CS - Are PABA, choline, and inositol necessary for hair growth/general health?

I see that so many B-complex vitamins leave out these, so I was curious why that was. Are they needed? Has anybody used this for fighting hair loss?
A quick read on inositol/choline for hair growth.

http://nootriment.com/inositol-for-hair/

After some searching, I concluded that choline is not safe to take at high dosage due to increased chance of prostate cancer along with formation of polyps. Similarly, PABA had antithyroid property at high doses in a rat study, suppressing TSH signal cascade to make more T4 and T3 (http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/content/86/1/61.full).

Also, inositol lowers androgens in the body, so a lot of women who suffer from PCOS use inositol to lower free and total T levels. I think this is actually the opposite of what we want, since so many of us suffer from low T level. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

inositol treatment is helpful in animals for hair. And for human men, it helps improve sperm motility.

Gynecol Endocrinol. 2015 Sep 11:1-4. [Epub ahead of print]
Effect of treatment with myo-inositol on semen parameters of patients undergoing an IVF cycle: in vivo study.
Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Myo-inositol (MI) is a precursor for the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol polyphosphates (PIPs). The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of its administration on semen parameters of male patients undergoing an in vitro fertilization cycles.

METHODS:

In vivo study. Samples were semen of 62 patients divided into three different groups: healthy fertile patients (Group A); patients with oligoasthenospermia (OA) (Group B); control group (CTR). The collected samples were analyzed by optic microscopy in order to evaluate semen's volume, spermatozoa's number and motility before and after density-gradient separation method. These parameters were evaluated before and after administration of 4000 mg/die of MI and 400 µg of folic acid for 2 months. The results were analyzed statistically with Student's t-test.

RESULTS:

After treatment there was a significant increase of basal and after density-gradient separation method spermatozoa concentration in Group B, and a significant increase of spermatozoa count after density-gradient separation method in Group A. The motility values were higher in healthy men than patients with OA before treatment, but there was no improvement in both groups after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS:

Exogenous administration of MI significantly improves semen's parameters both in patients with OA and in normal fertile men.

CausticSymmetry wrote:inositol treatment is helpful in animals for hair. And for human men, it helps improve sperm motility.

Gynecol Endocrinol. 2015 Sep 11:1-4. [Epub ahead of print]
Effect of treatment with myo-inositol on semen parameters of patients undergoing an IVF cycle: in vivo study.
Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Myo-inositol (MI) is a precursor for the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol polyphosphates (PIPs). The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of its administration on semen parameters of male patients undergoing an in vitro fertilization cycles.

METHODS:

In vivo study. Samples were semen of 62 patients divided into three different groups: healthy fertile patients (Group A); patients with oligoasthenospermia (OA) (Group B); control group (CTR). The collected samples were analyzed by optic microscopy in order to evaluate semen's volume, spermatozoa's number and motility before and after density-gradient separation method. These parameters were evaluated before and after administration of 4000 mg/die of MI and 400 µg of folic acid for 2 months. The results were analyzed statistically with Student's t-test.

RESULTS:

After treatment there was a significant increase of basal and after density-gradient separation method spermatozoa concentration in Group B, and a significant increase of spermatozoa count after density-gradient separation method in Group A. The motility values were higher in healthy men than patients with OA before treatment, but there was no improvement in both groups after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS:

Exogenous administration of MI significantly improves semen's parameters both in patients with OA and in normal fertile men.

Thanks for the study. How about the fact that it lowers both free and total T? Isn't that the opposite of what we need to balance estrogen/T/progesterone?

A substance that lowers testosterone in women does not always have that same effect in men. For example here is a study comparing men and the effect of D-Chiro-Inositol - Insulin resistance improves with its use: This helps improve testosterone parameters in men, because high insulin producing inflammation and can lower T levels.

