Background: <sc>d</sc>-Chiro-inositol is a natural molecule that, in association with its well-studied isomer myo-inositol, may play a role in treating various metabolic and gynecological disorders.
Objectives: This perspective seeks to explore the mechanisms and functions of <sc>d</sc>-chiro-inositol, laying the foundations to discuss its use in clinical practice, across dysmetabolism, obesity, and hormonal dysregulation.
Methods: A narrative review of all the relevant papers known to the authors was conducted.
Outcome: <sc>d</sc>-Chiro-inositol acts through a variety of mechanisms, acting as an insulin sensitizer, inhibiting the transcription of aromatase, in addition to modulating white adipose tissue/brown adipose tissue transdifferentiation. These different modes of action have potential applications in a variety of therapeutic fields, including PCOS, dysmetabolism, obesity, hypoestrogenic/hyperandrogenic disorders, and bone health.
Conclusions: <sc>d</sc>-Chiro-inositol mode of action has been studied in detail in recent years, resulting in a clear differentiation between <sc>d</sc>-chiro-inositol and its isomer myo-inositol. The insulin-sensitizing activities of <sc>d</sc>-chiro-inositol are well understood; however, its potential applications in other fields, in particular obesity and hyperestrogenic/hypoandrogenic disorders in men and women, represent promising avenues of research that require further clinical study.
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© 2024 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.