Does inositol treat mood disorders?

    Last Updated: October 25, 2023

    Imaging studies show that inositol levels in the brain are involved in the pathogenesis of mood disorders, including anxiety and depression.[1] While studies in rodents have shown beneficial effects of inositol on anxiety,[1][2][3] the current evidence does not support its use for treating mood disorders in humans.[1][4][5] However, there are few clinical studies on this topic and further high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed.

    References

    1. ^Concerto C, Chiarenza C, Di Francesco A, Natale A, Privitera I, Rodolico A, Trovato A, Aguglia A, Fisicaro F, Pennisi M, Bella R, Petralia A, Signorelli MS, Lanza GNeurobiology and Applications of Inositol in Psychiatry: A Narrative Review.Curr Issues Mol Biol.(2023-Feb-20)
    2. ^H Cohen, M Kotler, Z Kaplan, M A Matar, O Kofman, R H BelmakerInositol has behavioral effects with adaptation after chronic administrationJ Neural Transm (Vienna).(1997)
    3. ^Kofman O, Einat H, Cohen H, Tenne H, Shoshana CThe anxiolytic effect of chronic inositol depends on the baseline level of anxiety.J Neural Transm (Vienna).(2000)
    4. ^Tomohiko Mukai, Taro Kishi, Yuki Matsuda, Nakao IwataA meta-analysis of inositol for depression and anxiety disordersHum Psychopharmacol.(2014 Jan)
    5. ^Taylor MJ, Wilder H, Bhagwagar Z, Geddes JInositol for depressive disorders.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.(2004)