How to Take Myo-Inositol – 4 Top Questions Answered

"Myo-Inositol (or just Inositol) is a powerful natural supplement produced in small quantities by your body and found in a number of food sources. The foods highest in natural Inositol include fruits, grains, beans, and nuts.[1] Inositol supplements are a great way to improve your health. For more information, take a read through our blog post, available here. In this article, we explore the top 4 questions about how to take Inositol. If you’ve already read up on Myo-Inositol and how it works but are not sure about how to take it, then this is a great article to read!

1.    How Much Inositol to Take?

The dosage of Inositol that you should take depends on your desired effects. Even very small dosages of Inositol are effective for helping your body to maintain healthy hormone levels.[2] A dosage of around 400 mg – 2000 mg per day is effective in counteracting the effects of hormone imbalance. These low doses have been found to be very effective at boosting fertility and vitality in women with hormone imbalances.[3] Low dosages of Inositol may also be effective at improving your body’s sensitivity to insulin, which is helpful for people with high blood sugar levels.[4] Higher dosages – in the range of around 4 grams to 18 grams per day – are effective at reducing stress and improving your mood. Studies have indicated that Inositol may have high efficacy for reducing stress and improving mood.[5] Even at lower doses (under 4 grams per day), people report feeling a noticeable improvement in their mood.  

2.    When to Take Inositol?

[caption id=""attachment_845"" align=""alignright"" width=""291""] Liftmode's inositol: 99%+ purity[/caption] Inositol can be taken at any time of the day – it doesn’t interact with your sleep so you can take it in the evening if you’d like. We’d recommend taking Inositol in the morning on an empty stomach to improve how it is absorbed into your body. If you’re taking higher doses of Inositol (4 – 18 grams per day), you may need to use separate servings. Inositol is more effective when you use it for longer periods of time.[6] You can also take Inositol with meals to make it easier.  

3.    How to Take Inositol?

[caption id=""attachment_1864"" align=""alignright"" width=""300""] Inositol can be taken by adding it to a healthy smoothie[/caption] Again, this depends on the Inositol dosage that you’re taking. If you’re using a low dose of inositol (under 1 gram per day), you may like to take Inositol in a capsule form. Some users enjoy this because it is quick and easy. However, if you’re using higher doses of Inositol, it’s actually easier to just add the powder to food or drinks. Taking Inositol in the morning with a healthy smoothie or a juice is a great method. Another good way to take Inositol is just to add it to a meal. We’ve found that Inositol powder goes especially well with breakfast meals like oats and cereal grains.  

4.    How Much Inositol is Safe?

Researchers have found that Inositol is safe for use even at very high doses, upwards of 30 grams per day. At least one study found that taking 30 grams of Inositol supplements every day for three months was safe for use and produced only mild gastrointestinal side effects.[7] Inositol is safe for men, despite some misinformation about lowering testosterone levels. Inositol supplements do help to reduce the overproduction of testosterone in women who suffer from hormone disorders. However, there is no evidence whatsoever that Inositol supplements affect testosterone levels in men. There is not enough information about the safety of Inositol on breastfeeding and pregnant women to draw any solid conclusions. For this reason, we recommend speaking to your doctor before taking Inositol if you are either pregnant or breastfeeding.[8]

Conclusion

[caption id=""attachment_1689"" align=""alignright"" width=""300""] Inositol is a great health supplement![/caption] In conclusion, Inositol is a great supplement for promoting a healthy hormone balance and reducing stress. It is especially beneficial for women who suffer from hormone problems, but is also effective for healthy men and women who would like more health benefits and to boost your mood. Inositol can be taken at any time of the day and is best taken in doses of around 400 mg – 2000 mg per day. For stress-reduction and mood-boosting effects, higher doses of around 4 – 18 grams are beneficial. You can take Inositol with food or on an empty stomach. Inositol’s effects increase over time, so we recommend taking Inositol for a period of at least 6 weeks before drawing conclusions about its effects.          

References:

[1] RS Clements Jr, B Darnell, “Myo-inositol content of common foods: development of a high-myo-inositol diet”, Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 Sep;33(9):1954-67. [2] AD Genazzani et al., “Myo-inositol administration positively affects hyperinsulinemia and hormonal parameters in overweight patients with polycystic ovary syndrome”, Gynecol Endocrinol. 2008 Mar;24(3):139-44 [3] F Caprio et al., “Myo-inositol therapy for poor-responders during IVF: a prospective controlled observational trial”, J Ovarian Res. 2015; 8: 37. [4] AD Genazzani et al., “Myo-inositol modulates insulin and luteinizing hormone secretion in normal weight patients with polycystic ovary syndrome”, J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2014 May;40(5):1353-60 [5] 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. [6] E Papaleo et al., “Myo-inositol in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a novel method for ovulation induction”, [7] 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. [8] “Inositol”, WebMD.com, retrieved on January 30, 2017"