What Is Inositol Taken For?

Inositol is a water-soluble carbohydrate that is classified as a tangential member of the B-vitamin family. It is structurally similar to sugar; however, it is only slightly sweet and has a different physiological role. It is widely found in your body, including in your nervous system, eyes and intestines. Its role as a second messenger has been identified by researchers as a possible means for the treatment of many conditions, including depression and high cholesterol. Whole wheat, cabbage, cantaloupe, raisins and liver are excellent sources of this nutrient.

Why Is Inositol Good for You?

Of the many isomers that exist for inositol, only one, myo-inositol, is readily bioavailable and thus useful in many physiological processes. Coupled with choline, it assists in the formation of lecithin in the liver. Lecithin becomes an active component within the matrix of cholesterol-laden vesicles, called micelles. As reported in a 1999 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," researchers at Washington University in St. Louis discovered that lecithin-treated micelles greatly enhance the solubility of cholesterol and its eventual transportation back to the liver.

In addition to lowering cholesterol levels within the body, inositol may play a role in calcium influx within cells. Published in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" in 1999, James W. Putney from the National Institutes of Health, believes that IP3, a signaling intermediary within the cell membrane of which inositol is a part, may play a role in "capacitative calcium entry." This may be relevant because cytosolic calcium reserves are important in a number of signaling cascades within a cell, including neurotransmission.

Psychiatric Conditions

In an interview for the "Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients" in 2002, Dr. Robert Belmaker discusses inositol's role as a second messenger, particularly in neurotransmission. "It could be that some patients have deficiencies in the brain of inositol to the point where their serotonin system cannot respond," he says. In his work with inositol as a single treatment for depression, Dr. Belmaker has found a significant and beneficial effect, as noted by a mood scale, after three weeks of between 12 and 18 g of inositol daily. Ironically, inositol as an adjuvant treatment alongside SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) was not as effective as it was alone in the treatment of depressive symptoms. Dr. Belmaker also points out that inositol seemed effective in treating other psychiatric conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorders.

High Cholesterol

As reported in the "Journal of Lipid Research" in 2004, researchers at the University of Ottawa found that administration of 5.6 g of phosphatidylinositol (PI) daily with food resulted in a nearly 18 percent increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in normolipemic subjects. Not only may inositol play a role in fostering the solubility of cholesterol in HDL, but it also may inhibit, as part of the PI complex, certain enzymes responsible for the conversion of cholesterol into more deleterious low-density lipoproteins (LDL).

Disclaimer

While generally considered safe, inositol as a treatment for a variety of conditions, including depression and high cholesterol, is still being studied. Consult with your physician regarding the best medical approach for your condition. Analysis in this article is presented as informative and not as medical authority.