Archive for the ‘Vitamins and Minerals’ Category
Niacin (vitamin B3)
Before there Mevacor, Zocor, Lipitor, Pravachol, Lescol, Baycol, Lopid, or any other expensice drugs to lower cholesterol is niacin. Doctors have been prescribing vitamin B3 for more than 40 years to reduce total cholesterol and bad LDL. reduction ranges from 15 to 40%. It also demolishes Lp (a) and triglycerides while raising good HDL cholesterol 10-20%.
In other words, niacin has an almost ideal impact on blood lipids. And most importantly, long-term monitoring has shown that niacin actually reduces heart attacks and deaths. Another great advantage of niacin is its cost. While one of these drugs cost a lot, niacin is amazingly affordable. A bottle of 250 tablets (500 mg) may be only $ 10. But you think you may self-medicate with this vitamin, please understand that with the doses required to reduce cholesterol should be under medical supervision.
Niacin can cause flushing and a feeling of warmth, itching, tingling, upset stomach, diarrhea, elevated liver enzymes, and problems of blood sugar for diabetics. Liver enzymes should be monitored regularly if someone is using niacin in the amounts needed to reduce cholesterol (1000-3000 mg daily). This is especially true for timed-release niacin, which is less likely to cause flushing, but most likely to affect the liver.