Inositol: My Favorite Anti-Anxiety Supplement

What Is Inositol?

Inositol is a naturally occurring substance. It’s sometimes called Vitamin B8 and it’s one of the most versatile nutrients for promoting brain wellness, relaxation, and restful sleep. It’s also a crucial nutrient for female hormonal health because it supports optimal liver function.

Benefits Of Inositol:

Inositol helps maintain healthy serotonin and GABA metabolism, so it has been shown to be effective for:

-Depression

-Agoraphobia

-Anxiety

-Panic disorder

-Obsessive-compulsive disorder

-Binge eating and bulimia.

Signs Of Inadequate Inositol:

-Difficulty falling asleep

-PMS, fibroid tumors, and other problems caused by female hormone imbalance

-Depression, anxiety

Which Foods Are High In Inositol?

It’s mostly found in fruits like oranges and cantaloupe. Inositol is also found in wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, bananas, liver, brown rice, oat flakes, nuts, unrefined molasses, raisins, and vegetables.

How Does Inositol Work?

People who suffer from depression and anxiety often have reduced amounts of inositol in their spinal fluid. It’s unknown whether the lack of inositol causes depression, or depression leads to a lack of inositol.

Many people find when they boost their inositol levels they significantly reduce ruminating, obsessive and anxious thoughts. It has a calming, non-tranquilizer effect which can improve sleep, depression, and OCD. Inositol has a similar beneficial effect to SSRIs without many of the SSRI side effects.

Side Effects Of Inositol:

Pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised to check with their doctor before taking inositol or any supplement.

Nausea can be a common side effect associated with any B-vitamin consumption and can be remedied by taking a smaller amount.

Contraindications:

Inositol is NOT recommended for rapid cycling of moods, psychosis or bipolar disorder.

How Much Inositol Should You Take?

It depends largely on the condition for which you are taking inositol. Always consult your doctor before taking inositol and follow recommended dosages on the label.

-Standard dietary supplement dose up to 3g per day.

-Clinical depression and anxiety up to 12g per day.

-Clinical obsessive-compulsive disorder up to 18g per day.

 

Where Can You Buy Inositol?

High quality, neutraceutical grade brands are always best. If you buy from a retail health food store like, Whole Foods, I recommend the Jarrow brand.

 

Studies & References:

1. American Journal of Psychiatry (1995): Findings from the study showed that frequency and severity of panic attacks and of agoraphobia lessened significantly after inositol administration, with minimal side effects. The authors concluded that inositol can be a potential therapeutic option for panic disorder.

2. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (2001): In this study, researchers compared the effectivity of inositol versus the SSRI drug fluvoxamine in addressing panic disorder. During the first month of the study, it was discovered that inositol reduced the number of panic attacks experienced by patients.

3. Benjamin J, Lenine J, Fux M, Aviv A, Levy D, Belmaker RH. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of inositol treatment for panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry 1995;152 (7):1084-6

4. Levine J. Controlled trials of inositol in psychiatry. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 1997;7(2):147-55

5. Levine J, Mishori A, Susnosky M, Martin M, Belmaker RH. Combination of inositol and serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the treatment of depression. Biol Psychiatry 1999;45(3):270-3

6. Belmaker RH, Bersudsky Y, Benjamin J, Agam G, Levine J, Kofman O. Manipulation of inositol-linked second messenger systems as a therapeutic strategy in psychiatry. Adv Biochem

 

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