwise healthy women.          

References:

[1] Nordio M, Proietti E, “The combined therapy with myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol reduces the risk of metabolic disease in PCOS overweight patients compared to myo-inositol supplementation alone”, Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2012 May;16(5):575-81. [2] D Costantino et al., “Metabolic and hormonal effects of myo-inositol in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a double-blind trial”, Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2009 Mar-Apr;13(2):105-10. [3] S Gerli et al., “Effects of inositol on ovarian function and metabolic factors in women with PCOS: a randomized double blind placebo-controlled trial”, Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2003 Nov-Dec;7(6):151-9. [4] PCOS: Insulin and Metformin, Center for Young Women’s Health, 1 June 2016, retrieved on January 24, 2017 [5] “Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) - Topic Overview”, WebMD.com, retrieved on January 24, 2017 [6] NN Osborne et al., “Role of inositol trisphosphate as a second messenger in signal transduction processes: an essay”, Neurochem Res. 1988 Mar;13(3):177-91. [7] CB Brink et al., “Effects of myo-inositol versus fluoxetine and imipramine pretreatments on serotonin 5HT2A and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in human neuroblastoma cells”, Metab Brain Dis. 2004 Jun;19(1-2):51-70. [8] T Mukai et al., “A meta-analysis of inositol for depression and anxiety disorders”, Human Psychopharmacology 2014; 29(1): 55-63 [9] J Levine, “Controlled trials of inositol in psychiatry”, Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 1997 May;7(2):147-55. [10] A Palatnik et al., “Double-blind, controlled, crossover trial of inositol versus fluvoxamine for the treatment of panic disorder”, J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2001 Jun;21(3):335-9. [11] V Unfer et al., “Effects of myo-inositol in women with PCOS: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials”, Gynecol Endocrinol. 2012 Jul;28(7):509-15. [12] E Raffone et al., “Insulin sensitiser agents alone and in co-treatment with r-FSH for ovulation induction in PCOS women”, Gynecol Endocrinol. 2010 Apr;26(4):275-80. [13] F Lisi et al., “Pretreatment with myo-inositol in non polycystic ovary syndrome patients undergoing multiple follicular stimulation for IVF: a pilot study”, Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2012 Jul 23;10:52 [14] Inositol, Examine.com, retrieved January 24, 2017 [15] Carlomagno G, Unfer V, “Inositol safety: clinical evidences”, Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2011 Aug;15(8):931-6 [16] S Lam et al., “A phase I study of myo-inositol for lung cancer chemoprevention”, Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2006 Aug;15(8):1526-31.