Niacin: To flush or not to flush?
What? You think you’re funny because you’re using toilet humor? Vitamin’s are natural and way better than prescription medications. I’m not flushing my Niacin down the toilet.
For years Niacin has been used to prevent heart disease. Niacin is a form of Vitamin B3 and helps our bodies create energy. If you don’t get enough of it, you can get Pallegra. You’ve never heard of it, because nobody has really gotten it since the 1930’s. Three million Americans were almost cured overnight once they realized that eating Niacin containing foods saved them from the irreversible side effect of Niacin deficiency called death.
Okay smarty pants, what foods contain niacin?
Most people should get about 14-18mg of Niacin a day which can be found in one serving of tuna. Other good sources include turkey, pork, wheat, rice, barley, corn, peppers, sesame seeds, and ginger. Another alternative is to eat fortified breakfast cereals like Corn Flakes which gives you 36mg.
So talk to me…tell me the good Niacin can do for my heart? I can’t wait to get my Niacin from Frosted Flakes (21mg of Niacin).
It was noticed in 1955 that supernormal doses of Niacin could lower cholesterol. Niacin at doses of 500mg 3 times/day can increase the “good” or HDL cholesterol by 22% and higher doses also lower “bad” or LDL cholesterol by 23%. Given it’s effects on cholesterol Niacin was recommended to treat patients to prevent heart attacks. Granted, there was no science to back that up.
This is like the best news ever–I get to eat 71 bowls of Frosted Flakes a day to get 1,500mg of Niacin! There’s a catch right?
Here’s the catch. Niacin at high doses has some significant side effects. If you like looking and feeling like a boiled lobster, take Niacin. Up to 80% of all people who take Niacin experience flushing. If you’re a man and take 3grams of Niacin, fasten your seatbelt, because your empathy for the women over 50 in your life will know no limits. It also causes about 1 in 5 to get nauseated, itchy skin, or rash. Other problems include gout, liver poisoning, and higher blood sugars. Further problems when taken with statins include muscle inflammation, bleeding, and infections.
Ugh! I knew 71 bowls of Frosted Flakes was too good to be true. But, seriously, the side effects are worth it to prevent heart disease, right?
The best summary of all the science on Niacin and it’s effect on heart disease shows that Niacin has NO effect on preventing death, heart attacks, or stroke when taken alone or with a statin medication. In fact 18% of about 40,000 study participants who took Niacin, stopped it because of side effects. The bottom line is that not only does the science say it doesn’t prevent heart disease…it’s also no fun to take. So the verdict is….flush.*