5 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Inositol

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1. What is Inositol?

Inositol is actually a carbohydrate found in the body as well as in many foods and supplements. Inositol is found in many different forms, and one of them has a chemical structure similar to the sugar that exists in the blood, which is glucose.
Inositol plays an important role in many body processes. Therefore, inositol has been researched to explore their potential benefits to human health.
Inositol supplements can help treat a number of specific health problems including some anxiety disorders as well as promote reproductive health and more.

2. 5 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Inositol

Inositol brings a lot of health benefits. Here are the top 5 health benefits of inositol based on relevant scientific evidence.
2.1. Reducing anxiety through the effect of Serotonin Inositol affects the synthesis of neurotransmitters, the elements responsible for transmitting information in the brain, including serotonin. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter that is influenced by inositol. Serotonin affects many roles in the body and affects a person's behavior and mood.
Researchers tested whether inositol supplementation could improve symptoms of brain and serotonin-related conditions. These include anxiety disorders, panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Some studies have shown that inositol can actually reduce the number of panic symptoms experienced in patients with panic disorder. Specifically, a study in 20 patients with panic disorder found that supplementing with 18 grams of inositol per day reduced the number of weekly panic attacks by 4, which is more than the roughly 2.4 reduction seen in people who only had panic attacks. conventional anxiety medication. Another study in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder found that a daily supplement of 18 grams of inositol could improve symptoms of the disease much better than a placebo group. However, studies on the effects of inositol on post-traumatic stress disorder have not shown any benefit.
In fact, some researchers have questioned whether inositol is really effective in treating conditions related to anxiety disorders. But overall, inositol has been shown to have certain positive effects on certain types of anxiety disorders, but more research is needed to pinpoint these effects.

2.2. Aids in Blood Sugar Control Inositol may aid in blood sugar control by improving insulin sensitivity. Insulin is an extremely important hormone that plays a decisive role in controlling blood sugar levels in the body. Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body does not respond to this hormone, leaving blood sugar levels uncontrolled, which is a risk factor for diabetes and a number of other metabolic syndromes.
Inositol is used to make molecules that regulate insulin action in cells, so they have the effect of improving the body's sensitivity to insulin, reducing insulin resistance. A 6-month study in 80 postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome found that 4 grams of inositol supplementation per day significantly improved insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol levels compared with a control group. use a placebo. Another study conducted in female subjects with gestational diabetes also showed the benefit of inositol with insulin sensitivity, thereby helping to better control blood sugar, prevent diabetes later at the end of pregnancy.
2.3. Improve fertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome Polycystic ovary syndrome is a syndrome that occurs when a woman's body produces abnormally high levels of hormones. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome are at higher risk for a number of other, more serious conditions, which can affect fertility and even lead to female infertility.
Problems related to insulin sensitivity can be one of the causes of decreased fertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Because inositol has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, inositol supplementation is considered a relatively potential treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome. In addition to improving fertility, inositol may also improve ovarian function in women.

In addition, studies also show that supplementing with 2-4 grams of inositol per day can also regulate menstrual cycles, ovulation and pregnancy rates in women with ovarian syndrome. polycystic.
2.4. May reduce symptoms of depression Due to the effects on neurotransmitters in the brain, inositol has been considered and applied as one of the highly effective treatments for depression.
Some studies have shown that taking a supplement of 12 grams of inositol daily for about 4 weeks can reduce symptoms of depression much better than a placebo group. Additionally, in another study, supplementing with 6 grams of inositol per day improved symptoms of depression in 9 out of 11 participants.
However, adding inositol during the treatment of patients with depression did not improve symptoms of the disease more than the group taking the drug alone. Furthermore, inositol has not been shown to be effective in reducing depression in people who have not previously responded to standard antidepressants.
2.5. Safe and No Side Effects Inositol is found naturally in the body and in many different foods. The content of inositol in foods ranges from less than 1 gram to several grams depending on the composition of an individual's diet.
Inositol in supplement form can also be said to be safe for patients. The recommended dose for people who need an inositol supplement ranges from 2 to 18 grams per day. In higher doses, inositol can cause some mild side effects such as stomach upset, bloating, indigestion. These symptoms go away when the dose of inositol is reduced.
Inositol supplements have been applied to pregnant women at a dose of 4 grams per day without leading to any side effects.

2.6. Some other benefits In addition to the top 5 benefits listed above, inositol also offers a number of positive health effects, including:
Weight loss: Inositol supplements may cause slight weight loss in people who are not healthy. women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Blood lipid status: Inositol has the ability to reduce blood lipids as well as cholesterol levels in the blood Blood pressure: Several studies have also confirmed that inositol can help reduce blood pressure in women with polycystic ovary syndrome . Inositol is a type of carbohydrate found in the body and many different foods. Inositol plays an important role in the body, affecting nerve impulse transmission as well as supporting blood sugar control. Inositol is effective in improving symptoms of some anxiety disorders and increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin. It also helps improve ovarian function as well as fertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Most importantly, inositol is almost completely safe, with few side effects even at high doses.
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Reference sources: healthline.com, verywellmind.com