Myo-inositol and asprosin levels in pregnant women
What it found
In 40 pregnant women, those who took myo-inositol had lower asprosin levels after 20 to 22 weeks than those who took folic acid alone.
The authors say asprosin may be affected by myo-inositol.
What they found
Studies in people
Asprosin change
In the myo-inositol group, asprosin levels went down, while in the folic acid only group they went up. The difference between the groups was statistically significant.
Insulin resistance
The HOMA-IR index rose significantly in the folic acid only group, but not in the myo-inositol group. When the two groups were compared directly, the difference in HOMA-IR change was not significant.
Blood sugar after glucose drink
The fasting glucose value during the oral glucose tolerance test was significantly lower in the myo-inositol group. The 1-hour and 2-hour values were similar between groups.
Gestational diabetes cases
Three women in the myo-inositol group and five in the folic acid group were diagnosed with gestational diabetes. This difference was not statistically significant.
Side effects and other outcomes
No side effects related to the supplements were reported. Pregnancy-induced hypertensive disease did not occur in any participant.
What the authors conclude
“Asprosin may be modulated by myo-inositol.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that asprosin may be modulated by myo-inositol.
- They say this opens the possibility of considering asprosin as a useful marker of insulin resistance to assess in pregnant women and to target in clinical practice.
- They state that further studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms behind asprosin's role as a new insulin resistance marker.
How it was done
Asprosin is a newly discovered hormone-like substance linked to insulin resistance and diabetes, and it seems to rise during pregnancy, possibly contributing to gestational diabetes. The authors wanted to see if myo-inositol, which has beneficial effects in pregnancy, changes asprosin levels.
They enrolled 40 pregnant women at 5 to 6 weeks of gestation and randomly assigned them to take either 2 g myo-inositol plus 200 micrograms folic acid twice a day, or folic acid alone, for 20 to 22 weeks. Blood levels of asprosin and a measure of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were checked at the start and again at 24 to 28 weeks.
What it can’t tell you
- The study was small, with only 40 women, so the results may not apply to all pregnant women.
- The women in the study had an average BMI within the normal range, so the findings cannot be generalized to women with obesity.
- The study cannot show whether myo-inositol prevents gestational diabetes or other pregnancy complications, because it was not designed or powered to test those outcomes.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- S.D. and V.U. are employed at Lo.Li. Pharma Srl, Rome, Italy.
- Authors work at
- Cyprus International University, ciu.edu.tr; Near East University, neu.edu.tr; Adıyaman University, adiyaman.edu.tr
The paper
- Title
- Effect of Myo-Inositol Treatment on Serum Asprosin Levels of Pregnant Women: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Pilot Study
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Özay AC, Özay ÖE, Edebal OH, et al (2025). Effect of Myo-Inositol Treatment on Serum Asprosin Levels of Pregnant Women: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Pilot Study. Journal of pregnancy. doi:10.1155/jp/8816154Free full textPubMed 41497562DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error