Niacin

Niacin....lower cholesterol-avoid cardiac surgery?


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For years I have successfully used niacin to deal with high cholesterol/triglycerides. In many cases it has done away with the need for expensive drugs (with some bad side effects) like Zocor or Pravacol. Do NOT stop your current prescription. Try niacin for a month and see if your cholesterol drops from what it was with drugs alone. If the results are positive (I have found it effective in over 80% of my patients) you may want to wean yourself off the prescription while monitoring your cholesterol.

Your physician may tell you that niacin is dangerous. Read more about it on the net. I have experienced no problems. Niacin is also called Vitamin B3.

If you take niacin in an amount significantly larger than you have been taking in the past few days you are likely to experience a "flush," or a reddening of the skin and an itchy feeling. Niacin is a particularly important nutrient for improving the health of the heart and for improving blood circulation.

When you get that "flush" that means that the small blood vessels in your body are being expanded in size because of the niacin. Many of your small blood vessels, called "capilaries" are so small that blood cells can go through them only in single file. Sometimes, in fact, that small passageway is clogged and blood doesn't get through at all.

While the large organs of the body all have blood supplied from large arteries, a great deal of your body, particularly the parts near the surface (skin and surface areas) get their ONLY supply of blood (therefore also of oxygen and food!) from these small capillaries. So, if those capilaries are not carrying the blood, then those parts of the body are not getting nourishment and oxygen.

The niacin causes these small capilaries to get larger -- so they might be able to carry two or three blood cells at the same time. This is a tremendous increase in blood flow.

You experience this as a reddening of the skin -- simply because there is more blood close to the surface of the body. As this blood flows in these areas the cells of the small capilaries will also be getting rid of their waste products, and often they produce "histamine" as part of that process. That histamine is another natural substance produced by every cell in the body -- when the cell is under attack, or is getting rid of toxins.

Histamine causes an "itchy" feeling.

When you take niacin, begin with 100mg/day, for the first time you are probably going to have that "niacin flush" and feel itchy and have red skin.

Depending on when and what you ate, the sensation could last for 10 minutes or as long as an hour.

It is not harmful or dangerous. Some people worry about it, but it is actually a sign of very healthy cleansing and improved blood flow.

Once you have had the niacin flush with a particular quantity of niacin, usually the next day that same dosage of niacin won't create the same effect, and usually after a few more days you will have none of this sensation -- until you increase the dosage of niacin. When you take niacin to a new, higher level (from 100 mg, for instance, to 200 mg) you can experience the reddening again.

"Niacin can be very effective and safe in lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels and also in increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. In combination with other lipid-lowering drugs (eg, bile acid sequestrants), it has reduced the incidence of cardiovascular events and stopped the progression of coronary artery lesions. It may be the most cost-effective lipid-lowering agent currently available.

Some tips:

Do NOT take niacin with hot beverages, alcohol or spicy food.
Begin at 100mg at breakfast. Every 4 days increase dosage 100 mg. until you reach 1000 mg./day. eg. Days 1-4, 100mg. 5-8, 200 mg. 9-12, 300 mg. and so on. When taking 300-500-700-900/day take the odd one at breakfast.
Take 1/2 adult aspirin for the first two weeks with each dose.
If any problems arise, other than skin flushing or itching, which goes away in 30-60 minutes, consult your health practitioner.
Niacin is inexpensive and available at any health food store. I suggest you begin at 100 mg./day. If you are pregnant it is best to wait until you deliver to begin niacin. Please check your cholesterol and, after taking niacin for 30 days, check it again.

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