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	Search Quick Order Form» Departments Vitamins Minerals Supplements Herbs Home & Grocery Diet & Fitness Body & Bath More Ways to Shop Brands A-Z Natural Remedies Children & Infants Women's Health Men's Health Seniors Free Catalog MotherNature.com's Catalog Is Here! Click Here to Get Your Free Copy Today. Newsletter Sign Up Weekly health news, sale announcements and coupons!		Library Home > Nutritional and Dietary Supplements > Inositol INOSITOL What it does Where found Helpful for Are you deficient? Amount to take Safety check References Visit The Healthy Living Bookshelf: 21 Online Health Books From Rodale View Our Related Product Sections: Inositol What does it do? Inositol is required for proper formation of cell membranes. It affects nerve transmission and helps in transporting fats within the body. Inositol differs from inositol hexaniacinate, a form of vitamin B3. Where is it found? Nuts, beans, wheat and wheat bran, cantaloupe, and oranges are excellent sources of inositol. Most dietary inositol is in the form of phytate. Inositol has been used in connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual health concern for complete information): Rating Health Concerns Anxiety Depression Obsessive-compulsive disorder Bipolar disorder/manic depression Diabetes Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit. Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit. An herb is primarily supported by traditional use, or the herb or supplement has little scientific support and/or minimal health benefit. Who is likely to be deficient? Clear deficiency of inositol has not been reported, although people with diabetes have increased excretion and may benefit from inositol supplementation. How much is usually taken? Most people do not need to take inositol. In addition, the small amounts commonly found in multivitamin supplements are probably unnecessary and ineffective. Doctors sometimes suggest 500 mg twice per day. For depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, 12–18 grams per day has been shown to be effective in double-blind trials.1 2 3 4 Are there any side effects or interactions? Toxicity has not been reported, although people with chronic renal failure show elevated levels and should not take inositol, except under medical supervision. Large amounts of phytate, the common dietary form of inositol, reduce the absorption of calcium, iron, and zinc. However, supplemental inositol does not have this effect. One review article suggested that inositol may stimulate uterine contractions.5 While no research has demonstrated that inositol actually has this effect, women who are or could become pregnant should consult a doctor before taking inositol. Are there any drug interactions? Certain medications may interact with inositol. Refer to the drug interactions safety check for a list of those medications. References: 1. Levine J, Barak Y, Gonzalves M, et al. Double-blind, controlled trial of inositol treatment of depression. Am J Psychiatry 1995;152:792–4. 2. Levine J, Barak Y, Kofman O, Belmaker RH. Follow-up and relapse analysis of an inositol study of depression. Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci 1995;32:14–21. 3. Benjamin J, Levine J, Fux M, et al. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of inositol treatment for panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry 1995;152:1084–6. 4. Fux M, Levine J, Aviv A, Belmaker RH. Inositol treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatry 1996;153:1219–21. 5. Colodny L, Hoffman RL. Inositol—Clinical applications for exogenous use. Altern Med Rev 1998;3:432–47. Copyright © 2002 Healthnotes, Inc.  All rights

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