Is Inositol Right for You? Here's What Every Woman Should Know
Inositol (also known as B8) can be a game changer for women’s hormones, fertility, and mental health. This compound plays a critical role in cellular signaling, hormone balance, and metabolic health. But with so much information out there, it can be hard to know if it’s right for you.
What is Inositol?
Inositol is actually a type of sugar alcohol that impacts the action of insulin, neurotransmitters like serotonin, and reproductive hormones. It’s naturally found in foods like citrus fruits, buckwheat, cabbage, beans and nuts. Supplemental forms are often needed to see therapeutic effects for certain conditions (noted below).
When is Inositol Beneficial?
Inositol has been studied for a variety of women's health concerns, particularly:
PCOS – Here is where we have the most support for its use. For women with PCOS, Inositol supports ovulation (affecting fertility), insulin sensitivity (improving blood sugar), and androgen regulation (decreasing high testosterone). It can even potentially be as effective as Metformin.
Mental Health – The research here is interesting and promising, especially in the treatment of OCD. Inositol can help regulate serotonin and dopamine pathways. For individuals with OCD who do not respond to traditional SSRI’s, inositol can be an alternative.
Insulin Resistance – There is some research that in individuals with insulin resistance, without PCOS, that Inositol enhances glucose uptake and improves insulin signaling.
Sleep Disorders – May support sleep quality by impacting neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA (both involved in sleep).
Binge Eating Disorder – Similarly to helping those with OCD, Inositol can help individuals with binge eating disorder who do not respond to SSRI.
Types of Inositol:
There are nine forms of Inositol, but these are the most relevant:
Myo-Inositol – The most abundant form; improves insulin sensitivity, ovulation, and metabolic markers.
D-Chiro-Inositol (DCI) – Works downstream of myo-inositol; helpful for androgen excess and glucose metabolism.
Myo/DCI Combinations – Most studied for PCOS and fertility, often in a 40:1 ratio to mimic natural plasma levels.
How to Know if Inositol Is Right for You:
The BEST way to know if Inositol is right for you is to work 1:1 with a qualified healthcare professional to see if this course of treatment is the next best step to take. This blog post is informational only and does not serve as a treatment alternative.
Inositol does have real evidence to support its claims, especially for women dealing with hormonal, mental health, or metabolic issues. As always, it’s best to personalize based on your symptoms, labs, and goals.
Not sure if Inositol is right for you? Let’s work together and I’ll help you decide what your body truly needs!
