All About Inositol
What is Inositol?
Inositol is a naturally occurring chemical compound that contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and is therefore classified as a carbohydrate. It is a beneficial substance commonly used as a dietary supplement. It can be thought of as being similar to a vitamin that can be harvested naturally from nature or manufactured artificially in a laboratory. Inositol in its natural form is colorless, odorless, water-soluble and almost tasteless, bearing only a weak hint of sweetness.
The name “Inositol” is derived from Greek words that means “muscle sugar” this substance comes in many forms and names including cyclohexane 1-6 hexol, Cyclohexanehexol, Mouse antialopecia factor, Nucite, Phaseomannite, Phaseomannitol, Rat antispectacled eye factor, Scyllite and more, its most common form is called myo-inositol.
Inositol was discovered in 1850 and is once classified as a member of the B-complex vitamins but is now argued as actually being a lipotropic agent because of its ability to initiate the breakdown of fat in the body during metabolism. Inositol can be extracted from many types of plant and animal cells.
Inositol on Health Conditions
Inositol, when used as a dietary supplement, claims to have beneficial effect on a number of medical conditions ranging from hypertension to Alzheimer’s disease. While some of these claims do have scientific backing, a few have yet to show direct evidence of improvement in certain conditions.
- Alzheimer’s disease – degenerative brain disorder that develops in mid- to late adulthood. It results in a progressive and irreversible decline in memory.
- Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – a behavioral disorder occurring primarily in children, with symptoms like poor concentration, hyperactivity, and difficulty in learning.
- Cancer – a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.
- Depression – a mood or emotional state that is marked by feelings of low self-worth or guilt and a reduced ability to enjoy life.
- Hair loss or alopecia - also known as alopecia, thinning or complete loss of hair from the head or body.
- High cholesterol – a condition involving high levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream.
- Insomnia – Difficulty in sleeping; sleeplessness.
- Diabetic neuropathy – neuropathic disorders that are associated with diabetes mellitus.
- Panic Disorder – an anxiety disorder characterized by recurring severe panic attacks.
- Psoriasis – a chronic skin disease marked by red, itchy, scaly patches.
- Schizophrenia – a severe mental disorder that have symptoms as hallucinations, delusions, blunted emotions, disordered thinking, and a withdrawal from reality.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – a mental disorder in which an individual experiences obsessions or compulsions or both. Either the obsessive thought or the compulsive act may occur singly, or both may appear in sequence.
- Poly-cystic Ovary Syndrome – one of the most common female endocrine disorders.
- Respiratory Distress Syndrome – a common complication in infants, especially in premature newborns, characterized by extremely labored breathing and abnormally low levels of oxygen in the arterial blood.
- Side effects of lithium treatment – these include including hand trembling and intolerance of hot weather.
Inositol in Food
Choline and Inositol are often combined in products that are offered to promote neurological well-being. Alcohol, caffeine and sulfonamide drugs lower both choline and inositol levels in the body. Online Health and Fitness sites frequently sell Inositol vitamin supplements for its slimming effect. Inositol is available in vegetables, fruits and meats like cantaloupe, broccoli, ripe coffee beans, blackberries, beet, spinach, cabbage, dried beans, tomatoes, chickpeas, carrots, cauliflower, oats, poultry, veal, liver, eggplant, apples, oranges and other citrus fruits. It is believed that long consistent heavy intake of drugs reduces Inositol. Inositol deficiency produces symptoms that include: failing memory, excess liver fat, hair loss, eye problems, foods, colon irregularity and Hypercholesterolemia.
Why Use Inositol?
● Reduces Bad Cholesterol
Inositol ensures constant production of lecithin within the body. Lecithin in the bloodstream helps to properly distribute the fats and cholesterol filtered by the liver from the food we take. In properly distributing the cholesterol in the cells, lecithin ensures that the cholesterol will be used to nourish the cells and prevents fat from building up.
● Fortified Organs
Inositol in combination with choline prevents blocking of the arteries and makes sure they remain clear to avoid Atherosclerosis or the hardening of the arteries which is usually caused by high blood pressure. In doing this, Inositol helps maintain a healthy heart, liver and kidney which are all very vital.
● Cell Regeneration
A lot of cells rely on inositol for proper regeneration. Walls of the intestine contains cell that aid in digestion, these cells rely on inositol, overall health will obviously be affected if these cells fail to absorb the nutrients in the food we take. Other cells that rely on inositol include those found in the eye membranes and bone marrows. The bone marrow plays an important part in blood production and unhealthy blood supply can be expected to be fatal.
● Hair Growth
Baldness and hair thinning can affect an individual mentally and socially. Condition involving appearance greatly affects a person’s self-confidence and lack of confidence contributes to other mental conditions like depression, this may sound exaggerated but we all know how important self-image. A person who prefers a skinhead hairstyle can always shave their head but the same can’t be said in reverse for people who have no hair to begin with.
● Mental Prowess
As said previously mental conditions like depression can be alleviated by inositol. Other benefits include adequate nutrition delivered to the brain; this in combination with proper rest helps enhance memory retainment and lessens the possibility of developing Alzheimer’s disease
Current studies suggest that there is a link between inositol supplement intake and recovery from depression. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that facilitate communication between neurons, an example is Serotonin. People who experience depression have been found to have very low levels of serotonin or they lack them completely. Proper functioning of neurotransmitters like serotonin requires inositol.
So food supplements containing inositol can be beneficial to people who experience mental disorders like depression and panic attacks because of the role inositol plays in encouraging proper functioning of neurotransmitters. Other disorders that benefit from inositol for the same reason include Obsessive-Compulsive disorder or OCD.
Inositol Supplements
Now Inositol is produced naturally in the body and those who experience the health problems listed here may be experiencing Inositol deficiency. Taking food supplements containing Inositol has no known negative side effect except of course when taken excessively. So it is safe to say that including inositol in your diet will improve health, especially if you experience problems linked with inositol deficiency like those mentioned earlier.
