There’s a concerning trend happening across the United States. Compared to even a decade ago, American youth are increasingly using tobacco products – electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), cigarettes, cigars, hookah and smokeless tobacco.
This increased use is leading health experts to warn that, at the current rate, 5.6 million Americans under the age of 18 will die early from a smoking-related illness. That’s about 1 of every 13 youth alive today.
What’s most perplexing to the parents of these youth is the fact that this climbing use isn’t due to lack of information regarding the ill effects of smoking.
A study found that 12th graders exposed to the largest amount of anti-smoking information were almost three times more likely to be smokers.
This unfortunate observation has led some parents to ponder the issue more deeply – and to demand answers from health professionals.
What’s making their otherwise smart and responsible children so addicted to nicotine, despite all the dire warnings against its use?
One interesting possibility that has emerged poses the question: Could tobacco be fulfilling a nutritional need?
Whether that hypothesis holds any truth, no one knows for sure, as no studies have been funded to explore it further.
However, the nicotine in tobacco is closely related to nicotinic acid, or niacin, a B vitamin. Because they are what’s known as “analogues” and similar in structure and function, even the body has a hard time telling the difference between the two.
In fact, successful nicotine addiction detoxification uses niacin to help replace nicotine in the body.
And it’s no secret that over the years health practitioners have used tobacco for a wide range of maladies – from respiratory to gut issues. Could niacin be what’s actually making the difference?
8 Ways Niacin Nourishes Your Body From Within
Niacin, or B3, is one of the eight B vitamins that your body needs to function properly. There are two forms of vitamin B3: Niacin, or nicotinic acid, and niacinamide. Both forms are found in food and vitamin B3 supplements.
What’s the difference between niacin and niacinamide?
High doses of niacin can cause your skin to flush due to vasodilation, or the widening of your blood vessels. Niacin also has a direct influence on your blood lipids. Niacinamide does not have these same effects.
When you consume more niacin than your body needs, it is converted to niacinamide.
Like the other B vitamins, niacin is required throughout your body. It is required for the proper function of fats and sugars, and to maintain healthy cells.*
Niacin plays a role in many aspects of health, including:
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Skin health – Niacin is often used to promote smooth, clear skin, and to reduce roughness and redness.
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Cellular health – Niacin is a building block of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and NAADP, an important calcium mobilizer, both of which support an already healthy, normal inflammatory response. NAADP, through its signaling of calcium, helps protect cells from threats.*
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Heart health – Niacin promotes already healthy levels of blood lipids, including cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins, thus supporting heart health, especially when taken in larger doses.*
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Blood flow – Niacin releases prostaglandins, or chemicals that help your blood vessels widen, which may support healthy blood flow and blood pressure levels already in the normal range.*
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Metabolism – Niacin supports blood sugar levels already in the normal range. When taken at higher dosages, niacin may support healthy weight management through its positive effects on your adiponectin levels.*
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Digestion – Niacin supports the healthy production of stomach acid to promote proper digestion, maintain health in your small intestine and facilitate the flow of bile and pancreatic enzymes.*
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Brain health and cognition – Niacin and its nucleotides NAD and NAD phosphate (NADP) provide support for cognition and brain health through energy production, antioxidant protection, DNA metabolism and repair, and may help protect against normal age-related changes.*
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Nervous system and mood – Niacin provides energy for your nervous system to function properly, and plays a key role in the production of serotonin, which supports healthy brain and nerve activity. The healthy functioning of your serotonin neurotransmitters is essential for a positive mood.*
Why Even Mildly Low Levels of Niacin Can Be Detrimental to Health
Because niacin is a water-soluble vitamin, your body can’t store it. Any excess is excreted through your urine. So, that means you must get enough each day from either your diet or a supplement.
The best food sources include liver, chicken, veal, peanuts, anchovies, spirulina, nuts, legumes, shiitake mushrooms, avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, chili powder, paprika and nutritional yeast.
Excessive exposure to heat and/or water can significantly destroy niacin, so raw foods tend to have higher levels than cooked foods.
If you don’t get enough niacin, you can eventually develop a condition called pellagra, which can be fatal if not treated. However, pellagra is more common among developing nations eating a diet high in corn and grains, and relatively uncommon in Western countries.
Niacin deficiency can be caused by low levels of niacin in your diet, but other factors play a role, too.
Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, or having digestive issues, anorexia (an eating disorder) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can lead to low levels.
Your body can make a limited amount of niacin from tryptophan, a dietary amino acid. However, you need adequate amounts of iron, riboflavin (B2) and pyridoxine (B6) for that conversion to happen.
