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IP6 (inositol hexaphosphate)

Also called inositol hexaphosphate, phytic acid, phytate, InsP6, IP6 + inositol.

IP6 is a phosphorus-rich compound found naturally in whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. It is sold as a supplement, often combined with inositol, a related vitamin-like compound. In nutrition it has a mixed reputation: it binds minerals such as iron and zinc, which is why it was long called an antinutrient, and the same binding is part of why researchers study it against disease.

What it has been studied for

Beyond Google: what a search won’t show you

Places a normal search rarely reaches: trial registries, drug-code names, FDA report databases and patent offices. Each item links to its primary record.

  1. Unpublished trial

    IP6 for bipolar depression (San Diego VA, phase 1)

    completed July 2018

    The VA gave 2,000–3,000 mg a day of IP6 (calcium/magnesium salt) to people with bipolar depression; 8 enrolled. No results were posted and no paper cites the trial. Whether it helped is unknown, and an unpublished small trial often means a null or a stopped study, but that is a guess, not a finding.

  2. Stalled trial

    Oral phytate to slow heart-valve calcification (Hospital Son Dureta, Spain, phase 2/3)

    registered 2009, last updated 2010

    Planned 250 patients and a CT measure of valve and coronary calcium. Status unknown and never updated. The same research group later developed the intravenous drug form SNF472 instead.

  3. Drug under another name

    SNF472 / hexasodium fytate: IP6 as an intravenous drug

    phase 2 2017, phase 2b 2019, phase 3 2022

    Searches for IP6 miss this entirely. Three completed trials with posted results; see the calcification page for the numbers. The phase 3 trial was negative.

  4. Research PubMed does not index

    Japanese journal papers on IP6 found only on J-STAGE

    1985–2021

    Japan's journal platform holds IP6 papers that PubMed, the index most researchers search, does not include: a 2017 rat study in Vitamins where dietary phytic acid prevented fatty liver on a high-sugar diet; a 1997 rat study on phytic acid and inositol against liver fat build-up; a 2021 rat study on phytic acid and uric acid production (the chemistry behind gout); 2009–10 lab work on an inositol-phosphate bone cement against human bone-cancer cells; and a 1985 clinical study of a sodium-phytate toothpaste against tooth decay. All but the toothpaste study are animal or lab work.

  5. FDA adverse-event reports

    Reports to the FDA naming IP6 products

    2006–2022

    11 reports in the FDA's supplement adverse-event database name an IP6 product; 5 involved a hospital stay, and in 6 the IP6 product was the only one listed. Reported problems include abnormal liver tests (3, two of them in people taking 14 or more supplements at once), heart-rhythm or blood-pressure problems (3), and throat swelling with shortness of breath after an IP6 powder taken alone (1). A report is not proof that IP6 caused anything.

  6. Patent

    US 4,952,396: "Method of using phytic acid for inhibiting tumor growth"

    1990

    Filed by R. Sabin, R. Jariwalla and S. Lawson, a different team from the Maryland group that dominates the published IP6 cancer papers. It claims oral doses of phytic acid or its salts inhibit tumor growth. A patent is a legal claim, not proof.

Sources searched on 2026-10-28: ClinicalTrials.gov, Europe PMC preprints, Europe PMC patents, FDA CAERS (openFDA), NIH RePORTER, J-STAGE (Japanese journals). Where we look

Safety notes

  • IP6 binds minerals such as iron, zinc and calcium. That is useful in iron overload and may be a problem for people who are already low in iron or zinc. Source
  • In animal studies, the sodium salt of phytic acid increased bladder and kidney papillomas; the potassium and magnesium salts did not. Source
  • Nobody has published a trial on combining IP6 with modern cancer drugs beyond the two small quality-of-life studies. Anyone in treatment should raise it with their oncologist first.

Possible links

Where one finding points to others. These are leads for research, not conclusions.

