Rack It Up-Niacin In The Side Pocket
(B3) Niacin was also referred to at one time as nicotinic acid. Long ago, that alias was secured safely away from public view in a word storage facility. Federal government officials thought that the consumer may get B3 confused with nicotine. Nicotine is a poisonous and highly addictive chemical. It’s contained in those smoking things that are manipulated by manufacturers. With higher doses added to their products, “the man in the shadows” gets the walking chimneys addicted even faster than in the past. Don’t worry, because this has nothing to do with companies worrying about your health. In the industrial world, death is always trumped by corporate profits. By the way, there is an estimated 1.5 billion people throughout the world that are currently addicted to nicotine.
Burn Victims We Never Think About
We were told over and over again that nicotine is not addictive and doesn’t cause cancer. Lets get back to why we are here, B3!
Niacin is responsible for so many processes in our metabolic machinery that it’s involved with over 200 different enzyme systems in the body. Enzymes are proteins that allow reactions to speed up in the body making things happen more efficiently. They are responsible for helping foods get broken down into energy. If you undergo any type of athletic activity, the body has a greater need for niacin. In that situation, more B3 can be made with the help of B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), iron (mineral) and tryptophan (amino acid used to make proteins) to put your body immediately into a faster gear. This process of other nutrients internally upping the ante of an essential vitamin is unique to niacin. Just another example of how the B-Complex family members coordinate your systems to strive to help you reach your full genetic potential.
B3 needs of males are approximately 16 mg and females about 14 mg daily. Niacin is a water-soluble vitamin like the rest of the B-Complex members. Deficiency of B3 throws out a disease know as pellagra. In Italian the meaning is “rough skin”. Areas of your body exposed to the sun turn a blackish color. In fact, with pellagra, you get a dark ring around your neck where the demarcation of clothing stops the blackening. All the skin has an uneven weathered look that feels rough and uneven.
Shortage of niacin leads to the Four D’s:
- Dermatitis-skin problems, abnormal skin, rashes
- Diarrhea-fatigue, GI problems, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, dry, itchy skin and mucous membranes
- Dementia-depression, headache, memory loss, apathy, fatigue, mental confusion
- Death
Niacin starts acting like a drug above 35 mg per day. In high doses (500 mg or more a day) it’s used to treat high cholesterol. It lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides and increases HDL (good cholesterol). It has been a very popular medical therapy since the 1970’s before statin drugs like Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, etc were available by prescription. It is concurrently prescribed with statin drugs by some cardiologists to lower risks of heart attacks.
Niacin was known for it incredible ability to boost HDL. The HDL number helped in evaluating risk for a cardiovascular incident. The higher that HDL number, the more protective the situation from morbidity and death. New studies have put a wrench in the argument. The results of a recent study showed niacin being no more effective than placebo. Renovating Your Mind says how can you have recent studies disprove all the positive studies conducted throughout the world over the last 40 years. You must keep everything in perspective and await future findings. Niacin does help reduce hardening of the arteries and lower the amount of plaque blocking the inside of your blood vessels.
Niacin Flush-What A Nice Way To Wake Up On Your Way To Work
Niacin flush also includes at no extra charge, itching, intense heat in affected area(s) and people making fun of you. You will pull up at a red light and the driver in the adjacent lane may confuse you for a tomato. It’s a pretty shade of red.
Side effects for high dose niacin therapy are flushing, headache, itchy skin, gastrointestinal problems, higher blood sugar (caution diabetics), higher uric acid levels (caution gout patients) and liver damage (caution alcoholics). Niacin causes the flushing because it is a vasodilator. That mean its opens up your blood vessels bringing in more blood especially to your skin’s surface. Caution in patients with hypertension (high blood pressure) on vasodilators medications because together with niacin may cause a loss of consciousness. Individuals should be seen by a health care professional and should not take over the counter (OTC) extended release niacin tablets. OTC niacin is not monitored for quality control so you have no idea whether listed label strength really matches whats in the pill. Extended release niacin tends to have a higher risk of liver toxicity. Another reason a doctor should periodically check out your liver. Damage there may be irreversible if not caught in sufficient time.
You can reduce the risk of flushing by taking an aspirin with the dose of niacin.You should also try to always take niacin with a meal or at least a snack. This way you delay absorption protecting your stomach and delaying/dampening the “flushing” reaction.
B3 Repertoire Courtesy Of Adam
Foods high in niacin are heart healthy fish (salmon, sardines, anchovies etc.), rice and wheat bran, liver, chicken, paprika, nuts, peanuts, greens, dairy, eggs, sun-dried tomatoes and fortified cereals and grains. There is also nutritional yeast which is high in B3 and most of the other B-Complex vitamins. You may be surprised at its wild innovative flavor.The yeast has a cheesy, nutty taste that you could sprinkle on popcorn, rice, meatloaf, etc.
Hey B, The Niacin Flush Will Turn That Hive Upside Down
Niacin is a funny vitamin because many of its effects in deficiency state resemble similar problems with high doses. They are skin rash, gastrointestinal effects and metal difficulties. Niacin is a very unique nutrient.
Renovating Your Mind 