What Foods Are High In Inositol?

Inositol (formerly known as vitamin B8) is a sugar that’s actually made in the body but can be found in many foods. Don’t let the word “sugar” fool you—inositol is actually a really beneficial nutrient that helps regulate hormones in the body! In fact, it’s been found to be super beneficial for people with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and other metabolic issues. I consider it my favorite supplement for PCOS, because just this one supplement can ease so many PCOS symptoms. Studies have even shown that inositol supplements are just as effective as metformin but without the unpleasant side effects of a prescription drug. 

There are 9 forms of inositols, but myo- and d-chiro-inositol are the two most common and most effective for PCOS management. For d-chiro and myo-inositiol supplementation, I created Ovafit’s Inositol Complete 40:1. It includes these types of inositol in the perfect ratio to support hormonal dysregulation and insulin resistance! I always recommend incorporating this one into your daily supplement regimen.

That said, there are other ways to boost your daily intake of myo-inositol and d-chiro inositol, too! In addition to taking your inositol capsules, you can eat inositol-rich foods! This can enhance your health benefits and help you finally find symptoms relief. Here are a few foods naturally high in inositol that are perfect for a PCOS-friendly diet: 

Written by Tallene Hacatoryan, MS, RDN, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and co-founder of PCOS Weight Loss and OvaFit. This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. If you’re considering an inositol supplement, talk with your healthcare provider first to make sure it’s right for you.

What Foods Are High In Inositol?

Incorporating inositol into your PCOS-friendly diet isn’t as difficult as you may think. There are actually lots of inositol-rich foods, including beans, whole grains, nuts, citrus fruits, melons, cruciferous vegetables, and more! But before we get into the food options, here are the benefits of inositol for women with PCOS:

Benefits of Myo-inositol and D-Chiro-Inositol for PCOS

• Eases cravings and prevents weight gain
• Increases fertility and egg quality
• Lowers triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol
• Raises HDL cholesterol
• Increases insulin sensitivity
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces inflammation
• Helps with mood swings and mental health conditions
• Improves ovulation
• Prevents unwanted body hair growth and head hair loss
• Reduces androgen levels 
• Improves menstrual regularity 
• Reduces risk of metabolic syndrome 

How Inositol Helps With PCOS, Insulin Resistance, and Metabolic Syndrome

Inositol helps your cells respond to insulin more effectively. When your body becomes insulin resistant, it has to produce more and more insulin to keep your blood sugar under control. With enough time, high insulin levels can contribute to weight gain, hormone imbalances, irregular periods, and many other PCOS symptoms.

Research shows that myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol can improve insulin sensitivity. This means it can help your body use insulin the way it’s supposed to. Better insulin function may also reduce the risk of developing prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and other complications associated with metabolic syndrome.

Is Inositol the Same as Vitamin B8?

Kind of, but not exactly.

Inositol used to be called vitamin B8, but scientists no longer consider it a vitamin because your body can make it on its own. The name stuck around, though, so you’ll still see people use the terms interchangeably.

Foods Highest in Inositol: Inositol Content Chart

Food	Serving Size	Approximate Myo-Inositol
Cantaloupe	100 g (about ¾ cup)	355 mg
Orange	100 g (1 small orange)	307 mg
Grapefruit	100 g (about ½ grapefruit)	199 mg
Lime	100 g (about 2 limes)	194 mg
Soybeans	100 g (about ½ cup)	190 mg
Kidney beans	100 g (about ½ cup)	130 mg
Lima beans	100 g (about ½ cup)	110 mg
Great Northern beans	100 g (about ½ cup)	65 mg
Oats (dry)	½ cup	54.8 mg
Green peas	100 g (about ½ cup)	44 mg
Almonds	1 oz (about 23 almonds)	41.7 mg
Chicken liver	3 oz	33 mg
Tomatoes	1 large	25–35 mg
Eggs	1 large	20–25 mg
Peanuts	12 peanuts	20 mg
Walnuts	5 walnut halves	19.8 mg
Cashews	5 cashews	12 mg
Cabbage	100 g (about 1 cup, chopped)	9 mg
Sunflower seeds	1½ tablespoons	2 mg
Buckwheat	—	Rich source of D-chiro-inositol

Foods Rich in Inositol

Cantaloupe and Melons

If you’re looking for one of the best sources of inositols, cantaloupe is hard to beat! Just ¼ of a medium cantaloupe contains about 355 mg of inositol, making it the highest inositol-containing food on this list. Other melons, like honeydew, also contain inositol, just in smaller amounts. 