Metabolism. 2009 Jan;58(1):62-8. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2008.08.007.
Hyperinsulinemia is closely related to low urinary clearance of D-chiro-inositol in men with a wide range of insulin sensitivity.
Abstract
We have previously shown that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have increased urinary clearance of D-chiro-inositol (uCl(DCI)), which was positively associated with hyperinsulinemia. The objective of this study was thus to determine if such relationship also exists in men with a large range of insulin sensitivity and levels. A cross-sectional study was performed on 11 brothers of women with PCOS and 21 control men. In this study, brothers served as a model of insulin resistance. We assessed uCl(DCI), urinary clearance of myo-inositol, and insulin levels with a standard 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, a 2-hour euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp, and a 24-hour urine collection. Our results showed in all men together that low uCl(DCI) was strongly associated (P < .001) with hyperinsulinemia, for which uCl(DCI) was a significant predictor independent of other classic factors. Brothers were heavier than controls (P = .02), with increased glucose-stimulated glucose (P < .001) and insulin levels (P < .001) and reduced insulin sensitivity (P = .001). In this group, plasma DCI was increased by 3-fold (P = .02), with a 3-fold decrease in the uCl(DCI) to urinary clearance of myo-inositol ratio, which was almost significant (P = .07). Low uCl(DCI) is strongly associated with hyperinsulinemia in all men, and brothers of PCOS women who are more insulin resistant display increased plasma DCI and borderline decreased uCl(DCI). Thus, compensatory hyperinsulinemia might suppress renal clearance of DCI to increase plasma DCI levels and partially compensate for insulin resistance by improving DCI availability in men. The apparent discrepancy with PCOS women might be explained by higher insulin levels in men as compared with women and requires confirmation.

CausticSymmetry wrote:A substance that lowers testosterone in women does not always have that same effect in men. For example here is a study comparing men and the effect of D-Chiro-Inositol - Insulin resistance improves with its use: This helps improve testosterone parameters in men, because high insulin producing inflammation and can lower T levels.

Metabolism. 2009 Jan;58(1):62-8. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2008.08.007.
Hyperinsulinemia is closely related to low urinary clearance of D-chiro-inositol in men with a wide range of insulin sensitivity.
Abstract
We have previously shown that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have increased urinary clearance of D-chiro-inositol (uCl(DCI)), which was positively associated with hyperinsulinemia. The objective of this study was thus to determine if such relationship also exists in men with a large range of insulin sensitivity and levels. A cross-sectional study was performed on 11 brothers of women with PCOS and 21 control men. In this study, brothers served as a model of insulin resistance. We assessed uCl(DCI), urinary clearance of myo-inositol, and insulin levels with a standard 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, a 2-hour euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp, and a 24-hour urine collection. Our results showed in all men together that low uCl(DCI) was strongly associated (P < .001) with hyperinsulinemia, for which uCl(DCI) was a significant predictor independent of other classic factors. Brothers were heavier than controls (P = .02), with increased glucose-stimulated glucose (P < .001) and insulin levels (P < .001) and reduced insulin sensitivity (P = .001). In this group, plasma DCI was increased by 3-fold (P = .02), with a 3-fold decrease in the uCl(DCI) to urinary clearance of myo-inositol ratio, which was almost significant (P = .07). Low uCl(DCI) is strongly associated with hyperinsulinemia in all men, and brothers of PCOS women who are more insulin resistant display increased plasma DCI and borderline decreased uCl(DCI). Thus, compensatory hyperinsulinemia might suppress renal clearance of DCI to increase plasma DCI levels and partially compensate for insulin resistance by improving DCI availability in men. The apparent discrepancy with PCOS women might be explained by higher insulin levels in men as compared with women and requires confirmation.

That would make sense since males do not have ovaries and produce sex hormones in a different mechanism. What if I do not have insulin resistance? My fasting glucose has been always normal and I do not eat sugary foods or soda. Would I still need inositol in this case? How about PABA?

Inositol is good for some people (insomia, anxiety, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder).

It won't hurt to try it to gauge the effect.

Just posting some articles (not studies) that state inositol can lower T level in males.

http://www.anabolicmen.com/foods-that-decrease-testosterone/
http://inositol-powder.com/inositol-and-hormones/

Sources are a little dubious, but still, I rather not risk lowering T levels.