The Sugar Alcohol That Reduces BMI!

It’s Research Review Monday here at 10almonds, and today we’re going to take a look at what the science has to say about inositol supplementation! That’s not all though; in today’s line-up we have:

• Willpower: A Finite Resource?

• Inositol Does-It-Ol’!

  • Myo-Insositol vs D-Chiro-Inositol

  • Inositol Against Diabetes

  • Inositol For Thyroid Function

  • Inositol For PCOS

  • Inositol For Fertility

  • Inositol For Weight Loss

• Captivate: The Science of Succeeding With People

👀 WATCH AND LEARN

Willpower: A Finite Resource?

Dr. Susan Pierce-Thomson, of Bright Line Eating, was presented with new evidence that suggests the main axiom of her organization—that willpower is a finite resource that can be depleted, and we need to use it accordingly—was just plain wrong. How she integrates this new information into her system is eye-opening:

Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

Jump-points menu:

1. 0:58 Researchers have found that people who believe willpower is a finite resource that can be depleted, do indeed experience willpower depletion

2. 1:35 In contrast, people who believe willpower if a theoretically infinite resource that can be built up with practice, do not experience willpower depletion

3. 2:42 A couple of things about this research... (discussion of placebo and psychosomatic effect)

4. 4:32 Correlation ≠ causation (with alternative explanation)

5. 6:02 Habit-forming and willpower (with a very interesting reframe)

6. 7:23 Different kinds of people when it comes to using willpower

💊 MAIN FEATURE

Inositol Does-It-Ol’!

First things first, a quick clarification up-front:

Myo-inositol or D-chiro-inositol?

We're going to be talking about inositol today, which comes in numerous forms, but most importantly:

• Myo-inositol (myo-Ins)

• D-chiro-inositol (D-chiro-Ins)

These are both inositol, (a sugar alcohol!) and for our purposes today, the most relevant form is myo-inositol.

The studies we'll look at today are either:

• just about myo-inositol, or

• about myo-inositol in the presence of d-chiro-inositol at a 40:1 ratio.

You have both in your body naturally; wherever supplementation is mentioned, it means supplementing with either:

• extra myo-inositol (because that's the one the body more often needs more of), or

• both, at the 40:1 ratio that we mentioned above (because that's one way to help balance an imbalanced ratio)

With that in mind…

Inositol against diabetes?

Inositol is known to:

• decrease insulin resistance

• increase insulin sensitivity

• have an important role in cell signaling

• have an important role in metabolism

The first two things there both mean that inositol is good against diabetes. It's not "take this and you're cured", but:

• if you're pre-diabetic it may help you avoid type 2 diabetes

• if you are diabetic (either type) it can help in the management of your diabetes.

It does this by allowing your body to make better use of insulin (regardless of whether that insulin is from your pancreas or from the pharmacy).

How does it do that? Research is still underway and there's a lot we don't know yet, but here's one way, for example:

❝Evidence showed that inositol phosphates might enhance the browning of white adipocytes and directly improve insulin sensitivity through adipocytes❞

Read: Role of Inositols and Inositol Phosphates in Energy Metabolism

We mentioned its role in metabolism in a bullet-point above, and we didn't just mean insulin sensitivity! There's also...

Inositol for thyroid function?

The thyroid is one of the largest endocrine glands in the body, and it controls how quickly the body burns energy, makes proteins, and how sensitive the body should be to other hormones. So, it working correctly or not can have a big impact on everything from your mood to your weight to your energy levels.

How does inositol affect thyroid function?

• Inositol has an important role in thyroid function and dealing with autoimmune diseases.

• Inositol is essential to produce H2O2 (yes, really) required for the synthesis of thyroid hormones.

• Depletion of inositol may lead to the development of some thyroid diseases, such as hypothyroidism.

• Inositol supplementation seems to help in the management of thyroid diseases.

Read: The Role of Inositol in Thyroid Physiology and in Subclinical Hypothyroidism Management

Inositol for PCOS?

A systematic review published in the Journal of Gynecological Endocrinology noted:

• Inositol can restore spontaneous ovarian activity (and consequently fertility) in most patients with PCOS.

• Myo-inositol is a safe and effective treatment to improve:

  • ovarian function

  • healthy metabolism

  • healthy hormonal balance

While very comprehensive (which is why we included it here), that review's a little old, so...

Check out this cutting edge (Jan 2023) study whose title says it all:

Inositol is an effective and safe treatment in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Inositol for fertility?

Just last year, Mendoza et al published that inositol supplementation, together with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, could be an optimal strategy to improve female fertility.

This built from Gambiole and Forte's work, which laid out how inositol is a safe compound for many issues related to fertility and pregnancy. In particular, several clinical trials demonstrated that:

• inositol can have therapeutic effects in infertile women

• inositol can also be useful as a preventive treatment during pregnancy

• inositol could prevent the onset of neural tube defects

• inositol also reduces the occurrence of gestational diabetes

Due to the safety and efficiency of inositol, it can take the place of many drugs that are contraindicated in pregnancy. Basically: take this, and you'll need fewer other drugs. Always a win!

Read: Myo-Inositol as a Key Supporter of Fertility and Physiological Gestation

Inositol For Weight Loss

We promised you "this alcohol sugar can reduce your BMI", and we weren't making it up!

Zarezadeh et al conducited a very extensive systematic review, and found:

• Oral inositol supplementation has positive effect on BMI reduction.

• Inositol in the form of myo-inositol had the strongest effect on BMI reduction.

• Participants with PCOS and/or who were overweight, experienced the most significant improvement of all.

Want some inositol?

As ever, we don't sell it (or anything else), but for your convenience, here's myo-inositol and d-chiro-inositol at a 40:1 ratio, available on Amazon!

📖 ONE-MINUTE BOOK REVIEW

Captivate: The Science Of Succeeding With People - by Vanessa van Edwards

This book isn't just for one area of human interactions. It covers everything from the boardroom to the bedroom (not necessarily a progression with the same person!), business associates, friends, partners, kids, and more.

She presents information in a layered manner, covering for example, chapter-by-chapter:

• the first five minutes

• the first five hours

• the first five days

She also covers such things as:

• starting conversations in a way that makes you memorable (without making it weird!)

• the importance of really listening (and how to do that)

• collecting like-minded people appropriately

• introducing other people! Because a) it's not all about you, but also b) you're the person who knows everybody now

• where to stand at parties / networking events!

• dating and early-days dating messages

• reading the room, reading the people

All in all, a great resource for anyone who wants to make (and maintain!) meaningful relationships with those around you.

Grab Your Copy of "Captivate" on Amazon Now!

Wishing you a healthy mind, healthy body, and healthy connections,

The 10almonds Team