Research suggests that inositol may have potential benefits for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A double-blind crossover study found inositol significantly reduced OCD symptoms compared to placebo (Fux et al., 1996). However, another study showed no significant difference when inositol was used to augment serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) in treatment-resistant OCD patients (Fux et al., 1999). An open trial also found limited efficacy of inositol augmentation in treatment-refractory OCD cases (Seedat & Stein, 1999). Inositol has shown promise in treating related disorders such as panic disorder, depression, and bulimia nervosa (Palatnik et al., 2001; Gelber et al., 2001). While some studies support inositol’s efficacy, others suggest its effects may be limited. More rigorous research is needed to establish inositol’s role in OCD treatment (Camfield et al., 2011; Kim et al., 2005; Sarris et al., 2012). Overall, the evidence for inositol in OCD treatment remains mixed and inconclusive.
Inositol has shown promise as a potential treatment for anxiety and depression. Several studies have reported significant improvements in depressive symptoms (Levine et al., 1995; Benjamin et al., 1995) and anxiety disorders, including panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (Fux et al., 1996; Benjamin et al., 1995). A meta-analysis found inositol to be effective for depression and anxiety disorders (Mukai et al., 2014). Inositol has also demonstrated benefits for psychological symptoms in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (Cantelmi et al., 2021). However, a Cochrane review concluded that evidence for inositol’s effectiveness in depression was unclear, emphasizing the need for further research (Taylor et al., 2004). While inositol shows promise, other interventions like mindfulness-based treatments (Hofmann & Gómez, 2017) and probiotics (Liu et al., 2019) have also demonstrated efficacy in managing depression and anxiety, suggesting multiple potential approaches for treatment.
Myo-inositol is generally safe, with only mild gastrointestinal side effects reported at high doses (Carlomagno & Unfer, 2011).
