"How to double niacin's ability to treat high cholesterol" from Second Opinion Newsletter by #73810 Blog entry

I've used niacin in my clinic for years to help my patients treat their high cholesterol. It's a fantastic nutrient that actually increases your HDL. The higher your HDL, the better your body deals with LDL (bad) cholesterol.

As good as niacin is, I've found that sometimes it doesn't increase good cholesterol enough. But many years ago, I found a way to greatly increase the effectiveness of niacin.

And now, a study has confirmed what my patients and subscribers have known for years. The breakthrough study came from the Giovanni Lorenzini Medical Foundation. The Foundation sponsored two studies on niacin and fish oil. Neither study received any commercial support.

The first study evaluated 14 patients with high triglycerides, low HDL, and normal LDL levels. Seven received 1 gm of immediate release niacin three times daily plus 3.4 gm of omega-3 fish oil. The other seven received a placebo.

After only seven weeks, the treated patients had fantastic results. Their triglycerides dropped an average of 52% and their HDL raised 33%. The placebo patients had an average rise in triglycerides of 10% and HDL rose by only 4%.

The results astonished one of the researchers, William Harris, PhD (professor of medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City). He said that the addition of fish oil almost doubled the previously published effectiveness of niacin.

A small second study performed in seven type-2 diabetics confirmed Dr. Harris's conclusion. Serum triglycerides fell a whopping 52% from 238 to 114 mg/dL after 16 weeks of treatment. HDL rose from 40 to 63 mg/dL, a whopping 58% increase in this "good" cholesterol. The placebo did nothing. The combination had no effect on LDL cholesterol or hemoglobin A1c. The latter is a measure of long-term blood sugar levels. Researchers used the same seven patients as their own controls. When switched back to placebo, their numbers returned to baseline.

Folks, what more could you ask for? This is a fantastic and inexpensive way to boost your body's ability to handle cholesterol, with no side effects. It's great to see this treatment gaining acceptance, even in the mainstream. If you're taking niacin to treat your cholesterol, make sure you add fish oil to your treatment as well. You'll be amazed at the added benefit.

Yours for better health and medical freedom,
Robert Jay Rowen, MD

Ref: Family Practice News, September 15, 2005.