Niacin For Cholesterol Dose Benefits And Side Effects
Niacin is a vitamin and it is considered a nutrient that is essential to human life and development. While niacin is most often thought of in terms of health benefits as something not to have a deficiency in it is actually considered useful in some health applications, such as the use of niacin for cholesterol. In terms of dietary intake alone, the regular daily consumption amount is between 2 and 12 milligrams for children and 14 milligrams daily for women. Niacin needs are higher in men and breastfeeding women, at 16 milligrams and 18 milligrams daily for each.
Niacins use to manage high cholesterol has been well established, and high doses of the drug are used via prescriptions in order balance cholesterol numbers. The Mayo Clinic explains that using niacin for cholesterol actually works in two ways, where levels of HDL cholesterol are increased and levels of LDL cholesterol are reduced. In this way, niacin is able to tackle high cholesterol from two angles, both by amping up HDL in the bloodstream that can scoop up and sweep away bad LDL lipids and by contributing to overall LDL reduction on its own.
But, the benefits of B3 along with other vitamins for cholesterol do not stop at just good and bad lipid levels. Niacin medications may be able to reduce high triglycerides as well. High triglycerides can translate to fat in the body and are considered a major precursor to heart related disease and illness later in life.
Choosing An Na Formulation
The early clinical trials of NA used immediate-release formulations with good lipid results but many of those trials had unacceptably high drop-out rates due to flushing . In an effort to reduce the flushing side effects, sustained-release NA formulations were developed. These did reduce flushing but continuous/sustained exposure of the liver to NA resulted in a high incidence of impaired liver function . Researchers found that an intermediate or ERNA provided the best reduction in flushing side effects and also reduced the liver issues encountered with the more sustained-release formulations . Another formulation that was made popular by its no flush claim is inositol hexanicotinate . There are many NA products available on-line and over-the-counter that claim to be extended-release preparations but most of them have not been studied for safety, efficacy, and side effects in controlled clinical trials. Poon conducted an in vitro dissolution study of 19 non-prescription NA products comparing them to 1 prescription PG-ERNA product . He found wide variation in dissolution rates suggesting the in vivo NA release from these products would difficult to predict.
Figure 1.
Mean blood levels over 8;hours of NA after single dose of 500;mg of wax-matrix nicotinic acid and 500;mg dose of inositol hexanicotinate .
Can Inositol Lower Cholesterol
Inositol as a lipid-lowering agent has been studied for a long time. One of the earliest studies was published in the journal, Experimental Biology and Medicine, in 1949.
In that study, the researchers confirmed that inositol can indeed lower serum cholesterol and lipoprotein levels. They called for more studies to determine how inositol affects lipid levels and how it can be used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia.
The cholesterol-lowering effect of inositol has also been confirmed in recent studies.
In a study published in 1999 in the journal, Anticancer Research, researchers from the California Institute of Medical Research investigated the anti-cancer and lipid-lowering effects of inositol hexaphosphate.
Inositol hexaphosphate is one of the phosphate salts of inositol commonly found in food plants.
In the part of this study dedicated to determining the effects of inositol on blood lipid levels, the researchers gave the inositol compound to a group of Fischer rats fed on either cholesterol-rich or standard diet.
The results of the study showed that inositol significantly lowered the raised serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet. Inositol also reduced serum lipid levels in the rats fed on a standard diet.
The researchers concluded that inositol hexaphosphate qualified as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of hyperlipidemia.
The study results showed that myo-inositol
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Who Should Buy A Cholesterol Supplement
Cholesterol supplements are usually taken by those who need to lower the LDL cholesterol levels. Most people realize that their levels are off after a trip to their doctor. Typically, they are given medication and prompted to make dietary changes. However, supplements can also be used besides these strategies to see faster results.
If this describes you, a cholesterol supplement may be just what youre looking for. These supplements contain a wide variety of ingredients. If one doesnt work, another one might. Feel free to try multiple supplements to find which one works best for you.
Cholesterol supplements may also be useful for those who are worried about their heart health. Many of these supplements are also very heart-healthy, which is extremely useful if youre at risk for heart disease or other heart problems. Whether you have a family history of heart disease or just want to protect your heart, these supplements can also be useful in these cases.
Do Niacin Supplements Really Work
Niacin is a very effective nutrient that our body depends on for overall functioning. However, niacin in supplemental form is often debated in terms of efficacy. For example, there is not much concrete evidence that proves niacin supplements can reduce the risk of heart disease. Niacin supplements also differ based on the form of niacin used, so its important to do research to determine the form that will suit you best, especially based on release time in the bloodstream.
