1. Niacin Makes Things Happen
Nicotinic acid is a form of niacin, or vitamin B3. Our bodies convert tryptophan into niacin, and we get it from the foods we eat. Niacin-containing enzymes are involved in over 50 chemical reactions in our bodies, including producing energy, metabolizing carbohydrates and manufacturing sex and adrenal hormones.
2. Achieve Heart Health With Nicotinic Acid
Nicotinic acid is an effective reducer of blood cholesterol levels. It lowers LDL, or bad cholesterol, lowers triglycerides and increases HDL, or good cholesterol. Actually, many studies comparing nicotinic acid to traditional cholesterol-lowering drugs have shown that it is better at helping patients achieve heart health. However, it does have some annoying side effects and it is not solely produced and sold by drug companies, meaning doctors aren't marketed to, so many of them don't recommend it to their patients. Some doctors do combine nicotinic acid and a statin to improve cholesterol levels.
3. It Can Make You Look Embarrassed
Nicotinic acid comes in three forms: immediate-release (2 to 4 g/day), extended-release (Niaspan, 1 to 2 g/day) and sustained release (more than 2 g/day). The sustained-release and extended-release forms of nicotinamide avoid a bothersome side effect of the product--flushing of the skin that occurs 20 to 30 minutes after taking it. The slow-release forms of nicotinamide don't cause skin flushing, but they can cause liver damage.
4. Live Longer With Nicotinic Acid
The Coronary Drug Project was a famous study that showed that niacin could reduce overall mortality in people who took it. Its effects were long-lasting, because when patients were followed up 15 years later, the death rate for people treated with niacin was 11 percent lower than for patients treated with placebo, despite the fact that most people had discontinued treatment years earlier. On the other hand, patients treated with the cholesterol-lowering drugs clofibrate and cholestyramine had increased mortality. Researchers felt that these drugs lowered their risk of death from heart problems but increased the chances of dying from cancer, gall bladder surgery and other problems.
5. A Good First Choice for Cholesterol Control
Because of its low cost and proven effectiveness, many nutritionists believe that it should be the first choice for lowering cholesterol levels. If pure crystalline niacin is used, start with a dose of 100 mg three times per day and slowly increase the dose to 1.5 to 3 g per day in divided doses.