I love adding cantaloupe to breakfast or enjoying it as an afternoon snack. Just remember to pair it with some protein or healthy fats, like a handful of nuts, to help keep your blood sugar nice and steady. Plus, it’s packed with vitamin C and beta-carotene to support your immune system and overall health.

Eggs

Eggs are another easy way to sneak more inositol into your day! One large egg contains about 20-25 mg of inositol, with most of it found in the yolk. They’re also one of my favorite PCOS-friendly foods because they’re full of protein, healthy fats, and nutrients like choline and vitamin D that support hormone health and keep you feeling full. Whether you like them scrambled, hard-boiled, or baked into a breakfast casserole, eggs are an easy, affordable staple to keep on hand.

Want more info? Read our post “Are Eggs Good for PCOS?”

Beans: Kidney Beans, Lima Beans, and Green Beans

Most varieties of beans are high in inositol and are a staple for managing insulin resistance! Adding great northern beans, green beans, lima beans kidney beans, peas, and/or soybeans as a side to your meals adds a great source of protein, fiber, and inositol to your nutrition. In ½ cup of beans, there are about between 80 – 200 mg of inositol per serving. 

Nutrient-packed beans can help with digestion, regulating blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, and weight loss. Because of the fiber, beans take longer to digest than other foods, keeping you fuller longer with more energy to use throughout the day. When we eat it with other food items on our plates, we can also help slow down the absorption of sugar in our blood, which improves our insulin resistance and the symptoms caused by it. Beans are also a gluten-free carb, which can help with our hormone dysregulation in PCOS and our Carb Tolerance Range, so consider adding beans to soups and salads.

Struggle with insulin resistance? Listen to my podcast episode “called: “Reversing Insulin Resistance with PCOS!“

Buckwheat

I love buckwheat! It’s my go-to flour alternative for a gluten-free PCOS lifestyle. Buckwheat noodles are delicious and have high concentrations of D-chiro-inositol. The best part? You can use buckwheat flour in nearly anything. I like that it’s gluten-free, but also nutrient-dense. It’s a win-win! 

In addition to being a good source of inositol, buckwheat is high in fiber, protein, and antioxidants. This can help with cardiovascular health, high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and GI issues. I highly recommend substituting your favorite meals you typically have noodles with with buckwheat noodles. That way you can still keep the meals and flavors you love, but instead use ingredients that can benefit your PCOS!

Oats

Oats are great for PCOS! Oats are a complex carb that includes soluble and insoluble fiber, plenty of vitamins and minerals, lots of plant-based protein, and inositol, of course. Nutrient-dense oats have been shown to lower bad cholesterol, reduce insulin resistance, improve gut health, and assist with weight loss!

How do you incorporate oats into your diet??? There are so many options! First of all, I love overnight oats as an easy, delicious, and high-protein breakfast. (On The Cysterhood app you’ll fine tons of overnight oat recipes like brownie batter or lemon poppy seed overnight oats!) I also love to make oatmeal cookies and cauliflower oatmeal!

Cabbage and Other Vegetables

Fresh cabbage also is rich in inositol with 70 mg per ½ serving. The texture and flavor of cabbage are welcome in almost any dish and can complement meals like salads, wraps, and sandwiches for an added crunch. However, mixing it into soups and stir-fries is also a great way to get your inositol. 

Cabbage also has vitamin C, fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, and vitamin K that work together to potentially reduce inflammation, ease digestive issues, improve heart health, and reduce the risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes—both of which are long-term complications of PCOS. 