Additionally, niacin may interact with certain drugs and medications. It also may have some adverse side effects, including nausea, face flushing, dizziness, skin itching, muscle pain, and leg cramps. Some research has also been studying a potential link between niacin supplements and the occurrence of strokes.
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How Do I Pick A Good Niacin Product
There are three forms of vitamin B-3 supplements available over-the-counter:
- Nicotinic acid
- Nicotinamide
- Inositol hexanicotinate
Studies on vitamin B-3s efficacy for lowering triglyceride levels mainly used nicotinic acid. Nicotinamide and inositol hexanicotinate are popular supplemental forms of vitamin B-3 because they do not cause flushing. However, there is little evidence that these forms reduce triglyceride levels. You should check the supplement bottle label to see which form of niacin it contains.
Nicotinic acid is also available in three different forms:
- Immediate release : The body absorbs this at one time. This form is more likely to cause side effects such as flushing.
- Sustained-release : This is released gradually, which may reduce the risk of some side effects.
- Extended-release : This is released over a greater period but is only available by prescription.
Contents of this Article
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What Are The Risks Of Taking Niacin
- Side effects. Niacin can cause flushing, especially when you first begin taking it. Your health care provider will probably suggest increasing the dose slowly to reduce this problem. They might also offer a time-release prescription formulation to control flushing. Niacin can cause upset stomach and diarrhea. However, all of these side effects tend to fade over time.
- Risks. Niacin does have risks. It can cause liver problems, stomach ulcers, changes to glucose levels, muscle damage, low blood pressure, heart rhythm changes, and other issues. People with any health condition including liver or kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or cardiovascular problems need to talk to a doctor before using niacin supplements. Do not treat high cholesterol on your own with over-the-counter niacin supplements.
- Interactions. If you take any medicines or supplements regularly, talk to your doctor before you start using niacin supplements. They could interact with medicines like diabetes drugs, blood thinners, anticonvulsants, blood pressure medicines, thyroid hormones, and antibiotics as well as supplements like ginkgo biloba and some antioxidants. Alcohol might increase the risk of liver problems. Though niacin is often used along with statins for high cholesterol, this combination may increase the risk for side effects. Get advice from your healthcare provider.
People with uncontrolled gout should also not take niacin supplements.
What Type Of Niacin Is Best For Lowering Cholesterol
Hohe Qualität, große Auswahl und faire Preise. Besuche unseren Shop noch heute. Besuche unseren Shop noch heute. Hohe Qualität, große Auswahl und faire Preise Learn The Truth About High LDL Cholesterol Levels & How To Naturally Control It In Weeks By Mayo Clinic Staff Niacin, a B vitamin, has long been used to increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol the good cholesterol that helps remove low-density lipoprotein , the bad cholesterol from your bloodstream. But niacin isn’t for everyone
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Is There Any Difference Between Niacin And Niacinamide
Yes, Niacin and Niacinamide have vital differences. Niacin is among the essential nutrients of our body that prevents us from various hazardous consequences, while Niacinamide is the form of Niacin. Niacinamide is derived from Niacin, and your body can convert Niacin into Niacinamide. Thus, there are some vital differences between these vitamin B3 components.
The most significant factor that differentiates Niacin from Niacinamide is that Niacin can be converted into Niacinamide by our body but not the other way around.
Another significant difference between Niacin and Niacinamide is that Niacinamide can be produced with the help of an amino acid in your body called Tryptophan in your body, but Niacin cannot. Though these two are used interchangeably, but they have different properties. People who are sensitive to their effects and symptoms may use one over the other as their physical effects differ within the body.
Atherosclerosis And Heart Disease
In one study, men with existing heart disease slowed down the progression of atherosclerosis by taking niacin along with colestipol. They experienced fewer heart attacks and deaths, as well.
In another study, people with heart disease and high cholesterol who took niacin along with simvastatin had a lower risk of having a first heart attack or stroke. Their risk of death was also lower. In another study, men who took niacin alone seemed to reduce the risk of having a second heart attack, although it did not reduce the risk of death.
