Inositol is a type of carbohydrate, often taken as a supplement by women with PCOS.
In today's episode of Nourish I'm going to explain what it does
and five key facts that you should know before starting inositol supplements
so that you can consider whether or not you should be taking it. Stay tuned!
Hi! If this is your first time to my YouTube channel, welcome! My name is Melanie McGrice and I'm a
women's health and fertility dietitian. Make sure you subscribe and connect with me on my
social media... you'll find all the details in the description box below this video.
So, today we're discussing inositols for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
Inositols are a type of carbohydrate involved in hormone-signalling. PCOS is obviously a hormonal
condition, so it makes sense that compounds that help to regular hormone-signalling
may be beneficial. But, like many things in the science of nutrition, it is not black and white.
In this episode of Nourish, I'm going to list five
key facts that you should know before taking inositol supplements.
So, where to start? Firstly, if you have a look at some bottles of inositol supplements, you may see
three different ingredients on the labels. These are myo-inositol, D-chiro-inositol or 'inositol'.
Whilst there are nine different types of inositols, myo and D-chiro are the forms that
have been best studied for PCOS so are likely to be what you'll find in most supplements.
When only 'inositol' is listed on a bottle, it usually refers to myo-inositol variety.
Number 2: Emerging evidence suggests that inositol supplements may be beneficial
for improving insulin resistance to reduce carbohydrate cravings and additional weight gain,
optimising androgen hormones to reduce acne and excess hair growth,
reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome and the development of diabetes,
improving embryo quality to increase fertility and reducing the risk of gestational diabetes.
So obviously there's some benefits.
Thirdly, there are risks with taking inositol supplements for PCOS, so it's REALLY important
that you get the right types and right doses for your unique needs. For example,
evidence suggests that D-chiro-inositol treatment may be beneficial when administered in low doses,
yet the progressive increase of its dosage has been associated with worsening
egg quality - which is not helpful if you want to have a baby now or in the future.
Number 4: inositols are found naturally in food. Fruit, grains and nuts are all
good natural sources of inositols. Cantaloupes, oats and oranges are particularly rich sources.
So if you want to try and increase your inositol intake naturally, start with them.
And, number 5: Some studies suggest that it should be used in conjunction with
other nutritional supplements to achieve optimal results.
For example, an Italian study found that inositol provided better results
for improving ovarian function when used with folate and N-acetylcysteine.
To determine the right dose and combination of supplements for your unique needs,
I'd highly recommend a personalised consultation with a women's health dietitian.
You can find some recommendations in the description box below this video.
Finally, if you're trying to conceive, make sure that you download my free fertility meal plan
from melaniemcgrice.com/fertility. And, make sure you check out some of my
other videos about Polycystic ovarian syndrome such as low GI diets and gut health for PCOS.
I'll look forward to seeing you in my next video!