Vitamin B3/Niacin (Inositol Hexaniacinate Form)
What Are The Benefits?
Niacin is an essential nutrient that helps the body maintain a healthy cholesterol profile, but there are a number of side effects associated with this supplement that make it difficult for many people to take with any regularity, including hot flashes, generalized itching, and skin flushing. Inositol Hexaniacinate, which is a compound made from niacin and inositol, is also called flush-free niacin or no-flush niacin, and is the best-tolerated type of niacin supplement. According to Natural Health Magazine, studies have found that this supplement can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by up to 25 percent, triglycerides by up to 50 percent, and it can help the body increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels by up to 35 percent.
Where Is It Found?
In 1938, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authorized the enrichment of wheat flour with niacin, because over the four decades prior, 100,000 Americans died from a disease called “pellagra” - which is a diseased marked by a vitamin B3 deficiency. Because of this authorization, you can find healthy doses of niacin in many enriched wheat products, although a healthy diet that includes animal products and legumes should provide you with a sufficient niacin intake to meet your nutritional needs.
What’s the Dosage?
Because of the risk for unpleasant side effects, users should begin with a dosage of no more than 500 mg a day, gradually increasing dosage to 1,000 mg twice daily. If you are currently taking cholesterol medication, or if you have liver disease, gout, or other chronic health conditions, you should talk to your doctor about potential complications or side effects of beginning a niacin supplement regimen.