Evidence supporting the use of: Inositol
For the health condition: Bipolar Mood Disorder

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 2

Inositol, a naturally occurring carbocyclic sugar, has been investigated for its potential role in supporting or treating Bipolar Mood Disorder, particularly in addressing depressive symptoms. The scientific rationale stems from inositol's role as a precursor in the phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway, which is implicated in neurotransmitter signaling relevant to mood regulation. Several small-scale clinical trials have examined inositol supplementation (typically at doses of 12–18 grams per day) as an adjunctive treatment in bipolar disorder, especially for bipolar depression.

Early studies in the 1990s suggested modest benefits of inositol in alleviating depressive symptoms in bipolar patients, with some open-label and double-blind trials reporting improvement compared to placebo. However, subsequent research has yielded mixed results. Larger, more rigorous trials often failed to replicate the initial positive findings, and some studies reported no significant benefit of inositol over placebo, particularly in bipolar mania or maintenance phases. Moreover, there is concern that inositol may precipitate manic episodes in some patients, and its use is not recommended during manic or mixed states.

Current clinical guidelines do not recommend inositol as a first-line or adjunctive therapy for bipolar disorder. The overall quality and size of the scientific evidence is limited, and thus inositol may be considered only when conventional therapies are ineffective or not tolerated, and under careful medical supervision. The evidence base is rated as weak to modest (2/5), reflecting a few small clinical studies with inconsistent results and lack of broad clinical endorsement.

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