Green vegetables, eggs, breads and other products made with yeast, beans, fish and meat all contain niacin, a form of vitamin B-3. Additionally, niacin is available in supplement form in levels concentrated enough to provide several health benefits.
Protection Against Pellagra
Associated with symptoms such as diarrhea, scaly sores on the skin, mental confusion and delusions, pellagra is a disease that results from a diet deficient in niacin. The disease also results from conditions like alcoholism and gastrointestinal disorders that hinder absorption of niacin. Regions and cultures within which corn is the dietary foundation also have higher rates of pellagra. Niacin is effective as both prevention and treatment of pellagra.
Treatment of High Cholesterol
If you have low levels of good cholesterol -- also known as high-density lipoprotein, or HDL -- your doctor may recommend that you take a daily niacin supplement. The higher your blood levels of HDL, the more protected you are against heart disease and other adverse cardiac events, and niacin is associated with dramatic increases in HDL. Conversely, if you have high levels of low-density lipoprotein -- also called LDL or bad cholesterol -- taking a daily niacin supplement may help to lower them.
Prevention of Atherosclerosis
Because of its effectiveness in improving overall cholesterol numbers, niacin may potentially play a key role in the prevention, or slowed progression, of atherosclerosis, the buildup of cholesterol plaques in the arteries that ultimately result in heart disease. One complication in this particular use of niacin is that the high supplemental levels of the nutrient required for this application can also raise your blood levels of homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine are associated with a higher incidence of heart disease. Talk to your doctor before taking niacin supplements to prevent or slow progression of atherosclerosis.
Other Possible Health Benefits
Although the efficacy is not necessarily proven, some medical professionals prescribe the use of niacin supplements for types 1 and 2 of diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's disease, treatment and prevention of cataracts, and osteoarthritis. Niacin supplements may also help to prevent second heart attacks for those who have experienced a past heart attack. If you feel niacin may benefit you in any of these cases, alert your doctor before taking it. If your doctor agrees, she can provide information about appropriate dosing, potential side effects and what outcomes of treatment you might personally expect.
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