Inositol

November 10, 2020

Dr Traj Nibber, CEO and Director of Research at AOR has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the field of nutritional science and supplementation. We have asked him for his expert opinion on a number of nutrients, to feature in our blog. We hope you enjoy these insights and overviews of some key nutrients.

In this blog he talks about the importance of Inositol.

Inositol

Inositol is a B-vitamin-like molecule which has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels and may prove to be an exciting new therapy for a variety of metabolic conditions.

Inositol is a B-vitamin-like molecule that is the subject of much research.

Type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are endocrine disorders characterised by high blood glucose. In order to avoid severe health problems such as stroke, cardiovascular disease and retinopathy, blood sugar must be adequately controlled. A number of therapies such as metformin (which is first-line in the treatment of diabetes) are used to reduce blood sugar levels in these patients. However, these therapies are often associated with many side effects, including gastrointestinal side effects which lead to non-compliance. Recently, new insulin sensitisers such as inositol has been proposed.

Inositol exhibits no known side effects.

Inositol or myo-inositol produces the second messenger, inositol triphosphate which regulates hormones such as thyroid-stimulating hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, which are important in regulating glucose uptake and also insulin sensitivity.

Whilst larger clinical trials are required, a number of studies have shown the beneficial effects of inositol. In addition to high blood glucose, PCOS is also characterised by high testosterone levels which can lead to increased hair growth. There are no reports of side effects associated with inositol use which means that hopefully, as new research is published, more people can benefit.

Foods rich in inositol include brown rice, beans, sesame seeds, eggs and green leafy vegetables.

AOR offers inositol in both capsule and powder form because different doses of inositol have varying therapeutic effects. I highly recommend AOR’s inositol if you are looking for ways to improve your blood sugar levels.

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