Other conditions

  • Fatty liver 19 papers 19 PubMed papers, plus two rat studies (1997, 2017) published only in Japanese journals that PubMed does not index; both found less liver fat with phytic acid. Not yet read by us beyond their titles and abstracts. See on PubMed
  • Uric acid and gout 30 papers 30 PubMed papers, plus a 2021 rat study in a Japanese journal not indexed by PubMed. Not yet read by us. See on PubMed
  • Iron overload 49 papers Mostly lab and animal work on IP6 as an iron binder, plus two small human studies. See on PubMed
  • Diabetes and blood sugar 81 papers Not yet read by us. See on PubMed
  • Calcification of blood vessels 24 papers Not yet read by us; the kidney-stone work rests on the same idea of blocking calcium crystals. See on PubMed
  • Parkinson's and Alzheimer's 28 papers Not yet read by us; a 2025 review lists neurodegenerative disease among IP6's studied uses. See on PubMed

Same mechanism

  • Binding iron and other minerals 1,266 papers IP6 holds on to iron and similar metals. Iron-binding drugs are a research field of their own in cancer, with 1,266 PubMed papers; we have not yet compared their evidence with IP6's. See on PubMed Source
  • Blocking calcium crystals The proposed reason IP6 might prevent kidney stones and blood-vessel calcification. Source
  • Immune and cell-signaling effects Reviews describe effects on genes, immune activity and antioxidant defenses in lab and animal models. Source

Combinations

  • IP6 with inositol 201 papers The most common supplement form. Both human cancer-related reports used this combination or IP6 alone. See on PubMed
  • IP6 with chemotherapy 122 papers Lab studies on IP6 alongside cancer drugs, plus the two small quality-of-life trials. See on PubMed

Who does the research

  • A. M. Shamsuddin 34 papers University of Maryland School of Medicine (pathology); author of much of the early IP6 cancer research and co-author of the 2025 review.
  • I. Vucenik 28 papers University of Maryland School of Medicine; long-time collaborator on IP6 and cancer.
  • R. Agarwal 15 papers University of Colorado School of Pharmacy; IP6 and prostate cancer studies.

Who pays for it

  • US National Cancer Institute (NIH) 34 papers
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China 5 papers
  • US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH) 5 papers

Funding is listed only where PubMed records it; most IP6 papers list none. We found no papers declaring supplement-industry funding, which does not mean none exists.

What people report

We read public first-person posts and counted every outcome, good or bad. 41 reports, read on 2026-10-27; 13 mention side effects.

  • 24Helped
  • 1No effect
  • 8Got worse
  • 5Mixed
  • 3Too early

Why these counts prove nothing on their own: people who post are not a random sample, most take other treatments at the same time, and nobody checks the diagnosis. We show them because they tell researchers what to test next.

