Chiroin is a proprietary extract produced from the juice of carob pods. The principle constituent, D-Chiro Inositol (DCI) is a messenger, directing insulin function. DCI is found to be low in hyperglycemic patients. There have been over thirty published studies. Glucose is needed to produce energy. Proper insulin regulation is vital to maintaining normal blood sugar levels and helps to convert glucose to energy. Improper insulin function leads to diabetes, metabolic syndrome (pre diabetes), obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) in women. DCI acts as a secondary messenger stimulating the action of insulin. Insufficient levels of DCI result in a deficit of the insulin mediator that helps to remove glucose. Supplementation of DCI helps to normalize blood glucose levels. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a condition where a woman's ovaries produce more androgens than normal. It is the most common cause of female infertility, affecting one out of ten women. In double-blind studies, women with PCOS who received DCI experienced the following statistically significant benefits when compared with a control group: lowered free and total testosterone, lowered blood pressure, increased insulin sensitivity and a corresponding improvement in glucose disposal, and increased frequency of ovulation. In a forty-four patient study with obese women diagnosed with PCOS, twenty-two patients were administered 1200mg of DCI. Nineteen of the twenty-two women ovulated as compared with six out of twenty-two who received the placebo. The conclusion of the study was the D-Chiro Inositol increases the action of insulin in patients with PCOS, thereby improving ovulatory function, and decreasing serum androgen concentrations, blood pressure, and plasma triglyceride concentrations. (N Engl J Med. 1999 Apr 29;340(17):1314-20.) In twenty lean women with PCOS, 600mg of DCI administered for six to eight weeks was found to reduce circulating insulin, decrease serum androgens, and reduce blood pressure and elevated triglycerides associated with metabolic syndrome. (Endocr Pract. 2002 Nov-Dec;8(6):417-23.) In conclusion, although the latest research suggests that DCI may have special benefits for women with PCOS, it can also be used for men and women with diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
D-Chiro Inositol