D-Chiro-Inositol vs Myo-Inositol
How D-chiro-inositol and myo-inositol differ in potency, absorption, tolerance, and cost.
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Side by Side
| D-Chiro-Inositol | Myo-Inositol | |
|---|---|---|
| Absorption | Moderate | Moderate |
| How it is absorbed | Made in tissues from myo-inositol by an insulin-dependent epimerase. Supplemental DCI is absorbed but needed only in milligrams. | Absorbed by sodium-dependent transporters shared with glucose; gram doses are needed because the body already makes and holds grams. |
| Typical dose | 50-600 mg daily, alone or with myo-inositol | 2-4 g daily; 12-18 g in psychiatric trials |
| Common uses | PCOS (mostly in combination) | PCOS, gestational diabetes prevention, panic disorder (older trials) |
| Side effects | Higher doses were linked to poorer oocyte quality in one IVF study. | Nausea, gas, and loose stools at high doses. |
| Cost | High | Low |
| Also called | DCI | inositol, myo-inositol powder |
| Labels in index | 31 | 55 |
When to Choose D-Chiro-Inositol
Choose D-chiro-inositol when a clinician has a reason to add DCI to myo-inositol. The ovary keeps a high myo to DCI ratio; flooding it with DCI may work against ovulation.
D-Chiro-Inositol
Rarely needed on its own. More is not better for the ovary.
What to look for: Use only with a clinician's reason, and only in small doses alongside myo-inositol.
Find on iHerb Affiliate linkWhen to Choose Myo-Inositol
Choose myo-inositol when you want the form with the PCOS and psychiatric trial data. Unqualified "inositol" on a label is myo-inositol. Inositol hexanicotinate is a niacin compound, not an inositol supplement.
Myo-Inositol
The form behind nearly all of the PCOS and psychiatric data, and cheap as a powder.
What to look for: Pure myo-inositol powder or 2 g sachets. Grams per serving on the panel.
Find on iHerb Affiliate linkProducts on Titrate
In Titrate's index of NIH label data, 31 labels named as inositol products list D-chiro-inositol and 55 list myo-inositol.
Inositol does not have its own search category yet. Each product above links to its full label in the NIH database.
Related
References
Unfer V, Carlomagno G, Dante G, Facchinetti F. Effects of myo-inositol in women with PCOS: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2012;28(7):509-515.
Unfer V, Facchinetti F, Orrù B, Giordani B, Nestler J. Myo-inositol effects in women with PCOS: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Endocr Connect. 2017;6(8):647-658.
Nordio M, Basciani S, Camajani E. The 40:1 myo-inositol/D-chiro-inositol plasma ratio is able to restore ovulation in PCOS patients: comparison with other ratios. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2019;23(12):5512-5521.
Isabella R, Raffone E. Does ovary need D-chiro-inositol? J Ovarian Res. 2012;5(1):14.
Benjamin J, Levine J, Fux M, et al. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of inositol treatment for panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1995;152(7):1084-1086.
Levine J, Barak Y, Gonzalves M, et al. Double-blind, controlled trial of inositol treatment of depression. Am J Psychiatry. 1995;152(5):792-794.
Fux M, Levine J, Aviv A, Belmaker RH. Inositol treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1996;153(9):1219-1221.
Palatnik A, Frolov K, Fux M, Benjamin J. Double-blind, controlled, crossover trial of inositol versus fluvoxamine for the treatment of panic disorder. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2001;21(3):335-339.
Mukai T, Kishi T, Matsuda Y, Iwata N. A meta-analysis of inositol for depression and anxiety disorders. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2014;29(1):55-63.