Niacin Pills Information

If you have heard about the health benefits of niacin in broad terms, you may be wondering what niacin pills can do for you and your health. In this article, we look at what niacin is, what it does in your body, and who can benefit from taking them.

What Is Niacin?

Niacin is the technical term for vitamin B3. It is a vitamin that is naturally present in a variety of foods, and as a B vitamin, it is water-soluble. Vitamin B3 niacin is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning the human body cannot store this nutrient. Rather, a continuous supply must be obtained through one’s diet if he or she is to receive the full benefits of the substance. Niacin is used as both a nutritional supplement and for medicinal purposes. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of niacin for adults is 14 mg for females, and 16 mg for males. Children should take proportionately less.

The following are some essential facts about niacin:

What Do Niacin Pills Do?

No one wants to take a handful of pills every morning if they do not have to, but if niacin pills can help you to be fitter, stronger and healthier, then you want to know about it, right? Actually, niacin pills can have all kinds of benefits.

First, there is energy production, which niacin plays an important role in. Then there is calcium absorption, also something that niacin assists with, and something that is essential for strong hair and nails.

Niacin helps to create energy in the body by assisting in the metabolism or conversion of carbohydrates that we eat into energy that our body needs. That is why one of the first symptoms of niacin deficiency is fatigue – your body simply is not getting enough energy from the food you eat!

When it comes to your hair, nails, and even your bones, niacin is important because it helps your body to absorb calcium, as well as with cell division and regeneration. Niacin has also been proven to help reduce cholesterol, when used in conjunction with anti cholesterol medication, and it is worth ensuring that you are getting enough if you suffer from this problem.

Finally, niacin pills can be a big boost to your sex life. That is because it helps to improve blood flow, and because it helps in the creation of sex hormones, in conjunction with your adrenal gland.

Niacin Uses and Benefits

Niacin helps the human digestive system to break down food and to convert nutrients into energy. In addition, niacin improves circulation as it encourages the opening of the capillaries in the bloodstream.

The Prevention of a Second Heart Attack

It is possible that niacin may play a critical role in heart health. Many studies have clearly indicated that when combined with other cholesterol-reducing drugs, niacin can reduce one’s risk of a fatal heart attack by up to 40 %. It has also been discovered that niacin can reduce the occurrence of heart disease when added to a person’s comprehensive heart health plan.

Additional Uses of Niacin B3

In addition to the aforementioned benefits, studies are currently underway to determine if niacin should be used to prevent age-related disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and macular degeneration. While such studies have not yet commenced, there is already significant evidence that vitamin B3 niacin may offer considerable benefits with regard to the aforementioned conditions. Evidence also exists that indicates the possibility that niacin may be an effective treatment for migraines, type one diabetes and mild to moderate anxiety.

Niacin and Cholesterol

Niacin, particularly its active ingredient nicotinic acid, is proven to reduce cholesterol levels and is safer than many cholesterol-lowering drugs. Studies have proven that niacin can raise healthy cholesterol–HDL–by up to 34%, while at the same time reducing bad cholesterol–LDL–and triglycerides by almost half.

Niacin Supplement Dosage

Niacin supplements are sometimes prescribed by a doctor if pellagra–niacin deficiency–is suspected. They may also be purchased over the counter in varying strengths. The  recommended daily allowance for niacin as a dietary supplement ranges from 250 to 750 milligrams a day for healthy adults. However, most individuals acquire enough niacin by simply eating a balanced diet. The standard dose is much higher when niacin is taken as a remedy for high cholesterol, ranging from 1,500 to 3,000 milligrams daily. There are two primary types of niacin supplements: immediate released and sustained release. The former, as their name implies, dissolve immediately and are absorbed by the body quickly, while the latter are released slowly and absorbed little by little over several hours.

As previously mentioned, if one eats a balanced diet, he or she will likely acquire enough niacin and will have little or no need for supplements. Food sources of niacin include dairy products, eggs, poultry, fish, nuts, lean meats and enriched cereals and breads.

The Niacin Flush

The nicotinic acid found in niacin can result in an uncomfortable side effect commonly referred to as a niacin flush. This occurs as a result of niacin’s ability to dilate the small blood vessels in a person’s body, thus allowing blood to rush to the surface of his or her skin. Symptoms of a niacin flush usually include the presence of a hot tingling sensation and a flushed appearance to one’s skin. In addition, a headache may accompany the other symptoms. While it may be unpleasant, the niacin flush is not dangerous and typically lasts for only 15 to 20 minutes. Although there is no fool-proof remedy for this side effect, drinking extra water can reduce its severity.

Common Side Effects of Niacin

The presence of a rash resembling prickly heat, bouts of excessive itching and the aforementioned niacin flush are the most common side effects associated with the use of niacin supplements. Darkening of the skin, sleepiness and dizziness are also experienced by some individuals, but these side effects occur most often in those who take higher than average doses of the supplement. Less common side effects include loss of appetite, nausea and diarrhea.

Facts and Fiction Concerning Niacin and Drug Testing

There are many people who are under the erroneous impression that taking high levels of niacin prior to a drug screen will mask  the presence of cocaine or marijuana in their urine. Excessive niacin intake will not hide the presence of drugs in a person’s system, but people have ended up in the emergency room as a result of attempting to accomplish this goal.

Most technicians who work in drug screening facilities are familiar with the fact that many people have this misplaced faith in niacin. Therefore, high levels of the supplement in one’s urine serves to alert the lab technicians that the user is attempting to foil the test.

Niacin Detox

The nicotinic acid found in niacin is also sometimes used as a detoxification agent. Almost all of the waste products and toxins that build up over time in one’s body coagulate in the fatty tissue. It is often difficult to access this tissue and remove such toxins, as the blood vessels by which they are surrounded must be dilated in order for this to be accomplished.

Niacin is a natural blood vessel dilator, as evidenced by the niacin flush, and therefore it causes an increase of blood flow through the capillaries. As blood rushes through these tiny blood vessels, toxins are flushed from the fatty tissues and are carried away by the bloodstream. Niacin detoxification is a highly effective process. However, it is not advisable to complete a niacin detox without first discussing it with a doctor or other health care provider.

New uses for niacin are still being discovered and there are several promising studies currently underway. With its positive effects, niacin use will likely continue to gain popularity in the years to come. However, it is wise for one to speak to a doctor before adding vitamin B3 niacin or any other supplement to his or her diet.

 

Where Can You Get Niacin?

Now that we know how important niacin is to various functions in your body, it is easy to see that we should all be getting more of it. Naturally, niacin is found in meat, whole grains, oranges and orange juice, fortified milk and cereals.

If, however, you are not getting enough niacin from the food you eat (usually because of a poor diet, but possibly because of an absorption problem), then you may find yourself suffering from niacin deficiency. This is a potentially life threatening deficiency, which causes a disease called pellagra.

If you are not sure that you are getting enough niacin, or you have been diagnosed as niacin deficient, then niacin pills are a good solution to the problem. Just make sure that you consult your doctor first, and that you do not exceed the recommended daily allowance, as too much niacin can also be harmful.