Inositol? Myo-inositol? D-chiro-inositol? Ovasitol?
Like what is up with all of these names?!
I’ll tell you what’s up⬇️
Inositol, believe it or not, used to recognized as vitamin B8 and is something we actually produce ourselves in the kidneys and a bit in the liver, of up to 4-5 grams. It is a by product of glucose metabolism, meaning that when our bodies are using glucose, it will then also produce inositol. Its chemical structure resembles glucose. It has been shown to help with insulin sensitivity, mood, concentration, and has even help fight off free radicals.
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There are many derivatives of inositol such as Myo-inositol which can also be found in plant foods (like fruits) and D-chiro-inositol and IP6 (inositol hexaphosphate). Is there a difference between the two? Sort of. I mean, they both nearly look identical on a molecular level, but their effects on insulin vary. Myo-inositol helps the transporter’s activation and the body’s usage of glucose where as d-chiro inositol is involved in glycogen synthesis and storage.
ENGLISH: Myo helps us activate and use sugar, where as D-chiro helps us absorb and store sugar.
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We technically need both, because our bodies can actually alter the derivative on inositol within itself. For instance, the ratio that has been found in our ovaries is a 40:1 of myo-inositol to d-chiro inositol. This is why many supplements, particularly the famous Ovasitol, is formulated that way- and many are having great success getting their insulin resistance under control.
This is vital because think of insulin as they KEY to allowing your cells open up for glucose. The more sensitive they are to insulin the more receptive they’ll be to ENERGY, and you’ll better use it.
(Remember, the metabolism the RATE and EFFICACITY of how well we use energy).

INOSITOL IS NOT JUST FOR PCOS.
First, let’s understand how it helps individuals with blood sugar issues.
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Inositol is a by-product of glucose metabolism.There are many derivatives of inositol, the 2 most common are myo-inositol and d-chiro-inositol. Myo helps us activate and use sugar, where as d-chiro helps us absorb and store sugar.
Interestingly enough, some studies have shown that myo also plays a role in balancing and regulating calcium in our system. If you haven’t checked out yesterday’s post, I mentioned that calcium helps sensitize our cells to glucose which is vital for when insulin is released from our pancreas to send to our cells and be ready to be unlocked by insulin and up take glucose.
Therefore, if calcium is sensitizing our cells to glucose and is dependent on myo to regulate it, then we have to be mindful if we are producing adequate inositol for this whole chain reaction to function!
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Studies show though that those with insulin resistance have lower levels of both myo and d-chiro. The biggest question hanging on this finding is if lower levels are a by product of having insulin resistance or if the insulin resistance is being caused by the inositol dysregulation? This is yet to be concluded, but my hunch is that it’s a poor production of inositol in the system, which can be linked to kidney and liver dysfunction because that is where inositol is produced.
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Another interesting thing about inositol is that it has been shown to also help with thyroid function- a pivotal organ that produces T3 for our cells to help utilize sugar better. Myo particularly supports iodine absorption which is an essential mineral for our thyroid.
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Conversely, inositol has also been linked to helping with gut health helping with the production of short chain fatty acids like butyrate that has been connected to being immune modulating, reducing inflammation (particularly in the colon by causing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis (unwanted cell death), and regulating metabolism.