Niacin, or vitamin B-3, is an essential micronutrient used by your body to metabolize food into energy. It also helps to protect your nervous and digestive systems. You can obtain this vitamin from food sources, but if you have high blood cholesterol, your physician may recommend prescription-strength niacin to improve your overall cholesterol levels.
About Cholesterol
Your liver naturally makes cholesterol and certain foods you eat add more to your body. Cholesterol plays a role in protecting cell membranes and hormone production, but too much in your diet increases your risk of cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol accumulation from the consumption of fatty foods builds up over time in the walls of your arteries. Eventually this can result in the narrowing and blockage of blood flow to your organs and heart. High cholesterol does not generally cause symptoms so you must get an accurate diagnosis from your physician through blood tests. Your total cholesterol should not exceed 200 mg per deciliter. A level of 200 to 239 mg/dL indicates borderline high cholesterol and a level of 240 mg/dL or higher is diagnosed as high cholesterol. High cholesterol is treated with a combination of dietary changes, lifestyle changes and for some medication is necessary.
Niacin and HDL Cholesterol
High-density lipoprotein, or HDL cholesterol, represents a good form of cholesterol you need in your body to cleanse the bad, fat-like cholesterol. The more HDL you have in your body, the less likely your risk of heart disease. As part of your cholesterol level check, your physician will also determine your HDL score. Niacin is one of the most effective substances to raise your HDL. According to MayoClinic.com, niacin can raise your HDL levels by up to 35 percent. This is important for controlling high cholesterol levels.
Niacin and LDL Cholesterol
Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, is the bad form of cholesterol. Too high of LDL in your blood can damage your arteries and increases your risk of stroke or heart attack. Niacin effectively decreases your bad cholesterol levels in addition to increasing your HDL. Niacin may be prescribed in combination with other medications to lower your overall cholesterol level especially if you have extremely high LDL. Niacin is sold over the counter but high-dose niacin is only available through a prescription by your physician. Consultation with your physician determines how much niacin you may need per day to control your cholesterol levels.
Niacin Sources, Dosing and Side Effects
Natural forms of niacin are found in foods like dairy, poultry and fish, fortified whole grains and nuts. A niacin-rich diet combined with healthy nutrition habits and exercise may help control your cholesterol, but this is not always the case and should be discussed with your physician. The daily recommended allowance of niacin is 14 to 16 mg with a tolerable upper limit of 35 mg. Over-the-counter niacin supplements are dosed at 250 mg or less and prescription-strength niacin is standardized at 500 mg or more. Do not exceed the tolerable upper limit dose of supplemental niacin without physician supervision. Side effects of niacin toxicity include flushing, gastrointestinal disturbance, liver cell damage, headache and dizziness.
