Vitamin B-Complex

At Work in Cell Membranes

Although not officially a B vitamin, inositol is recognized as a part of the B-complex. It occurs in all cell membranes as phosphatidylinositol. Due to this, inositol is required for proper formation of cell membranes. Inositol is found as a component in the brain, skeletal, heart, and male reproductive tissues. It functions in nerve transmission, the regulation of enzyme activity and the transport of fats within the body.

Inositol is essential for hair growth and can promote healthy hair maintenance.* It may also help promote cardiovascular health.* Furthermore, the neurotransmitters serotonin and acetylcholine both require phosphatidylinositol for proper functioning. Because of this, exciting research has demonstrated that inositol can help promote normal psychological health.* Inositol also functions in the metabolism of calcium and insulin.

Recent advances in nutritional and biochemical research have documented inositol as an important dietary and cellular constituent in many metabolic pathways in the body, including the glucuronic acid and pentose phosphate pathways. These pathways are responsible for the production of glucose, glucuronolactone, and water.

Scientific References

Barak Y, Levine J, Glasman A, Elizur A, and RH Belmaker. Inositol treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: a doubleblind, cross-over placebo controlled trial. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry. 20(4):729-35. 1996.

Belmaker RH, Bersudsky Y, Benjamin J, Agam G, Levine J, and O. Kofman. Manipulation of inositol-linked second messenger systems as a therapeutic strategy in psychiatry. [Review]. Advances in Biochemical Psychopharmacology. 49:67-84. 1995.

Benjamin J. Agam G. Levine J. Bersudsky Y. Kofman O. Belmaker RH. Inositol treatment in psychiatry. [Review] [40 refs] Psychopharmacology Bulletin. 31(1):167-75, 1995.

Benjamin J. Double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover trial of inositol treatment for panic disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry. 152:1084-6. 1995.

Cai F, Liang J,and X Liao. [Preliminary report of efficacy of diabetic polyneuropathy treated with large dose inositol]. [Chinese] Hua-Hsi i Ko Ta Hsueh Hsueh Pao [Journal of West China University of Medical Sciences]. 21(2):201-3. 1990.

Colodny L and RL Hoffman. Inositol—clinical applications for exogenous use. [Review] Alternative Medicine Review. 3(6):432-47. 1998.

Fux M, et al. Inositol treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 153:1219-21. 1996.

Holub BJ. The nutritional importance of inositol and the phosphoinositides [editorial; comment]. New England Journal of Medicine. 326(19):1285-7. 1992.

Kaplan Z, Amir M, Swartz M, and J. Levine. Inositol treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Anxiety. 2(1):51-2. 1996.

Larner J. Allan G. Kessler C. Reamer P. Gunn R. Huang LC. Phosphoinositol glycan derived mediators and insulin resistance. Prospects for diagnosis and therapy. Journal of Basic & Clinical Physiology & Pharmacology. 9(2-4):127-37, 1998.

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

Levine J. Aviram A. Holan A. Ring A. Barak Y. Belmaker RH. Inositol treatment of autism. Journal of Neural Transmission (Budapest). 104(2-3):307-10. 1997.

Levine J. Grisaru N. [Inositol treatment in medicine]. [Review] [36 refs] [Hebrew] Harefuah. 130(9):630-4, 1996 May 1.

Levine J. Controlled trials of inositol in psychiatry. Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol. 7:147-155. May 1997.

Levine J. Double-blind, controlled trial of inositol treatment for depression. American Journal of Psychiatry. 152:792-4. 1995.

Levine J. Follow-up and relapse analysis of an inositol study of depression. Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences. 32:14-21. 1995.

Owen RW. Dietary and chemopreventive strategies. [Review] Recent Results in Cancer Research. 146:195-213. 1998.

Seedat S. and DJ Stein. Inositol augmentation of serotonin reuptake inhibitors in treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: an open trial. International Clinical Psychopharmacology. 14(6):353-6. 1999.

Shamsuddin AM. Yang GY. Inositol hexaphosphate inhibits growth and induces differentiation of PC-3 human prostate cancer cells. Carcinogenesis. 16(8):1975-9, 1995 Aug.

Sima AA. Dunlap JA. Davidson EP. Wiese TJ. Lightle RL. Greene DA. Yorek MA. Supplemental myo-inositol prevents L-fucose-induced diabetic neuropathy. Diabetes. 46(2):301-6, 1997 Feb.

* This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.