Inositol
Specific molecules
A sugar alcohol of the B-vitamin group, plentiful in citrus, legumes and whole grains.
The phytic acid of seeds IS phosphated inositol: what the brake holds back on one side, digestion releases on the other.
Effects and benefits
A cousin of sugars that serves as a messenger inside cells: it relays the signal of insulin and many hormones. The body makes it, and food provides about a gram a day.
Myo-inositol is part of membranes, where it is the starting point of chemical messengers: when insulin or another hormone knocks on the cell's door, these messengers carry the news inside. The kidneys make a few grams a day from glucose (Bizzarri et al., 2016).
As a supplement, it has been studied in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, with effects on cycle regularity and insulin sensitivity in meta-analyses (Unfer et al., 2017), and during pregnancy for gestational diabetes: medical questions, to discuss with a doctor.
Sources: Bizzarri et al., 2016 · Unfer et al., Endocr Connect, 2017
Where to find it (15)
- Bambara groundnut
- Black chickpea
- Buckwheat
- Chickpeas
- Flageolet / borlotti bean
- Grapefruit
- Green / brown lentil
- Lablab bean
- Lima bean
- Melon
- Oats
- Orange
- Red kidney bean
- Urad bean
- White bean