Effect of inositol on bulimia nervosa and binge eating.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine whether inositol has therapeutic value in patients with bulimia nervosa and binge eating.

METHOD: A double-blind crossover trial using 18 g inositol versus placebo was performed in 12 patients for 6 weeks in each arm.

RESULTS

Inositol was significantly better than placebo on the Global Clinical Impression, the Visual Analogue Scale, and the Eating Disorders Inventory.

DISCUSSION: Inositol is as therapeutic in patients with bulimia nervosa and binge eating as it is in patients with depression and panic and obsessive-compulsive disorders. This increases its parallelism with serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors.