If you are living with insulin resistance, then you know how debilitating this condition can be. Insulin resistance affects every part of your daily life and it requires constant monitoring. Whether you have metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, or diabetes, you need to monitor your insulin resistance for your health.
If you’d like to learn more ways to manage your insulin resistance naturally, then you might want to consider the powerful effects of the simple, vitamin-like substance Inositol. Read on to learn how Inositol powder can improve insulin resistance today.
Managing Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance occurs when the body is unable to process insulin in the way we need. Insulin, a hormone created by the pancreas, controls the amount of glucose that is found in the bloodstream, and it helps to regulate the body’s metabolism and store excess glucose for ideal body functioning. When the body is insulin resistant, it’s not responding to insulin and therefore can’t use glucose for energy. Because of this inhibition, the body thinks it should be producing more insulin and makes excess, much of which is not used as energy or stored.
When your body has too much circulating insulin, none of which is being converted or stored as useful energy, then this can be dangerous for the system. This is why insulin regulation is necessary. Without regulating insulin by means of certain foods, supplements, or medications, the excess sugar levels remain high (also known as hyperinsulinemia), which has been linked to issues like heart disease, cancer, and obesity.
If high insulin turns into type 2 diabetes, then there is an additional risk of nerve damage, which can result in ailments like gum disease, blindness, stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, and amputation.
Common ways of managing insulin resistance include insulin injections, whereby a person monitors their blood sugar levels with a pinprick device and then doses themselves with an injection to get the markers to appropriate levels. Once this type of manipulation is required, it is usually harder to reverse the disease and the individual can be reliant on this medication for the rest of their life.
Lifestyle Changes for Insulin Resistance
If you do not have insulin resistance, are pre-diabetic, are showing insulin-resistant properties, or have insulin resistant-like syndromes like metabolic disorder, then you can things to improve the chance of reducing blood sugar naturally and improving insulin resistance before it turns into type 2 diabetes.
Since insulin resistance is not yet a full-on disorder (like type 2 diabetes), and it is reversible, it means that all that is needed is lifestyle changes in order to improve. Certainly, some lifestyle changes may not be possible. For example, it can be difficult to get more exercise during the day if you live in a colder climate, if you don’t live near recreational facilities, or if your work hours do not permit you to be active when you want.
Therefore, boosting any lifestyle changes that you can do with supplements will help to encourage insulin properties and improve your lifestyle.
Insulin Resistance and PCOS
There are several precursors to insulin resistance, but not many known reasons as to why insulin resistance occurs. Of course, things like obesity, low activity levels, and more can cause insulin resistance, but that is not always going to be the case.
Insulin resistance and PCOS are often linked together. Individuals who have PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, are more likely to develop insulin resistance because PCOS disrupts an individuals’ endocrine system as well as increasing the levels of androgens in the body.
High levels of androgens are often linked to higher levels of insulin (although the root cause is not yet known). Therefore, having properties of insulin resistance could also suggest that the individual is also experiencing other endocrine disruptors and PCOS symptoms.
If this is the case, you’ll also want to work with a physician to identify the right combination of medication (if applicable), lifestyle changes, and supplements to improve both conditions. If you have any other underlying conditions or are trying to get pregnant, then be sure to consult a physician first.
Possible Benefits of Inositol Powder
If you have both insulin resistance and PCOS, or even if you just have insulin resistance, consider supplementing with Inositol powder. Inositol powder, also known as Myo-Inositol, has shown positive results for improving insulin resistance.
A person’s natural levels of Inositol might be affected by the increase in insulin that a person with Insulin resistance has, therefore reducing the regulatory factors of Inositol. Therefore, researchers have tested and some have speculated that by supplementing the body with Inositol, it can go back to regulating insulin properly.
Studies have employed the use of Inositol powder for regulating insulin resistance. At high enough doses, Inositol powder can reduce insulin resistance effects, as well as improving other metabolic functioning. Inositol powder has shown to be mightily effective, in regulating endocrine function, improving fertility, improving cognitive function and mood, and in regulating PCOS symptoms. Therefore, if someone has a range of symptoms (which might be tied to certain key causes) then Inositol can help target these core cellular responses and balance the system’s metabolic functioning.
Effectiveness of Inositol Powder for Insulin Resistance
If you’re considering natural supplements for improving insulin resistance, then testing out Inositol powder is a good choice.
Inositol powder has been shown to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, in particular with patients who have PCOS. Inositol, which can be separated into several different types of sugars like Myo-Inositol and D-chiro-inositol. In combination, both Myo-Inositol and D-chiro-inositol might improve the risk of metabolic disease over simply supplementing with Myo-Inositol.
How to determine the right dosage and combination will depend on your unique needs, so speak to a doctor if you’re unsure. The good news is that Myo-Inositol is extremely safe for consumption, so you can test it out to see if there are any initial improvements.
Inositol powder also shows minimal if any, side effects even at higher doses. The small side effects might include nausea, headache, and fatigue.
If taking Myo-Inositol powder for insulin resistance, consider the powder form as opposed to the pill form, that way you can better control your dose. Doses for insulin resistance are usually around 4 grams per day, which can be hard to get in the pill form. Additionally, if you are in Australia, consider buying for Myo-Inositol powder from Inositol Australia!
Resources
Asplin, I., Galasko, G., & Larner, J. (1993). Chiro-inositol Deficiency And Insulin Resistance: A Comparison Of The Chiro-inositol-and The Myo-inositol-containing Insulin Mediators Isolated From Urine, Hemodialysate, And Muscle Of Control And Type Ii Diabetic Subjects. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences, 90(13), 5924-5928. Retrieved Jan 29, 2021.
Barbieri & Ehrmann. (2020). Patient Education: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Pcos) (Beyond The Basics). Retrieved Jan 29, 2021.
Fioravanti & Yanagi. Cytidinediphosphocholine (Cdp-choline) For Cognitive And Behavioural Disturbances Associated With Chronic Cerebral Disorders In The Elderly. Database Syst Rev. 2005 Apr 18;(2):Cd000269. Doi: 10.1002/14651858.Cd000269. Retrieved Jan 22, 2021. Retrieved Jan 29, 2021.
Formuso, C., Stracquadanio, M., & Ciotta, L. (2015). Myo-inositol Vs. D-chiro Inositol In Pcos Treatment. Minerva Ginecologica, 67(4), 321-325. Retrieved Jan 29, 2021.
Inositol Australia. (2020). What Foods Are High In Inositol. Retrieved Jan 22, 2021.
Nordio. (2010). The Combined Therapy With Myo-inositol And D-chiro-inositol Reduces The Risk Of Metabolic Disease In Pcos Overweight Patients Compared To Myo-inositol Supplementation Alone. European Review For Medical And Pharmacological Sciences 16(5):575-81. Retrieved Jan 29, 2021.
Showell, Mackenzie‐proctor, Jordan, Hodgson, & Farquhar. Inositol For Subfertile Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Cochrane Database Of Systematic Reviews 2018, Issue 12. Art. No.: Cd012378. Doi: 10.1002/14651858.Cd012378.Pub2. Accessed 29 January 2021. Retrieved Jan 29, 2021.
Unfer, Carlomagno, Dante, & Facchinetti. (2012). Effects Of Myo-inositol In Women With Pcos: A Systematic Review Of Randomize. Retrieved Jan 29, 2021.