Read all 41 reports
  • Helped After years of slowly rising PSA despite other treatments, PSA stopped rising and fell to a stable level within months of starting IP6+inositol. HealthUnlocked, 2022-07-27 (Prior Lupron and radiation history; PSA-only measure; poster says 'if this is helping me'.)
  • Helped Reports PSA dropping after six months of three scoops daily on an empty stomach. HealthUnlocked, 2024-01-30 (Small PSA values; in another thread the same poster reported a drop from 0.3 to 0.2 after three months; no follow-up given.)
  • Too early Thinks it may make a difference and feels better mentally, but says he does not know its effect on the cancer until his next PSA. HealthUnlocked, 2022-08 (Self-described uncertainty; no PSA result reported; exact reply date not shown.)
  • Helped PSA levelled off while taking IP6+inositol, but the poster says it could be IP6, metformin, MCP or coincidence. HealthUnlocked, 2022-08 (Concurrent metformin and MCP; poster explicitly cannot attribute; exact reply date not shown.)
  • Helped Caregiver reports husband's long-stable triglycerides fell from 154 to about 120 after three months of 8 g IP6 daily. HealthUnlocked, 2019-01 (Caregiver report; poster says she cannot prove IP6 caused it; single measurement.)
  • Mixed Took IP6 for a period; says the cancer eventually 'found a work-around' and PSA began rising again. HealthUnlocked, 2016-08 (Implies a temporary benefit without data; many supplements tried; date inferred from thread timestamps.)
  • Too early After three weeks at 12 g daily the PSA rise slowed sharply; plans to retest to see whether it was coincidence. Side effects: gas (first 7-10 days). Inspire, 2018-11-13 (Only three weeks; poster flags possible coincidence.)
  • Helped Reports a PSA drop to 0.1, no palpable prostate nodules and an end to bone ache after high-dose IP6; lower doses did not work. Side effects: gas, more frequent bathroom trips. Inspire, 2018-10-24 (On hormone therapy throughout; a prominent advocate who posts widely; elsewhere says he is slightly anemic without blaming IP6.)
  • Helped PSA fell from 55 to under 0.1 within months while taking nine scoops of IP6 daily alongside hormone therapy. Side effects: gas. Inspire, 2018-10-18 (Started hormone therapy at the same time, which alone usually lowers PSA sharply; cannot attribute.)
  • No effect PSA went from 0.52 to 0.564 after 23 days of 16 scoops of IP6 daily. Inspire, 2022-04-13 (Only 23 days; many concurrent supplements.)
  • Worse Gained 12 pounds in ten days on IP6 and stopped; says he does not know whether IP6 works. Side effects: weight gain. Inspire, 2019-05-05 (Very short use; on Lupron, which itself can cause weight gain.)
  • Too early PSA is down, but he is unsure IP6 played a role and says it is too early to tell. ExcelMale, 2019-03-28 (Irregular use; poster's own 'too early' statement.)
  • Helped Serum iron fell by about half after a little over a month of 1,000 mg IP6 daily on an empty stomach; liver enzymes stayed normal. ExcelMale, 2019-02-01 (Single before/after lab pair; men's health (TRT) forum.)
  • Helped Serum iron fell from 185 to 135 µg/dl after finishing a tub of IP6 powder taken irregularly, then daily. LongeCity, 2017-02-10 (Irregular dosing; earlier use of other chelating supplements.)
  • Worse Serum iron dropped from about 100 to 30 mcg/dL, below range, after a few weeks of 1.5 g IP6 daily. Side effects: low serum iron. LongeCity, 2010-01-21 (Reason for taking not stated; posted as a warning to monitor iron.)
  • Worse IP6 powder taken on an empty stomach at bedtime bothered their stomach, so they stopped using it. Side effects: stomach upset. LongeCity, 2010-01-21 (Brief report; purpose not stated.)
  • Worse Felt bad after nightly IP6, better within a day of stopping, and now feels terrible after a single dose. Side effects: feeling unwell / malaise. LongeCity, 2010-02-06 (Also donating blood; in 2008 the same poster wrote that he felt nothing from it.)
  • Helped Takes 3-4 g daily as needed to keep ferritin in check, checks ferritin regularly and says it works. LongeCity, 2010-01-06 (No numbers given.)
  • Helped Reports a very good effect on ferritin from 800 mg IP6 at bedtime on an empty stomach. LongeCity, 2015-06-01 (No numbers given.)
  • Helped 500 mg IP6 daily let him cut blood donation to a couple of times a year; he also credits cosmetic and liver-enzyme improvements. Side effects: slightly lower energy until lunch. LongeCity, 2015-06-02 (Combined with blood donation; cosmetic claims are subjective; he posts the same report in several threads.)
  • Helped Takes IP6 for a few days when back or urinary discomfort arises or before contrast scans, and says kidney function tests come back very good. LongeCity, 2015-12-21 (Intermittent use; no numbers; heavy water intake at the same time.)
