Niacin causes the blood vessels to dilate or open up near the skin, which results in a hot, tingling sensation accompanied by a red flushing of the skin. Generally, by starting with low amounts of niacin (50 to 100 mg a day) and gradually increasing the dosage, a person can quickly build up a tolerance and avoid the flush. Taking niacin immediately following a meal will also lessen the flushing sensation. (Niacinamide, the alkaline form of niacin, doesn’t cause flushing and it works just as well for most things. These people are very sensitive to niacinamide and they need to take less. As their nausea clears their liver enzymes will return to normal and never has there been any liver damage resulting from this transient elevation of liver enzymes.
Niacin lowers cholesterol and triglycerides. It reduces the blood fats called “very low density lipoproteins,” which have been linked to heart disease and cancer. It improves the blood sugar problems that can lead to damage of the arterial walls. It dilates blood vessels, which improves the circulation to areas starved of oxygen and nutrients. The list of benefits goes on and on—and if that wasn’t enough, the stuff is dirt cheap. Niacinamide is also known to pass readily into the brain across the so-called blood-brain barrier, a natural defense that limits what can penetrate the brain. As a result, it is likely that niacinamide would exert the same anti-inflammatory effect in the brain.
Niacinamide, on the other hand, does not cause flushing at any dose nor does it lower cholesterol. However, it is readily converted to an enzyme called NADH that is needed for metabolism and energy production. Unlike other vitamins, the body is able to make its own niacinamide using tryptophan as the raw material. Tryptophan is an amino acid the body also uses to make serotonin, a critical neurotransmitter for moods, sometimes referred to as the “happy brain chemical.” Since tryptophan is often in short supply in the body, taking niacinamide can help spare it and make more available for serotonin production.
Niacin lowers cholesterol and triglycerides. It reduces the blood fats called “very low density lipoproteins,” which have been linked to heart disease and cancer. It improves the blood sugar problems that can lead to damage of the arterial walls. It dilates blood vessels, which improves the circulation to areas starved of oxygen and nutrients. The list of benefits goes on and on—and if that wasn’t enough, the stuff is dirt cheap. Niacinamide is also known to pass readily into the brain across the so-called blood-brain barrier, a natural defense that limits what can penetrate the brain. As a result, it is likely that niacinamide would exert the same anti-inflammatory effect in the brain.
Niacinamide, on the other hand, does not cause flushing at any dose nor does it lower cholesterol. However, it is readily converted to an enzyme called NADH that is needed for metabolism and energy production. Unlike other vitamins, the body is able to make its own niacinamide using tryptophan as the raw material. Tryptophan is an amino acid the body also uses to make serotonin, a critical neurotransmitter for moods, sometimes referred to as the “happy brain chemical.” Since tryptophan is often in short supply in the body, taking niacinamide can help spare it and make more available for serotonin production.
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