Last updated September 25, 2023.
Edited and medically reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC. Written by Deane Alban.
Inositol is a nutrient that is a vital cofactor for the brain’s major neurotransmitters. Learn how inositol supplements benefit many mental health issues.
Inositol is available as a natural supplement that’s very effective at treating a wide range of mental health conditions, in some cases even better than the usually prescribed medications.
For reasons not yet understood, it works particularly well in women to relieve anxiety, binge eating, PMS, and more.
As a mood-enhancing nutrient, inositol doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
At one time, it was known as vitamin B8 and considered part of the family of B complex vitamins.
But once it was discovered that the body could make its own inositol, it was no longer considered a true vitamin.
Now it’s considered a pseudovitamin, a neglected stepchild of the vitamin B complex.
However, when it’s used as a remedy or a supplement to augment deficiency states, inositol is actually quite valuable.
Benefits of Inositol for Mental Health
Inositol is found in high concentrations in the brain where it facilitates communication between our billions of brain cells.
Major neurotransmitters important for positive mood — serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine — rely on inositol to relay messages.
Just as you can’t talk on your smartphone when there’s no signal, neurotransmitters can’t do their job of communicating when there’s not enough inositol.
And neurotransmitters play a major role in most aspects of your life, including mood, productivity, ability to handle stress, ability to learn and remember, sleep, cravings, and addictions.
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Because inositol is a part of so many brain chemical systems, it can help a wide array of mental health conditions.
Here are 6 ways inositol can improve your mental health and well-being.
1. Inositol Is a Valuable Natural Remedy for Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Anti-anxiety medications don’t work for everyone and many users can’t tolerate their side effects.
Inositol is a natural anti-anxiety remedy that has proven useful for many kinds of anxiety, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and agoraphobia.
One study found that it reduced symptoms of panic disorder as well as the medication fluvoxamine but with fewer side effects.
Study participants taking fluvoxamine experienced nausea and fatigue, while those taking inositol experienced no negative side effects.
Fluvoxamine is a type of antidepressant known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).
Besides being prescribed for depression, it is also used to treat anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety disorder.
2. Inositol May Be Helpful for Depression
Inositol levels are lower than normal in people with depression.
Inositol supplementation shows promise for reducing depression symptoms.
In one study, there was a significant improvement in depression symptoms even when patients discontinued their antidepressants.
" Inositol diminishes the mood swings, depression, and anxiety of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and the more severe premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
A meta-analysis of studies concluded that depressed patients, especially those with PMDD, benefit from inositol supplementation.
Tip: Mood disorders that respond positively to serotonin-boosting SSRIs also generally respond to inositol supplementation.
If you do not benefit from SSRI antidepressants, it’s likely that you will not benefit from inositol either.
3. Inositol Diminishes Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms
Inositol looks promising for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a type of anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted, recurring thoughts and behaviors.
Several studies have found that inositol reduces the symptoms of OCD.
One study found that inositol reduced symptoms of OCD as well as the usually prescribed medication.
Just as with inositol and depression, those with OCD who are not helped by SSRIs are generally not helped by inositol.
4. Inositol Significantly Reduces Symptoms of Bulimia
Inositol is an excellent natural supplement for bulimia nervosa, a serious eating disorder that involves binge eating and purging.
High doses of inositol (18 grams) reduced the depression, anxiety, and binge eating associated with bulimia.
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As with depression, the effects of inositol on bulimia seem to be more evident in women than in men.
5. Inositol Is Helpful for Bipolar Disorder
There’s some evidence that inositol may be useful for the depressive symptoms of bipolar disorder.
One large study that compared treatments for bipolar depression found that inositol worked significantly better than the bipolar medication risperidone.
Additionally, it has been found to be extremely helpful for one common side effect of lithium drug therapy — lithium-induced psoriasis.
Lithium is known to deplete inositol which then leads to psoriasis.
Inositol greatly improves this skin disorder without negating the drug’s mood-calming effects.
Treating bipolar disorder is complicated.
Do not attempt to self-medicate with inositol before discussing this with your doctor, since there’s some concern that inositol can cause mania.
6. Inositol Reduces the Mood Swings of PMS and PMDD
Inositol may be a woman’s best friend.
As discussed earlier, it works better in women than in men for depression and bulimia.
It also diminishes the mood swings, depression, and anxiety of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and the more severe premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Inositol is particularly useful for treating polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
This disorder is caused by hormone imbalances and affects 10% of women.
It is characterized by menstrual irregularities, infertility, and a tendency to retain weight.
It is believed to work by normalizing levels of the hormones testosterone and insulin.
Some nutritional supplement formulations specifically designed to promote fertility contain inositol.
Mental Health Disorders That Inositol May Help
A lot of websites selling inositol claim that it’s good for various disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s.
Research currently does not support the use of inositol for any of these disorders, but that does not mean that inositol will not be found helpful for these conditions in the future.
More research is definitely needed on this largely ignored supplement.
Unfortunately, a lot of the research done on inositol was done 20 to 30 years ago, ancient history in the fast-moving field of neuroscience.
The Best Form of Inositol Supplements and Their Dosages
The term inositol collectively refers to a group of nine forms of the substance, with myo-inositol being the one most commonly used in supplements.
If a supplement doesn’t specifically say what form it is, you can assume it’s myo-inositol, which is also the most abundant form in nature.
Mental health uses for inositol require substantial doses, usually 12 to 18 grams daily.
Since most inositol capsules contain 500 mg, this would mean swallowing a lot of pills.
However, you can bypass this problem by taking inositol powder which readily mixes with water.
Most people find this the most convenient and economical way to take it, and since inositol is a carbohydrate, it tastes slightly sweet.
This makes it a well-tolerated choice for children with mood disorders.
For mental health conditions, you won’t go wrong with the myo-inositol form of inositol.
The exception is for PCOS for which d-chiro-inositol is usually the recommended form.
Some inositol supplements pair it with choline, another compound that was formerly a B vitamin.
Choline works much like inositol to support brain cell health and nerve transmission function, while also providing the precursor to acetylcholine, the “memory and learning” neurotransmitter.
Fun fact: Ever wonder about the white powder that actors snort in the movies? Inositol is often used as a stand-in for cocaine.
Why You Can’t You Get Enough Inositol From Food
Inositol can be found in all of the basic food groups — dairy, meat, fruit, vegetables, and grains.
It’s also an added ingredient in some energy drinks.
The best food sources of inositol are:
- almonds
- beans
- cantaloupe
- citrus fruits and juices
- peanut butter
- walnuts
- wheat bran
- whole wheat
But to consume one gram of inositol, you’d have to eat almost an entire melon or 1½ cups of cooked beans.
A 2,500-calorie diet will yield at most 1 gram of inositol, while our kidneys make another 2 grams or so.
The bottom line is that, for most people, it would not be practical, or even possible, to consume therapeutic amounts (i.e., 12+ grams) of inositol from food alone.
Inositol Side Effects and Interactions
Inositol is generally considered very safe and there are no known interactions with medications or other supplements.
In general, inositol is very well tolerated in doses of up to 12 grams.
Some reported side effects include digestive upset, insomnia, dizziness, headache, and the rare report of mania.
Inositol is mildly sedating.
This can be a welcome “side effect” if you need some help relaxing or use inositol as a sleep aid.
While inositol seems to be safe during pregnancy, and is sometimes taken to mitigate gestational diabetes, talk to your doctor before taking it while pregnant.
And since inositol can lower blood sugar levels, anyone taking diabetes medications should monitor their blood sugar levels carefully when adding inositol to their supplement regimen.
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