  • Worse After about nine months of 1-2 g daily, noticed declining exercise capacity, cramps and injuries that stopped after quitting. Side effects: reduced exercise capacity, muscle cramps, more exercise injuries, reduced light sensitivity, possible hair whitening. LongeCity, 2016-05-22 (Poster is reasonably but not fully sure; was dieting at the time.)
  • Worse Developed pain in a back molar after five to six months of IP6, with no other changes; wonders whether IP6 is the cause. Side effects: molar pain (suspected cavity). LongeCity, 2015-01-21 (Cause unconfirmed; framed as a question.)
  • Mixed Ferritin fell from 88 to a flagged-low 11; says IP6 clearly works as a chelator but went too far with blood donation. Side effects: iron deficiency (ferritin 11). LongeCity, 2016-06-10 (Blood donations contributed to the drop.)
  • Helped Says IP6 helped after gadolinium exposure, with later tests showing low levels. Phoenix Rising (ME/CFS), 2014-02-22 (Vague; the main concern was arsenic, with no outcome given for it.)
  • Helped Credits a high dose of IP6+inositol with reaching no evidence of disease; in 2016 reported three years in remission. Inspire, 2013-11-29 (Also had chemotherapy and radiation; strongly promotes a specific brand.)
  • Worse Mother became tired, weak and unable to eat within three weeks of starting IP6; she improved within days of stopping it. Side effects: fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, difficulty swallowing. Inspire, 2013-01-11 (Caregiver report; grape seed extract taken too and iron supplement stopped; suspected iron deficiency not confirmed by a lab test.)
  • Helped Says taking 6-8 pills twice daily throughout Taxol chemotherapy prevented neuropathy for her. Inspire, 2011-12-02 (Not everyone on Taxol develops neuropathy; another poster in the same thread reports the opposite.)
  • Mixed IP6 did not prevent severe Taxol neuropathy, but she credits it with far fewer colds over four years. Inspire, 2011-12-03 (Benefit claim is about colds, a subjective and unrelated measure.)
  • Helped Had a complete pathologic response after chemotherapy while taking 6 g IP6+inositol daily, but stresses he cannot know whether it contributed. Inspire, 2010-01-02 (Standard chemotherapy and surgery; the poster himself disclaims attribution.)
  • Helped Platelets recovered to their highest level in months after adding IP6; a later scan showed a clear liver and shrinking lung tumors. Inspire, 2010-02-25 (On Tarceva and Gemzar; the poster says he is not sure which is working; in 2011 he reported stable cancer and no side effects.)
  • Helped A seven-year survivor taking two tablets daily since diagnosis believes it helps because she is still alive. Inspire, 2011-03-09 (Survival is not attributable; other treatment not stated.)
  • Worse Felt all-day pain where her tumors are after starting five pills twice daily; unsure whether it signals harm or a response. Side effects: pain at tumor sites, rib cage and lower back pain. Inspire, 2012-12-01 (Cause unknown; untreated cancer can cause pain; she made a similar post a day earlier.)
  • Helped Diagnosed in 2002; says she has been completely healed for ten years and still takes IP6+inositol. Inspire, 2012-12-01 (Other treatments not stated; strong advocacy tone.)
  • Mixed Rib pain from metastasis almost disappeared after four months on IP6, but her CEA tumor marker rose from 9.7 to 39.4. Inspire, 2010-06-02 (On Tarceva; she later reported coughing up blood; no scan result was posted.)
  • Helped Took six capsules at a time for a long period and says he felt better while on it. Inspire, 2018-10-08 (Subjective and vague; condition inferred from the community.)
  • Helped A six-year survivor says daily IP6 powder has kept her regular after decades of constipation, while allowing for placebo. Inspire, 2008-07-27 (Poster herself mentions a placebo effect; makes no cancer claim.)
  • Helped In remission for about eight years and believes her supplements, including IP6+inositol, have helped keep her there. Inspire, 2008-09-02 (Credits a supplement combination, not IP6 alone; had chemotherapy earlier.)
  • Helped Scans showed significant reduction and then stability, with no metastases, while taking IP6 and curcumin alongside chemotherapy and radiation. Inspire, 2010-09-16 (Standard chemotherapy and radiation at the same time; the poster does not directly credit IP6.)
  • Helped Takes 12 tablets twice daily and says she is alive three years past her expected death, crediting IP6+inositol. Inspire, 2016-02-20 (Cancer type and treatments not stated; strong advocacy tone.)
  • Mixed Two months at 10 g daily had no effect on the BCR-ABL leukemia marker, but cholesterol improved significantly. CML Support (UK), 2024-03-29 (Short trial; cholesterol change unexplained.)

Checked against PubMed on 2026-10-27.