The body needs a constant supply of niacin, or vitamin B-3, through diet, and excretes any excess not used right away. A deficiency of niacin can cause digestive problems, inflamed skin and cognitive impairment. However, you should only use niacin supplements under medical supervision, because they can cause many side effects including heart palpitations. If you have concerns about a niacin deficiency or are experiencing an abnormal heart rate, talk to your physician to determine if niacin supplements are safe to take.
Niacin
Your body needs niacin to digest sugars and fatty acids, to make certain hormones and to support proper enzyme function. Niacin also helps to produce energy your body needs, says the American Dietetic Association. Niacin is in many foods and you obtain it through your diet. Deficiencies are rare, but if your level gets too low, you may experience indigestion, a burning sensation in the mouth, fatigue, canker sores, vomiting, depression, cracked skin, dementia and diarrhea. Depending on the severity of your deficiency, your physician may recommend niacin supplements along with dietary changes.
Niacin Supplement Benefits
Your doctor might prescribe niacin supplements for a deficiency or for the management of heart disease. Niacin supplements lower levels of LDL, the bad kind of cholesterol, and raise HDL levels, which is the good cholesterol. Due to its effects on cholesterol, it might help to prevent or manage atherosclerosis or a hardening of the arteries.
The best bet is to meet your daily niacin needs through foods such as beets, brewer's yeast, beef, fish, salmon, swordfish, tuna, sunflower seeds, peanuts and fortified breads and cereals. Most adults can safely take 14 to 18 mg per day. However, due to the serious side effects, niacin supplements can cause and because they can interact with many other medications, you should consult your physician first, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. You may have a negative reaction to niacin supplements, even small doses.
Heart Palpitations
While the right dose of niacin may help to lower the risk of heart disease, taking 3 g per day or more can cause serious side effects such as heart palpitations or an irregular heartbeat. Accompanying this might be liver disease, gout, digestive ulcers, loss of vision and high blood sugar. The risk of heart palpitations is greater in patients who have any kind of heart disease or unstable angina, reports MedlinePlus.
Niacin supplements may affect the way medications used to treat heart disease and cholesterol work in the body. In some cases, the combination of niacin supplements and other medications can increase the risk of more serious heart disease.
Warning Signs
Heart palpitations are not a common side effect of taking niacin supplements and may only affect less than 1 percent of all patients taking it, according to the Texas Heart Institute. If your doctor recommends taking niacin supplements, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of heart palpitations. This can include sensations that your heart is pounding, skipping beats or racing, and these sensations can occur in the throat or chest. You may also experience fatigue, a general weakness, shortness of breath, anxiety, chest pains and sweating. If these symptoms occur, you need to seek medical attention.
