Inositol Helps You Manage PCOS

According to medical studies, inositol may be important for managing a number of PCOS symptoms:

• Insulin resistance. It may aid insulin action and thus reduce insulin resistance.
• Depression. It may help to relieve depression, which is common in polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Liver support. It helps your liver to metabolize fat. A large percentage of women with PCOS have been found to have fatty liver degeneration.
• Acne. It can help reduce acne.
• Hirsutism. It can help reduce hirsutism (excessive hair growth).

Inositol is a nutritional compound that has nine different forms. The most well-known and nutritionally active form is "myo-inositol", which most people simply refer to as "inositol". It is a necessary component of the membranes of your cells and is vital to many biological processes in your body. It is a precursor to a number of essential "signaling molecules" that instruct cells how to behave.

Where Does Inositol Come From?

Inositol and Ovulation

Reduces Acne and Hirsutism

Improves Ovulation and Hormone Balance

Improves Quality of Your Eggs

Precautions

Dosage

Some of inositol's signaling is related to activation of serotonin receptors, which could relieve depression and improve appetite balance. Serotonin is a brain chemical with several important functions in the body, including mood and appetite regulation.

Inositol is also a fat-solublizing agent that helps to transport fat from the liver. For those overweight PCOS women who may have a problem with fatty liver congestion, inositol can be helpful.

Although inositol is widely thought of as a member of the B-vitamin family, it is technically not a vitamin because the body can manufacture inositol and is not required to get it from the diet.

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Where Does Inositol Come From?

Bacteria in your intestines convert the phytic acid found in plant fibers into inositol, so your body is able to manufacture its own supply of inositol. Phytic acid can be found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts.

You can also obtain dietary inositol from animal foods such as beef heart, beef liver and eggs.

Inositol is commonly available as a nutritional supplement.

Average dietary intake of inositol is about one gram daily. Dietary intake of inositol can influence the levels of inositol in the body and thus may influence biological activities. Inositol supplements may affect behavior and may have anti-depressant and anti-anxiety activities.

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Inositol and Ovulation

A recent study suggests that common inositol may be helpful for PCOS and polycystic ovaries.

In this study at the University of Perugia in Italy, 136 PCOS women took inositol (100 mg., twice daily) for 14 weeks. Another group of PCOS women took placebo pills.

The ovulation frequency was significantly higher in the treated group (23%) compared with the placebo (13%). The time in which the first ovulation occurred was significantly shorter (23.6 days) compared with 41.8 days for the placebo group. The number of patients failing to ovulate was higher in the placebo group.

The effect of inositol on follicular maturation was rapid. Also, significant weight loss (and leptin reduction) was recorded in the inositol group, whereas in the placebo group had an increase in weight.

This study suggests a beneficial effect of inositol in improving ovarian function in women with irregular cycles and polycystic ovaries.

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Reduces Acne and Hirsutism

Another Italian study has just been published. The Vita-Salute University studied fifty women who had polycystic ovary syndrome. They took supplemental inositol for six months to determine its effects on skin conditions such as hirsutism (excess hair) and acne.

After 3 months of taking inositol, the women had reduced testosterone and improved insulin function.

In addition, after 6 months on the inositol, they also had significant reductions of both hirsutism and acne.

The researchers concluded: Inositol "…is a simple and safe treatment that ameliorates the metabolic profile of patients with PCOS, reducing hirsutism and acne."

As the researchers say, inositol supplementation is both simple and safe. If taken over the span of half a year, it appears to reduce acne and hirsutism problems.

We have two types of inositol in our online store: regular inositol and d-pinitol. D-pinitol is a special form of inositol that is thought to be more effective than regular inositol.

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Improves Ovulation and Hormone Balance

The University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy studied 25 overweight PCOS women were given 2 grams of inositol daily for 12 weeks. Menstrual cycles were restored in all women who did not have a normal cycle. Insulin resistance, a primary cause of polycystic ovary syndrome, was reduced.

The authors of the study conclude: "Myo-inositol administration improves reproductive axis functioning in PCOS patients, reducing the hyperinsulinemic state that affects LH secretion."

The other study is from the University of Perugia in Italy. It is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, which medical authorities say is the "gold standard" of medical studies.

The researchers divided 92 PCOS women into two groups. One group was given a placebo, while the other group received 4 grams of inositol daily.

Compared to the placebo group, the inositol group had a shorter time to first ovulation, and had a higher frequency of ovulation. The effect on ovarian follicles appeared to be rapid, starting in the first week of treatment.

In addition, the inositol group lost weight while the placebo group gained weight.

The researchers conclude: "These data support a beneficial effect of myo-inositol in women with oligomenorrhea and polycystic ovaries in improving ovarian function."

These and other medical studies suggest that therapeutic doses of inositol would be beneficial for ovulation, reduction of insulin resistance and luteinizing hormone, and possibly for weight loss.

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Improves Quality of Your Eggs

A new study released recently suggests inositol may also be beneficial for improving egg quality in women who have polycystic ovary syndrome.

You need to have good egg quality in order to become pregnant, and in order to avoid a miscarriage. As you may know, PCOS women have a significantly greater risk of miscarriage. In addition we know that egg quality begins to significantly decline for all women after age 35.

In this study, sixty infertile PCOS women were undergoing assisted reproduction treatment. One group was given inositol plus folic acid (anther B-vitamin). The other group was given folic acid alone.

Those who took inositol plus folic acid, but not those taking folic acid alone, had significantly healthier egg cells.

The results of this study indicate that if you are interested in increasing your chances of becoming pregnant and reducing risk of miscarriage, inositol supplementation is advisable. Good egg quality is necessary for a successful pregnancy.

It appears that women with polycystic ovarian syndrome have a need for higher inositol intake because the metabolize and lose it at a greater rate than other women.

We can recommend either of these products: Inositol-5. This product contains 324 mg. of inositol in each tablet and is quite inexpensive. It you were to take the same amount used in a recent study, you would be taking 2,000 - 4,000 mg., or 6 - 12 tablets a day. d-Pinitol. This formula contains d-pinitol, which is a form of inositol called "3-O-methyl-D-chiro-inositol". It is thought to be more potent than ordinary inositol. This formula also contains chromium and vitamin D, which are very important for improving insulin function, among other things. This product is more expensive than inositol but provides a more comprehensive and potent approach. 2 - 4 capsules daily is a suggested dosage.

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Precautions

There are no contraindications for inositol. Inositol supplementation is generally well tolerated. Gastrointestinal effects such as nausea or diarrhea are occasionally reported with high doses. No toxicity has been reported.

Due to a lack of long-term safety data, inositol should be avoided by pregnant women and nursing mothers. Also, one review article suggested that inositol may stimulate uterine contractions, although no research has demonstrated that inositol actually has this effect.

It's theoretically possible that inositol could worsen hypomanic or manic symptoms of bipolar disorder, so people with this condition should check with their doctor before using supplemental inositol.

Theoretically, high-dose inositol may increase the effects of anti-depressant selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI drugs) such as fluoxetine sertraline, paroxetine, fluvoxamine and citalopram, and with 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor agonists, such as sumatriptan. If you are taking anti-depressant drugs, consult with your doctor before taking supplemental inositol.

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Dosage

According to the study we cited above, PCOS women appeared to get some benefit from a dose of only 200 mg. daily, which is a very moderate amount. Some doctors may recommend 500 mg. twice daily. In contrast, as much as 12 grams (12,000 mg.) has been used in studies to treat depression or panic attacks.

200 - 1,000 mg. per day for PCOS appears to be safe. A considerably higher dose may be appropriate in some situations, but consult with your physician as to how much more you should take.

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