Inositol

Inositol is needed for health at a cellular level

Inositol plays an important part in the health of cell membranes especially the specialized cells in the brain, bone marrow, eyes, and intestines. The function of the cell membranes is to regulate the contents of the cells, which makes effective functioning possible.

Inositol is a simple carbohydrate (sugar) that plays an important role in chemical reactions in the body associated with the production of glucose. Inositol facilitates communication between neurons and helps the nervous system to function.

Although inositol is sometimes called a member of the B complex of vitamins, it is really not a vitamin. Vitamins are considered essential to the health & function of our bodies & although inositol is valuable, it is not essential. Having said that inositol performs some important functions in the body, working closely with the entire Vitamin B Complex as well as with choline.

Their are many area that Inositol can play a huge part in our health& well-being:

Psychiatry (depression, panic attacks, & obsessive compulsive disorder)
Mood swings
Bodybuilding
Increased energy
Lower Cholesterol
Diabetes
Numbness & nerve damage due to diabetes
Fat Metabolism
Hair growth
Constipation ( due to its stimulating effect on the muscular action of the alimentary canal)
Insomnia

INOSITOL AND BODY BUILDING

Inositol is necessary for many physiological processes. It is used by the body to form cell membranes and it allows for the proper functioning of cells.

As a dietary and exercise aide, inositol assists in the transmission of nerve signals, and helps to transport lipids within the body. This will help contract your muscles more efficiently and will help you to use body fat as fuel for your workouts.

Controlled trials of inositol in psychiatry

by
Levine J
Ministry of Health Mental Health Center,
Faculty of Health Sciences,
Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva, Israel
Eur Neuropsychopharmacol, 1997 May, 7:2, 147-55

ABSTRACT

Inositol is a simple polyol precursor in a second messenger system important in the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid inositol has been reported as decreased in depression. A double-blind controlled trial of 12 g daily of inositol in 28 depressed patients for four weeks was performed. Significant overall benefit for inositol compared to placebo was found at week 4 on the Hamilton Depression Scale. No changes were noted in hematology, kidney or liver function. Since many antidepressants are effective in panic disorder, twenty-one patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, four week, random-assignment crossover treatment trial of inositol 12 g per day. Frequency and severity of panic attacks and severity of agoraphobia declined significantly with inositol compared to placebo. Side-effects were minimal.

Since serotonin re-uptake inhibitors benefit obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and inositol is reported to reverse desensitization of serotonin receptors, thirteen patients with OCD completed a double-blind controlled crossover trial of 18 g inositol or placebo for six weeks each. Inositol significantly reduced scores of OCD symptoms compared with placebo. A controlled double-blind crossover trial of 12 g daily of inositol for a month in twelve anergic schizophrenic patients, did not show any beneficial effects. A double-blind controlled crossover trial of 6 g of inositol daily vs. glucose for one month each was carried out in eleven Alzheimer patients, with on clearly significant therapeutic effects.

FOODS HIGH IN INOSITOL

Nuts

Beans

Whole Grains especially wheat and wheat bran

Fruit especially Cantaloupe and Oranges

Vegetables

Legumes

Molasses (blackstrap)

DOSE:

1 to 2 teaspoons daily on an empty stomach.

Mix with water or juice.

Available in 100gm oral powder

Nutritional Information:

100% pure free form Inositol

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new Health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be Informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a health-care professional.

Recommended Reading

Chris Tompson

Newsletter

Inositol

Inositol is needed for health at a cellular level