Does Niacin Make You Lose Weight?

Niacin is one of eight B vitamins that help your body convert carbohydrates into the fuel that your body uses for energy. It's also involved in protein and fat metabolism and may aid in lowering your blood cholesterol. The theory that supplementing with niacin will help you lose weight might seem to make sense given those facts. However, excess niacin might actually produce the opposite effect and lead to weight gain.

Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Effects

Niacin can lower levels of cholesterol and fats in your blood when it is used in conjunction with other drugs, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. However, at the same time it may raise your blood-sugar levels and cause hyperglycemia, which is associated with weight gain. Hyperglycemia is especially dangerous if you are diabetic. Increased per capita consumption of niacin via fortified foods may be a contributing factor to the increased prevalence of diabetes in the United States, says S.S. Zhou, lead author for a 2010 study published in "BioMed Central Public Health."

Overload Role in Obesity

Chronic niacin overload may be contributing to the obesity epidemic in the United States, says Da Li, lead author for a 2010 study published in the "World Journal of Gastroenterology." Niacin's appetite-increasing effect may be related to oxidative stress because oxidative stress may be one trigger for insulin resistance. Obesity is characterized by insulin resistance and increased appetite. Niacin has an appetite-stimulating effect, and high doses can reduce your glucose tolerance, lead to insulin resistance and promote insulin release, Li notes. Insulin is your fat storage hormone. Li recommends further study on niacin's potential role in promoting obesity because the effect of long-term consumption of excess niacin is not well understood.

Consumption

The rise in obesity correlates with an increase in per capita of niacin consumption in the United States, Li says. Much of this increase is related to higher consumption rates of ready-to-eat cereals fortified with niacin. Niacin also is found in poultry, meat and fish. Daily niacin consumption has been on the rise since the early 1940s. As by the early 2000s it reached 33 mg a day. That's more than twice the amount of the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, which is 14 mg for adult women and 16 mg a day for adult men. Daily per capita consumption of niacin from grains was 6.8 mg before mandatory niacin fortification was introduced in the 1930s. It increased to 14.8 mg daily in 2000. Per capita consumption from animal flesh is up as well, from 6.8 mg in the 1930s to 11.8 mg in 2000.

Considerations

Because niacin has proven effects on your blood-sugar levels you need to take any supplements under the supervision of a health care provider. High doses, classified as 50 mg or more, can cause additional side effects. The most common effect is a niacin flush, a tingling and burning sensation in your face and chest accompanied by red, or flushed, skin. At high dosages that are used to combat high cholesterol or triglycerides, stomach ulcers and liver damage can develop. You need to have periodic liver function tests if you are taking niacin to treat a condition like high cholesterol. If you have gout, you should not take niacin supplements because they raise uric acid levels which will worsen your condition. Niacin also may have interactions with diabetes medicines, blood thinning medications, antibiotics and blood pressure medication.