Niacin poisoning

Niacin is also called Vitamin B3. The important role niacin can play in our life is to help get rid of toxins.

It does this by causing the blood vessels, after taking niacin, to increase in size. When this happens they will "flush." That is, many of those small blood vessels (capillaries) are near the surfact of the body, in the skin. So, when they enlarge in size, more blood moves through them (causing the cleansing action) and the skin will typically get red (flush) and itchy.

The quantity of niacin which will cause the flush varies. If a person is not taking niacin at all, then usually 100 mg to 200 mg, in one dose, will do the job. Then, with the slightly larger dose you can get the flush again. Each time it will wear off and you will have to increase the dosage.

Niacin, alone, brings down cholesterol levels and blood pressure. It is far safer and of course much cheaper than other drugs

Niacin can be very effective and safe in lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels and also in increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. In combination with other lipid-lowering drugs, it has reduced the incidence of cardiovascular events and stopped the progression of coronary artery lesions. It is the most cost-effective lipid-lowering agent currently available.

Niacin occurs naturally in foods, such as meat, fish, milk, eggs, green vegetables, and enriched cereal grains. Proper amounts of niacin are obtained in diets daily. Niacin supplements are occasionally prescribed to treat pellagra, a serious, but rare niacin-deficiency disorder. Niacin is available in many multivitamins in small amounts.

Niacin is often taken in high doses to aid detoxification. It is a common natural side effect to experience flushing. Niacin causes the liver to start detoxing, causing detox like symptoms in the body. Prominent organizations worldwide have approved immediate-release niacin (Niacor) up to 6 grams a day, and extended-release niacin (Niaspan) at 2 grams a day. The highest recorded overdose is 11 grams. Niacin is also known for its asistance in cancer and even skin cancer, scientists are using niacin for topical application for skin cancer. It really is up there, with Vitamin C, as one of the most important vitamins for our health.