Volume 30, Issue 174, August 2026

Inositol and its clinical influence on a human metabolism – A literature review

Aleksandra Rusak-Sobolewska^1♦, Gabriela Krych²

¹The Nicolaus Copernicus Municipal Polyclinical Hospital in Olsztyn, ul. Niepodległości 44, 10-045 Olsztyn, Poland
²Provincial Complex Hospital named after Jędrzej Śniadecki in Białystok, ul. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 26, 15-950 Białystok, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Aleksandra Rusak-Sobolewska, The Nicolaus Copernicus Municipal Polyclinical Hospital in Olsztyn, ul. Niepodległości 44, 10-045 Olsztyn, Poland

ABSTRACT

Inositol is a cyclohexane-hexol carbohydrate present in nine stereoisomeric forms, best known as myo-inositol (MI) and D-chiro-inositol (DCI), with their phosphorylated derivatives - inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP6) and the inositol pyrophosphates. These molecules are membrane phospholipid components and intracellular second messengers that participate in insulin signaling, calcium regulation, DNA repair, and cellular energy transduction. Because of this function, inositol supplementation has been investigated across a broad range of metabolic and endocrine conditions. This review reveals current evidence on inositol's biochemistry and its clinical influence on human metabolism. MI and DCI act as insulin sensitizers by promoting GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake; on the other hand inositol pyrophosphates regulate adipocyte thermogenesis, lipid handling, and insulin exocytosis in preclinical models. Meta-analysis pragmatically shows that the use of MI supplements is effective in lowering BMI conservatively, while it is very efficient in reducing the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus and fasting insulin levels in PCOS patients. The evidence in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is so far based on only one study in humans. By contrast, other reviews showed only low-quality evidence that MI improves live birth or clinical pregnancy rates in subfertile women with PCOS, and applications in thyroid disease, psychiatric disorders, and cancer chemoprevention remain preliminary. MI is, for the most part, well tolerated with mild gastrointestinal effects as the most common adverse event. Inositol shows the strongest support for glycemic outcomes in insulin-resistance. Its role in reproductive and other extra-metabolic applications requires further high-quality trials.

Keywords: myo-inositol, inositol phosphates, PCOS, gestational diabetes mellitus, human metabolism

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e165ms3964

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Published: 25 August 2026