267-SYNCPodcast_Inositol

[00:00:00] Jenny Swisher: Welcome friends to this episode of the Sync Your Life podcast. Today, we’re diving into the topic of inositol for metabolic health. The last few weeks, I’ve been deep diving into some supplements and what they can help with for women. And today, that supplement we’re featuring is inositol. Inositol, also called myoinositol, or d chiroinositol, or even hexophosphate, plays a critical role in the body’s cellular growth.

[00:01:22] Jenny Swisher: Although it used to be referred to as vitamin B8, inositol is not actually a vitamin. It’s a type of sugar that helps your body process insulin. Several doctors are starting to recommend inositol, usually in the form of myoinositol, for conditions such as PCOS and its typical root cause, which is insulin sensitivity.

[00:01:43] Jenny Swisher: According to Dr. Jolene Brighton, quote, inositol improves insulin sensitivity by enabling the body to utilize blood glucose, blood sugar, more effectively, which is one of the critical mechanisms in how it aids in weight loss. Although often overlooked, inositol is a pseudovitamin, not technically a vitamin but a compound beneficial for nutrient intake, that plays a significant role in managing metabolic health and hormonal balance, making it a valuable ally in weight loss.

[00:02:09] Jenny Swisher: End quote. There are many ways that inositol might help with metabolic health, including improving the body’s use of carbohydrates and fats, aiding and maintaining blood sugar, helping with mood regulation, supporting ovarian function and hormones, even supporting thyroid, and it might also contribute to fat metabolism.

[00:02:30] Jenny Swisher: Of course, as we already mentioned, it promotes insulin sensitivity and healthy insulin levels. So not only can it potentially assist you in losing weight, including during perimenopause or menopause, but it could also offer fertility benefits and the ability to lift your mood and reduce inflammation.

[00:02:46] Jenny Swisher: Interestingly, recent research shows that it may be as effective as metformin, which is a commonly prescribed pharmaceutical for insulin resistance. I’ll actually link that up for you in the show notes so that you can read PubMed for yourself. Now I know what you’re going to ask next. You’re going to say, well, are there foods that contain NOS at all?

[00:03:02] Jenny Swisher: And the answer is yes. Foods like cantaloupe, grapefruit, almonds, organ meats, beans, and even peanut butter all contain small doses of inositol. Dr. Jolene Brighton says, quote, According to one meta analysis, inositol supplementation can decrease body mass index, also known as BMI, among people with obesity.

[00:03:23] Jenny Swisher: This study reviewed several randomized controlled trials and found that 2 grams twice daily of myo inositol was the best form and dosage for weight loss. Inositol works to optimize insulin signaling, thereby helping in the regulation of blood sugar levels and reducing the likelihood of insulin related weight gain.

[00:03:40] Jenny Swisher: End quote. We also have research to show that inositol aids significantly with sleep. In fact, one study also found that inositol has sleep enhancing effects. Among pregnant women, myo inositol supplementation improved both sleep quality and sleep duration. Inositol is safe to use in pregnancy, which is why you’ll find it in many prenatal supplements.

[00:04:01] Jenny Swisher: But also, as perimenopausal women experience sleep disruption, inositol can help with that as well. According to Brighton, inositol can help with the following conditions. PCOS, known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, metabolic syndrome, thyroid disorders, and simply perimenopause. So how much inositol should one take?

[00:04:21] Jenny Swisher: Well, as always, you want to check with your doctor before you start any supplement regimen, but according to doctors like Brighton, the dose depends on the reason for taking it. I’ll link up her article on this topic in the show notes so that you can go deeper on the dive. One important thing to note is that one of my mentors, Dr.

[00:04:36] Jenny Swisher: Laura Brighton, says that you must use something like Inositol for three months or more for maximum benefit. This is important to know and something that I tell a lot of my course takers. Supplements and even bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can often take multiple months of commitment. If you think about it, a follicle takes a hundred days to develop fully.

[00:04:55] Jenny Swisher: So to impact hormone health, it makes sense that we often need three months or more and need to stay committed to see the difference. If you’d like to go deeper on how inositol can help PCOS specifically, I will link up for you a powerful article by Dr. Brighton on this topic.

[00:05:09] Jenny Swisher: But long story short, inositol may help lower androgens and improve ovulation and menstrual cycles. When you understand that ovulation is the fifth vital sign, you can see why Inositol might be a powerful supplement for a lot of women. So my friends, Inositol is yet another supplement that might benefit you if you’re someone dealing with PCOS, if you’re looking to conceive but you have irregular cycles, if you struggle with anxiety and sleep, or if you’re in perimenopause and symptoms are flaring left and right, and even for women dealing with thyroid dysfunction.

[00:05:39] Jenny Swisher: It’s worth a conversation with your doctor. But just remember, not all doctors are familiar with natural supplementation. It’s important that you find one who is someone who’s knowledgeable in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, in menopause, and who takes a functional approach. As always, I hope you found value in this episode today.

[00:05:57] Jenny Swisher: I hope you learned something about this powerful supplement. I’ll make sure to link up for you in the show notes, my favorite brand, because of course, not all brands are created equal. So I’ve done my due diligence of research and I have a favorite to recommend for you. But remember, we want to look for myo and ocetal.

[00:06:11] Jenny Swisher: At the end of the day, that’s what matters most. I’ll link up for you the articles that I mentioned here on the podcast, along with the research that I referenced. But thank you so much for tuning in, my friends. Last week we covered berberine. We’ve been covering some amazing supplements recently. So if you’ve missed some podcasts this summer with your summer travels and busyness, go back, take a listen and leave a review.

[00:06:30] Jenny Swisher: Thank you so much for tuning in, my friends. Until next time, we’ll talk soon. Bye bye.