Did you know that Myo - Inositol is essential for our health??
What is Myo - Inositol?
How can I supplement Myo - Inositol in food?
Myo - Inositol is found in certain foods such as fruit, with cantaloupes and grapefruits having slightly higher concentrations. Here some examples of foods with their Myo – Inositol contents:
Grapefruit juice – 120 g contain 468,8 mg Myo – Inositol
Green beans – 100 g contain 54,8 mg Myo – Inositol
Ham – 100 g contain 17,2 mg Myo – Inositol
Skim milk – 240 g contain 10,1 mg Myo – Inositol
Tomatoes – 100 g contain 8,4 mg Myo – Inositol
The authors demonstrated that it is very difficult to
reach sufficient Myo – Inositol levels even under a guided food intake. „The maximum intake of Myo - Inositol that we were able to achieve in the present study was 1500 mg / 1800 kcal.“
(source: Rex S. Clements, Jr.,3 M.D. and Betty Darnell, M.S., RD., Myo - Inositol content of common foods, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33: Sept 1980, pp. 1954- 1967).
So, with a normal diet it is difficult to consume enough Myo – Inositol to reach sufficient levels of Myo – Inositol in the body. Therefore, additional supplementation of Myo – Inositol is advisable.
Leading Endocrinologists and Gynaecologists are recommending a twice daily intake of 2g Myo – Inositol in combination with Folic Acid for optimum health benefits.
Inositol is a class of 9 stereoisomers, and around 90% of all molecules present both in nature and in the human body contain Myo - Inositol. Myo - Inositol is a six fold alcohol of cyclohexane and acts as an isomerized and dephosphorylated precursor of glucose-6-phosphate in cells, especially in human cell membranes.
Often referred to as a member of Vitamin B Complex, but
in scientific terms it is not. It is a key component in the
system of „signal transduction of phosphatidyl-
inositol“, which is involved in the regulation of
different cellular functions, including cell pro-
liferation. So, the importance of activating the
phosphatidylinositol cycle in the transduction of different types of information through the plasma membrane has become increasingly clear in recent years. This signal is activated in response to hormonal (and other) stimuli, and involves receptor-dependent hydrolysis of a lipid precursor of inositol, generating inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate: This is a second messenger that regulates several types of cellular processes, modulating the release of intracellular Ca2 + in many cellular systems. It appears to improve the transport of substances across cell walls and therefore can help improve cell functions.
The body produces Myo - Inositol naturally in the kidney. However, as Myo - Inositol is water soluble, the body generally cannot store it. Low Myo - Inositol levels increase the risk of several health issues including metabolic disorders like higher cholesterol levels. It has been found that overconsumption of antibiotics or caffeine can decrease the natural Myo - Inositol levels in the body.
Within the group of Inositols, Myo - Inositol has been studied in several test and clinical studies. In the strictly defined clinical setting of these studies Myo – Inositol has demonstrated therapeutic and proven health benefits.