Inositol–Vitamin B8–has been found to reduce depression, hostility, tension and fatigue. Inositol has been found to reduce depression, hostility, tension and fatigue. It is a folk remedy for anxiety and sadness.
Inositol has been shown in very small studies to be helpful for depression and panic disorder, and promising for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders and bipolar disorder. Research has not yet shown any adjunctive benefit when inositol is used with psychotropic drugs. Inositol is a part of our diet, and supplementation seems benign. The risk is minimal.
Inositol, a part of the vitamin B-complex family of vitamins, has a similar therapeutic profile to SSRIs in that it inhibits serotonin reuptake in the synaptic cleft. Investigations have discovered that people with depression have lower levels of inositol.
In one study of depression treatment, depressed people who took inositol for four weeks had a significant improvement in their symptoms. In a follow-up study of patients with depression, half of those who initially responded to inositol supplementation relapsed when it was discontinued.
Inositol occurs naturally as phytic acid, which is a metal chelator that suppresses damaging metal-catalyzed reactions, making it a natural antioxidant. It’s theorized that this oxidative action is part of why inositol is so effective in treating depression and other psychiatric disorders.
Inositol is a very promising treatment for depression and panic disorder. It is promising for bipolar disorder, anxiety, obsession, compulsion, eating disorders, hostility, sadness, tension and fatigue. It is quite safe. Adjunctive use may not benefit but will not hurt. People with bipolar disorder should exercise greater caution.