PlainPill

Inositol vs Niacin for mood

Short answer: For mood, more users report improvement with Inositol — 88% of 60 reports, versus 71% of 21 for Niacin.

Inositol has 209 meta-analyses and 248 randomized trials on PubMed; Niacin has 114 and 379.

Based on 429 reports about Inositol and 269 about Niacin. Not medical advice.

Inositol
Supplement
Niacin
Supplement
Users say it helped67%helped167 reports · high confidence71%helped94 reports · medium confidence
Verdict
Mostly positive
Mostly positive
ResearchAResearch: StrongAResearch: Strong
Meta-analyses / RCTs209 / 248114 / 379
Mainly used for
Anxiety
% reporting improvement
90% (100)93% (14)
Mood
% reporting improvement
88% (60)71% (21)
Sleep
% reporting improvement
100% (43)73% (11)
Focus
% reporting improvement
79% (14)100% (11)
Energy
% reporting improvement
67% (3)93% (15)
Common side effectsstomach issues, diarrhea, brain fog, drowsinessflushing, flush, stomach issues, liver damage
Typical dose reported10-25 g100-200 mg
Inositol
Latest review conclusion

The evidence supporting the use of inositol in the management of PCOS is limited and inconclusive. Clinicians and their patients should consider the uncertainty of the evidence together with individual values and preferences when engaging in shared decision-making regarding the use of inositol for PCOS.

J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2024 ↗
What a user said
“I personally use Inositol only on nights I may know sleep will be challenging... extra good sleep or perception of such.”
Full Inositol profile →
Niacin
Latest review conclusion

This guideline should enable addressing suboptimal and deficient status of a bundle of MNs in at-risk diseases. In particular, it offers practical advice on MN provision and monitoring during nutritional support.

Clin Nutr, 2022 ↗
What a user said
“If you over methylate, niacin may also help you. Binds to free methyl groups... It's how I fixed my heart palpitations after taking methylsulfonymethan.”
Full Niacin profile →

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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate