Originally Posted by
Extra Innings
Interesting!
Clinical implications
Psychiatric conditions
Some preliminary results of studies on high-dose inositol supplements show promising results for people suffering from problems such as bulimia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, agoraphobia, and unipolar and bipolar depression.
In a single double-blind study on 13 patients, Myo-inositol (18 grams daily) has been found to reduce the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) significantly, with effectiveness equal to SSRIs and virtually without side-effects. In a double-blind, controlled trial, myo-inositol (18 grams daily) was superior to fluvoxamine for decreasing the number of panic attacks and had fewer side-effects.
Patients suffering from clinical depression, in general, have decreased levels of inositol in their cerebrospinal fluid. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of depressed patients showed that a high dose of inositol (12 grams daily) resulted in significant improvement of symptoms, with no changes noted in liver, kidney, or hematological function. A meta-analysis of randomized trials of inositol for depression was not able to determine if inositol is of benefit.
Research suggests that lithium functions primarily by decreasing myo-inositol concentrations in bipolar patients.Other studies suggest that lithium treatment may further inhibit the enzyme inositol monophosphatase, leading to higher intracellular levels of inositol triphosphate, an effect which was enhanced further by administration of an inositol triphosphate reuptake inhibitor.