Effects of myo-inositol on ovarian function and metabolic factors in women with PCOS

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common cause of chronic anovulation infertility in women in fertile period, myo-inositol (free of phosphate) was once considered a member of the vitamin B complex (formerly Vitamin B8); however, it is produced by the human body from glucose, it is not an essential nutrient. Myo-inositol is capable of improving the ovarian function and metabolism of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. this review study was conducted with aim of summarizing related studies with effect of myo-inositol supplementation on ovarian function in women with PCOS.Methods: In this study, all abstracts and full papers through electronic searches by entering the keyword in the databases PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Google were obtained and studied from 2010 to 2015 .Result: The literature review indicates treating women with myo-inositol (2 grams daily for 8-24 weeks) has been shown to reduce LH/FSH ratio, FSH, prolactin, androstenedione, testosterone, insulin, and BMI, moreover it helps ovulatory function restoration, lower blood pressure, and decreases triglyceride levels. Myo-inositol is a safe and effective natural medicine for improving insulin resistance and it should be recommended in conjunction with other positive lifestyle modifications for the management of PCOS and insulin resistance.Conclusion: Myo-inositol is a simple and safe treatment that is capable of restoring spontaneous ovarian activity and consequently fertility in most patients with PCOS. This therapy did not cause multiple pregnancy.

Keywords:

Ovarian function , PCOS , Myo-inositol