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Na Mechanism Of Action
Nicotinic acid offers multiple clinical benefits to the lipid profile but the most unique and important is its ability to raise HDL-C.;The 2017 Guidelines on the Management of Dyslipidemia list low HDL-C and a major risk factor for coronary disease because of important role of HDL-C in reverse cholesterol transport . No agent is more potent at raising HDL-C than NA.;NA not only NA raises HDL-C but also selectively prevents liver catabolism of apolipoprotein A-1, which is the key HDL lipoprotein needed for reverse cholesterol transport . Thus NA increases both the capacity and the efficiency of HDL-C cholesterol transport. The liver is the site of synthesis of TG, very low-density lipoprotein , lipoprotein ), and LDL-C, and NA attaches to and antagonizes the hydroxycarboxylic acid-2 receptor of hepatocytes. This inhibits a hepatic microsomal enzyme that is necessary for the final step in the production of those lipids . Not only does NA reduce the beta lipoproteins that make up LDL-C, but also more specifically NA reduces the small dense LDL-C particles that are most atherogenic. Furthermore, NA is one of the best agents to lower TG and is the only medication that significantly lowers Lp, which is also a significant independent risk factor for coronary disease .
| Lipid benefits |
Ref. .
Different Types Of Niacin Supplements
The two most common forms of niacin supplements are niacinamide and nicotinic acid. Niacinamide does not lower cholesterol levels but is very healing for the skin, which is why many skincare products contain this form of niacin. Nicotinic acid, on the other hand, does play a role in lowering cholesterol levels and thus helps reduce the chance of developing heart disease.
Inositol hexanicotinate is a form of flush-free niacin that is also common. This form and nicotinamide are forms that are flush-free, meaning they do not cause the common side effect of face flushing. This flushing is more often associated with nicotinic acid; however, these two flush-free forms are not as effective as nicotinic acid at promoting a healthy lipid panel in the body.
Nicotinic acid comes in an immediate-release form , sustained-release , or extended-release .
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Health Benefits Of Inositol
The best clinical evidence supporting inositol supplementation is in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Myo-inositol is effective in the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and bulimia.
Besides psychiatric disorders, inositol has also shown great promise in the treatment of insulin resistance and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
A few studies investigating the benefits of inositol in the treatment of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women showed that inositol can lower serum triglycerides levels and increase the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Na Dosing And Administration: How To Do Niacin
For essentially all other NA lipid therapies , ERNA is better tolerated and more effective for the other lipid fractions. Initiating dosing for ERNA therapy is essentially the same as IRNA as listed above. Most of the PG-ERNA studies have used one time/day dosing at bedtime with a small snack for two reasons: convenience and to match the time of peak hepatic lipid synthesis. The PG-ERNAs also have a somewhat higher rate of flushing than the WM-ERNA so giving it in a near fasting state may also reduce the chance of early breakdown of the polygel capsule that might happen with the increased peristaltic activity of a meal. Critics of the bedtime NA dosing used in the AIM-HIGH and HPS-2 THRIVE studies, however, point out that dosing NA in a fasting or near fasting state causes a drop in non-esterified fatty acids. This in turn can inadvertently cause a transient drop in blood glucose triggering release of epinephrine and hepatic gluconeogenesis which might have caused some of the negative results found in those studies . Also, persons taking any ERNA should be cautioned to avoid consuming a hot beverage with dosing since that can accelerate NA release and risk flushing.
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Overview
No-Flush Niacin contains a special form of niacin, inositol hexanicotinate, consisting of six molecules of niacin chemically linked to an inositol molecule. It is hydrolyzed in the body to free niacin and inositol, which is a very slow process. Its novel properties allow for true niacin activity without the characteristic niacin flush.
What’s The Difference Between Good And Bad Cholesterol
There are two types of cholesterol:;good cholesterol or HDL and bad cholesterol or LDL .
HDL is the good kind of cholesterol because it moves from your arteries to your liver, which then expels it from your body. While LDL is the bad kind of cholesterol because it goes to your arteries, where it may collect in the artery walls and create a clog.
However, there is a bit of good news in all of this. You don’t have to give up your favorite foods in order to reduce bad cholesterol. In fact, with some diet modifications and regular light exercise, a good supplement can help manage your cholesterol.;
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More Research Is Needed
Large studies of niacin have limitations. For example, they studied niacin on top of statins, rather than alone, so its difficult to distinguish which effects may have been caused by which drug.
For now, doctors are using it cautiously and sparingly.
Statins are our first line therapy and now there are other safe and effective agents that also lower LDL, Dr. Cho says.
Its also important that people do not try to treat themselves with niacin supplements. If you have high cholesterol, talk with your doctor about the best way to get your cholesterol under control.