Citrus Fruits

Lots of melons and citrus fruits are great natural ways of getting inositol. Cantaloupe has the most with 355 mg per ¼ serving, but plenty of others have high levels of inositol including, oranges, grapefruits, and limes. And, these couldn’t be easier to add to your meals! Add them to smoothies, salads, chia seed puddings, or even your homemade dressings. You’ll get your sweet fix in plus support your inositol deficiencies; just remember to group fruits with proteins and healthy fats to avoid a blood sugar spike! 

Citrus fruits have vitamin C, flavonoids, and fiber, which can all reduce inflammation, improve gut health, and more. And, if you really want to get a lot out of inositol with cantaloupe, know that the nutrients in melons are also wonderful for our skin and heart health!

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts are the perfect PCOS-friendly snack for several reasons. They can help with cravings, be a source of healthy fats, and also help with fiber intake. Nuts like almonds, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and cashews are naturally high in inositol. Almonds have the highest inositol content with 41.7 mg per serving. Additionally, nuts can be good for your cardiovascular health, too. 

To add nuts to your PCOS diet try adding them to anything where you want a crunchy texture. Add them to salads, oatmeal, chia seed pudding, or even when you make your own trail mix. If you don’t want the taste and crunch, you can also have nut butter! Another option is to grind them up to add to gluten-free pancakes or overnight oats recipes. I have a ton of different breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert recipes in The Cysterhood app that can help you brainstorm and try this out with PCOS-friendly meals!

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are packed with myo-inositol. This is especially true when you eat them fresh or lightly cooked, but they’re beneficial any way you eat them! One large tomatoes usually has about 25-35 mg of myo-inositol. And, they have other beneficial nutrients too. Beyond myo-inositol, tomatoes are rich in vitamin c, lycopene, and potassium.

Incorporating tomatoes into your diet is probably pretty easy. Most of us already cook with them regularly! However, for particularly tomato-forward meals, try tomato and lentil soup, tomato and avocado salad, caprese bowls, stuffed tomatoes, and maybe a tomato-loaded shakshuka.

Liver

Chicken liver is one of the highest food sources of myo-inositol, offering over 39 mg per serving. Organ meats aren’t everyone’s favorite, but if you’re open to trying something new, this one packs a nutritional punch. Along with inositol, chicken liver is rich in vitamin A, folate, and vitamin B12—which is especially helpful if you’re taking metformin and may be at risk for B12 deficiency.

Try cooking them in a variety of ways and integrating them into soups, bowls, and even gluten-free pasta to add variety to your cuisine. Honestly, you may find you like them more than you’d think! 

*All of the inositol content of common foods came from The American Journal for Clinical Nutrition.

Should You Get Inositol From Food or an Inositol Supplement?

Fruits, vegetables, and foods like beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and citrus fruits are all great sources of inositol. They’re a healthy way to support your daily intake.

That said, food only provides small amounts. The studies on PCOS often use several grams of inositol each day, which would be really hard to get from food alone. That’s why many women with PCOS choose a quality supplement that provides the research-backed amount, like Ovafit’s Inositol Complete in the clinically studied 40:1 ratio.

Inositol is an essential nutrient for any woman with PCOS.

Living with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can be confusing, especially with our diet, but there are plenty of ways to get your nutrition and reverse your symptoms naturally! You can thrive with PCOS by making lifestyle changes like doing PCOS-friendly exercises, taking the right supplements, and supporting your hormones with your diet. An anti-inflammatory gluten- and dairy-free diet could be the key to living symptom-free. Give it a try for 30 days and let us know how it goes below!

If the thought of learning how to cook and eat differently is a lot to take in, I get it! To help, we created The Cysterhood App, where you can find more PCOS-friendly recipes and unlock my PCOS meal plan and workout videos that can help you reach your health goals, whether you want to lose weight, relieve symptoms, or live a healthier life where PCOS is under your control. Whatever your next goal is in your PCOS journey, we got you! 

Which Inositol-Rich Foods Will You Try?

Let me know what your favorite inositol-rich foods are. Or, tell me which you plan to try this next week. (Maybe it’s time to put cantaloupe on the menu!)