Women with PCOS have been found to have significantly lowered levels of chiro-inositol, a component of the putative d-chiro inositol phosphoglycan mediator, in their muscle tissue. Those with insulin resistance have also been found to excrete chiro-inositol in urine six times quicker than normal women. In fact, researchers have now determined that DCI deficiency is the single strongest independent predictor and putative causative factor of insulin resistance. Studies with rats have shown that GK type II diabetic rats have a greatly reduced activity of the epimerase enzyme which converts myo-inositol into d-chiro inositol, as compared with Wistar control rats.
Normally people are able to produce their own DCI, but our poor PCOS-addled bodies just don’t seem to be able to get with the program when it comes to making this substance or keeping it around long enough to do it’s job!
My PCOS Info 