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The Stress Fighter: Über-Inositol

A natural solution for dealing with stress and being mentally strong

One of the best ways to deal with stress is to eliminate it. Hard to argue with that, but oddly enough, it’s not always easy to pin down what is causing the most stress in our lives. To deal with stress, first we need to identify where it’s coming from. One way is by using a life stressor chart.

Life stressor charts rank events, both good and bad, in terms of how stressful specific events are. One of the most commonly used life stress charts is the one proposed by psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe in 1967 after studying the medical records of over 5,000 patients. On a scale of one to 100, with 100 being the highest stress level, they looked at common events and assigned values to them, such as the following:

100: Death of a spouse
73: Divorce
53: Personal injury or illness
47: Fired at work
40: Pregnancy
37: Death of a close friend
30: Foreclosure of mortgage
29: Trouble with in-laws
29: Son or daughter leaving home
20: Change in residence
11: Minor violation of laws

To use the chart, you would add up the total number of points over a year. A total score of less than 150 is low, 150-200 is mild, 200-299 is moderate, and over 300 is major. One group that appears to be in the “major” category includes those who have large families. I say this because I came across a paper recently that found that the women of one religious group that encourages large families had an exceptionally high rate of depression, as evidenced by the use of antidepression drugs such as Prozac among the group.

The idea that family size is a significant factor in stress is supported by a 2003 study in the UK involving 4,300 women and 4,250 men. Using a baseline of two children in a family, the study showed that each additional child increased the risk of coronary heart disease by 30 percent for women and 12 percent for men.

While raising a large family can certainly rack up the points on a life-stressor chart, there are even harsher realities causing stress in people’s lives. I suspect that most of our soldiers in Iraq are experiencing elevated cortisol levels and may even have trouble sleeping – war tends to do that for some reason. And the stress problem is compounded by poor diets.

It’s been suggested, for example, that immediately after 911 there was an especially high demand for comfort foods such as chips, ice cream and pretty much anything made of chocolate. And despite what the Homer Simpson Advisory Council would have you believe, a cup of coffee and a glazed doughnut is not the best way to start the day to effectively face the challenges ahead.

If comfort food isn’t the answer, you can always try a conventional-medicine approach, which suggests that depression and other stress-related problems such as depression might be a result of a lack of Prozac® in the diet. Not quite, but we’re getting closer: Based on research, the answer does seem to be related to correcting a deficiency in the human body.

The Smart Solution to Stress Management
Über-Inositol is a new product recently added to the Poliquin product line. It is a mixture of inositol and magnesium glycinate, and is what leading functional-medicine practitioners use to treat disorders resulting from unbalanced neurotransmitters.

Inositol is a form of sugar found in citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines and grapefruits; in nuts and seeds; wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, veal, pork, liver, brown rice, wheat bran, oat flakes, nuts, vegetables, cantaloupe, raisins and bananas. It has been classified as a member of the vitamin B complex, and is often referred to as B8, but it is not technically a vitamin.

Inositol is a precursor of phospholipids, which are major constituents of cellular membranes. One of inositol’s main functions is to help to maintain proper electrical energy and nutrient transfer across the cell membrane. It also acts as a lipotropic, a nutrient that converts fats into other useful products. Inositol has been shown to build healthy cell membranes, which facilitate nerve impulses.

The other major component of Über-Inositol is magnesium glycinate, which is a magnesium salt that is included in this formula because it supports the nervous system. Magnesium glycinate is easily absorbed because it is bound to the amino acid glycine, and it is gentler on the stomach and bowels than other forms of magnesium.

Rather than just making a vague statement that Über-Inositol resolves stress, here are some specific conditions relating to mental health that this great new formula can improve.

Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
I recently worked with a 12-year boy and used Über-Inositol to help offset his poor levels of concentration. This is a child who thinks far too much for his age, and he reported that taking Über-Inositol helped him achieve deep sleep, which he had been longing for, and helped him to stop rushing through his school exams. His tutor reported that the child had been competent all along to pass the tests, but could not pay enough attention to reviewing his work before handing it in. After two weeks of using Über-Inositol, his weekly score on math tests went from 57 to 90. I find it particularly effective with children, because it is a powder with a slight sweet taste, so kids have no problem swallowing it.

Bipolar Disorder. Those suffering from bipolar disorder tend to be very low in inositol.

Depression. Inositol levels are often low in depressed patients, and studies have suggested it as an effective treatment for depression.

Insomina. The HPA axis is a collection of organs in the neuroendocrine system that helps us react to stress. If the system is hyperactive, the metabolism of neurotransmitters is compromised and this will affect your mood and ability to go into a deep sleep. Inositol serves as a second messenger for several neurotransmitters and supports a healthy overall nervous system. In fact, inositol has been found to be superior to placebo in studies on panic disorder and anxiety. In fact, a university student I’ve worked with reported enhanced peace of mind during midterms and final exams when they start taking Über-Inositol.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Studies revealed that subjects had significantly lower scores on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale when taking inositol than when taking placebo.

The focus of this article has been on how Über-Inositol can improve mental health, but there are many more benefits associated with this great formula. Here are a few of the conditions that supplementation with Über-Inositol can positively affect:

• Bulimia and Binge Eating
• Diabetic Neuropathy
• Infertility
• Insulin Resistance/Sensitivity
• Menstrual Cycle Regularity
• Nerve Regeneration
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
• Polycystic Ovary Disease
• Premenstrual Associated Headaches/Migraines
• Premenstrual Syndrome

Whew – that’s a lot of bang for your supplement buck! Although there are limits to how many life stressors you can remove from your environment, you have a much better chance of managing stress with a nutrient formula such as Über-Inositol. Cover your bases and order some – it’s a smart decision.

References:
Benjamin J, et al. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of inositol treatment for panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1995; 152:1084-1086.

Fux M, et al. Inositol treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1996; 153:1219-1221.

Gerli S, et al. Randomized, double blind placebo-controlled trial: effects of Myo-inositol on ovarian function and metabolic factors in women with PCOS. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2007; 11(5):347-354.

Lawlor DA, Emberson JR, Ebrahim E, Whincup P, Wannamethee G, Walker M, Davey Smith G. Is the association between parity and coronary heart disease due to biological effects of pregnancy or adverse lifestyle risk factors associated with childrearing? Findings from the British Women’s Heart and Health Study and the British Regional Heart Study. Circulation. 2003; 107:1254-1258.

Levine J, et al. Double-blind, controlled trial of inositol treatment of depression. Am J Psychiatry. 1995; 152:792-794.

Papaleo G, et al. Myo-inositol in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: A novel method for ovulation induction. Gynecological Endocrinology. 2007 Dec; 23(12):700-703.

Sundkvist G, et al. Sorbitol levels and myo-inositol levels and morphology of sural nerve in relation to peripheral nerve function and clinical neuropathy in men with diabetic, impaired, and normal glucose tolerance. Diab Med. 2000; 17:259-268.