INOSITOL- ANOTHER NUTRIENT KEY TO SUPPORT DIABETES MANAGEMENT

What is Inositol?

Inositol is a carbohydrate, produced by the body and found in some foods. Some consider inositol as a vitamin that belongs to the family of B-vitamins.

Made in the liver and kidney, up to 4g of inositol is available each day for various roles in the body. Ninety-nine percent of inositol in the body is in the form of myo-inositol (MI)ⁱ.

Intake of myo-inositol through diet is estimated to be up to 1g per dayⁱⁱ. Dietary sources rich in myo-inositol include fruit, beans, grains and nuts. Fresh vegetables and fruits contain more myo-inositol than frozen or canned productsⁱⁱⁱ

Find out how much myo-inositol is in the common food we consumeⁱⁱⁱ! (click to expand to show table below)

Common Food Item	Serving size	Myo-inositol content per serve (mg)
Fresh Vegetables & Fruits
Green beans	½ Cup (100g)	105
Eggplant	½ Cup (100g)	84
Cabbage	½ Cup (100g)	70
Tomato	½ Cup (100g)	54
Spinach	½ Cup (100g)	8
Orange	1 (100g)	307
Grapefruit	½ (100g)	199
Kiwi	½ Cup (100g)	136
Watermelon	1 Cup (100g)	62
Honeydew	1/8 (100g)	46
Apple (Rome)	1 Medium (80g)	12
Dairy
Plain yogurt	1 Cup (240g)	14.4
Chocolate milk (low fat)	1 Cup (240g)	45.6
Cheddar cheese	1 Oz (30g)	2.7
Grains
Bran flakes	½ Cup (20g)	54.8
Cooked oatmeal (instant)	½ Cup (100g)	34
Mix whole grain bread	1 Slice (25g)	11.8
Nuts
Almonds	8 piece (15g)	41.7
Peanuts	12 piece (15g)	20
Cashew	5 piece (15g)	12.2

A growing body of research has investigated the association between inositol and diabetes.

Benefits of Inositol

Scientific studies to date have shown that inositol can mimic the actions of insulin activity and may increase insulin sensitivity. Inositol has been shown to lower fasting blood glucose and HbA1c. Inositol has been used as a supplement in treating Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), metabolic syndrome, and gestational diabetes (GDM).^[iv]
Inositol supplements are well tolerated.

Growing Evidence for Inositol in Improving Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM)^iv

Consult your healthcare professionals on how inositol supplementation may support you in your diabetes management plan!

Reference:

^Based on lower limit of RDA.

ⁱ Owczarczyk-Saczonek A, Lahuta LB, Ligor M, Placek W, Górecki RJ, Buszewski B. The Healing-Promoting Properties of Selected Cyclitols-A Review. Nutrients. 2018;10(12):1891.
ⁱⁱ Corrado, F., D’Anna, R., Di Vieste, G., Giordano, D., Pintaudi, B., Santamaria, A. and Di Benedetto, A. (2011), The effect of myoinositol supplementation on insulin resistance in patients with gestational diabetes. Diabetic Medicine, 28: 972-975. doi:10.1111/j.1464-5491.2011.03284
ⁱⁱⁱ Clements RS Jr, Darnell B. Myo-inositol content of common foods: development of a high-myo-inositol diet. Am J Clin Nutr. 1980;33(9):1954‐1967.
^iv Pintaudi B, Di Vieste G, Bonomo M. The Effectiveness of Myo-Inositol and D-Chiro Inositol Treatment in Type 2 Diabetes. Int J Endocrinol. 2016;2016:9132052.
^vi Clements, R.S., & Darnell, B. (1980). Myo-inositol content of common foods: development of a high-myo-inositol diet. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 33 9, 1954-67 .