It doesn’t take a full-blown niacin deficiency to feel the ill effects of low levels.
Symptoms of a mild deficiency can be so mild that you don’t notice them at first. Here are some of the early signs:
- Feeling tired
- Poor concentration and brain fog
- Mood swings, irritability and feeling blue
- A slowed metabolism
- Indigestion, constipation, stomach discomfort
- Poor circulation
- Intolerance to hot or cold temperatures
- Headaches
- Skin irritation that doesn’t improve
So, back to the teenagers we talked about in the beginning who smoke... The theory is not so far-fetched when you consider they may be consuming heavily processed foods or have any of the many issues that can contribute to low levels of niacin.
What’s the Best Dose of Niacin for You?
You have a choice when it comes to dosing – you can take a lower dose to meet your basic needs or you can take a higher dose for greater potential benefits.*
Developed with you in mind, we’ve formulated Dr. Mercola® Niacin Vitamin B3 in 50 mg low-dose mini tabs to make it easy for you to choose the right dose for your needs. You can take one Niacin Vitamin B3 mini tab three times a day to provide more than triple your daily value – or you can take even more.
High-dose niacin provides additional support for heart health because of its positive effects on both blood flow and triglycerides in your blood. However, to achieve niacin’s extra potential benefits, you must be prepared for the common side effect of flushing.*
What is flushing?
A “niacin flush” is when you experience a "flush" feeling after taking niacin, usually on your face, neck, ears or chest due to increased blood flow to the skin. It’s often described as a feeling of tingling, itchiness or warmth, and can appear as a blush or redness on your skin, similar to a sunburn.
When you flush, you’re literally flushing your body with niacin. In response, your blood vessels widen, or vasodilate.
Normally, a 50 mg dose of niacin taken with a meal shouldn’t induce flushing. If you don’t want to flush, we recommend taking these additional precautions:
- Don’t take Niacin Vitamin B3 on an empty stomach.
- Divide your doses by taking one mini tab at a time with a meal.
- Avoid acidic or spicy foods and any supplement containing vitamin C as they can induce flushing more quickly (and at a lower dose).
- Drink plenty of water when taking niacin.
- Avoid consuming alcohol and hot beverages (such as coffee, tea and hot chocolate) while taking niacin as they can worsen the flush reaction.
If you have not taken niacin before, or you are sensitive to niacin, you may be more likely to experience flushing. However, if you follow the precautions above, you can help minimize your chances of an unwanted flush.
Do’s & Don’ts for a Successful Niacin Flush
Some health practitioners recommend flushing, and many *individuals who do it regularly swear by its perceived health benefits.
Considered a “health restorative therapy” by some, flushing can help support your body’s normal processes of eliminating damaging free radicals and other unwanted substances from your cells.*
For the right individuals, flushing can also provide valuable support for heart health and normal lipid levels.
Before attempting a niacin flush, we recommend consulting with your healthcare professional to determine if high-dose niacin is appropriate for you, and to find out the proper dose of niacin to take.
While a niacin flush can feel alarming if you’ve never experienced one before or are not expecting it to happen, it is considered a harmless reaction. Effects typically begin 15 to 30 minutes after taking a high dose of niacin and can fade in as little as a few minutes or last as long as several hours.
The more often you flush, the more acclimated your body becomes to niacin, so the reaction grows less intense.
Occasionally, unexpected side effects can occur while doing a niacin flush. This can include an upset stomach, loose stools, low blood pressure, and changes in your heart rhythm and blood sugar levels.
Generally, it is advisable to start with a smaller dose and gradually work your way up, but always follow your healthcare practitioner’s advice.
Take Your First Step Toward Better Health with Niacin Vitamin B3
Niacin is essential for so many functions in your body – from your mood and cognition, to your blood flow and healthy lipid levels, to your skin and cell health.* And all it takes is one speck too little to disrupt your body’s normal, healthy function.
If you know your diet isn’t perfect (sad but true, you are in good company), why take a chance? Our Niacin Vitamin B3 mini tabs can help ensure you are getting enough each day to meet your body’s needs.
And you may even be one of the more adventuresome among us who enjoys flushing – and reaping all the purported benefits of high doses of niacin (with your doctor’s guidance, of course).
Niacin Vitamin B3 contains all clean ingredients and no GMOs, artificial preservatives or colorings. With Dr. Mercola® supplements, you know you are getting everything listed on the label with no unexpected surprises.
So, whether you want to just cover the basics – or you’re excited to take the plunge – better health starts today. Order Niacin Vitamin B3 and experience for yourself the exciting potential of this exceptional B vitamin.