Inositol belongs to the family of vitamins from B group as often referred to as vitamin B8. Inositol reduces the level of cholesterol and triglycerides (fat) in the body.
It is responsible for the smooth functioning of the nervous system. It has a known soporific effect and helps improve sleep quality, maintains the strength of the hair, and prevents hair loss.
Inositol is part of a system, activating the cellular processes in response to external stimuli transmitted by the central nervous and endocrine system.
Inositol obviously plays an important role in the functioning of the neurotransmitters transmitting information in the brain (necessary for memory, cognition, mood stable, nerve and muscle activity, etc.).
Inositol is present in large quantities in the body in the liver and the organs of the cardiovascular and nervous system.
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What Is Inositol
Inositol reduces the level of cholesterol and triglycerides (fat) in the body. It is responsible for the smooth functioning of the nervous system. It has a known soporific effect and helps improve sleep quality, maintains the strength of the hair, and prevents hair loss.
It helps prevent eczemas. It also redistributes body fat. Inositol belongs to the family of vitamins from B group as often referred to as vitamin B8. In chemical structure, the inositol belongs to the group of the carbocyclic polyols.
It exists in nine isomeric forms, including myo-inositol (cis-1,2,3,5-trans-4,6-Cyclohexanehexol), which is the most common one.
Another common stereoisomer of inositol is D-chiro-inositol (cis-1,2,4-trans-3,5,6-Cyclohexanehexol). Inositol is present in large quantities in the body in the liver and the organs of the cardiovascular and nervous system.
Inositol Participates as a Component in Several Important Compounds
- Lecithin - it is composed of inositol and choline, provides the transport of fat between the cells and the liver. Thus the vitamin is involved in the metabolism of fat and prevents the accumulation of cholesterol. In addition to reducing the total level of fat in the body, it also protects the heart and blood vessels by atherosclerosis.
- Inositolphosphate, Phosphatidylinositol, Phosphatidylinositol phosphate - these are three important components in the cell walls, collectively known as phosphoinositides. With these forms, inositol plays the role of "secondary messenger" in the cells. These are the effector molecules whose biological role is determined by the fact that substances with amine, polypeptide and glycoprotein structure cannot cross the lipid barrier of the cell membrane.
Such substances are hormones and mediators such as serotonin, acetylcholine, and norepinephrine.
They act on the cells receptors (situated on the surface of the membrane), which in turn activate phosphatidylinositol, responsible for the subsequent initiation of a series of cascade processes, generally known under the term signal transduction.
The general meaning of the preceding is that Inositol is part of a system, activating the cellular processes in response to external stimuli transmitted by the central nervous and endocrine system.
Inositol obviously plays an important role in the functioning of the neurotransmitters transmitting information in the brain (necessary for memory, cognition, mood stable, nerve and muscle activity, etc.).
- Inositol hexaphosphate - known as phytic acid, an extremely important depot for phosphorus in grain. It is well known for its psychotropic effect. It supports the thought processes and the proper functioning of the nervous system.
- Inositol hexaniacin - this is a form with no observed side effects of niacin when it needs to be taken in high doses (1000 mg or more). In certain mental illnesses, such high doses of niacin lead to liver damage, diabetes, and an increase in uric acid.
Beneficial Effects of Inositol
Inositol is known for its detoxifying effect and thus exhibits protective properties on the liver.
It is commonly used adjuvant in the preparation of many medicines, where it performs both structural and hepatoprotective functions.
Way of Intake
As a water-soluble vitamin, it may be administered in high doses. The average man can take about 1 gram with food daily. There are no data on the toxicity of the vitamin.
Sources of Inositol
Inositol is contained in large quantities in:
- liver;
- brewer's yeast;
- mature beans;
- bovine brain and heart;
- cantaloupe;
- grapefruit;
- raisins;
- wheat germ;
- unrefined molasses;
- peanuts;
- cabbage.
What Happens In the Absence of Inositol
In the case of sufficient quantities in the body the following conditions are observed:
- depression;
- obsessive-compulsive disorder;
- panic disorder.
It is believed that under the conditions mentioned above 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin), which is a key mediator in the central nervous system, does not carry out its normal function due to lack of sufficient quantities of phosphatidylinositol as a "second messenger" in the cell membrane.
One of the reasons for depression in drastic diets is exactly that: people cannot obtain the required dose of inositol. There are reports of its use in treating depression with doses of 12-18 grams per day, divided into several intakes.
The absence of inositol can cause liver diseases, cardiovascular system diseases, loss of hair, eczema, constipation.
Adverse Interactions
The excessive use of coffee and alcohol interferes with the absorption of inositol from the cells.
Medicaments containing estrogens and sulfamide groups also affect its quantity adversely in the body.
