High Niacin Levels , Linked to Heart Disease, Research Suggests.
The new report was published in
'Nature Medicine' on Feb. 19, NBC News reports.
According to the new research, high levels of the essential B vitamin may increase heart disease risk by causing inflammation and harming blood vessels.
Niacin is found in foods such as nuts, fortified cereals, breads, meat and fish, NBC News reports. .
Niacin is found in foods such as nuts, fortified cereals, breads, meat and fish, NBC News reports. .
Niacin is found in foods such as nuts, fortified cereals, breads, meat and fish, NBC News reports. .
According to the Mayo Clinic, 16 milligrams
of niacin per day are recommended for men,
and non-pregnant women are advised
to consume 14 milligrams per day.
But Dr. Stanley Hazen, the study's senior author,
says that 1 in 4 Americans consumes higher
levels than the recommended daily allowance.
The average person should avoid niacin
supplements now that we have reason
to believe that taking too much niacin
can potentially lead to an increased risk
of developing cardiovascular disease, Dr. Stanley Hazen, the study's senior author, via NBC News.
However, researchers have yet to determine what exactly constitutes "too much niacin.".
In the 1940s, scientists found that low niacin levels could lead to a condition known as pellagra, which is potentially fatal.
Since then, many foods have been
fortified with niacin, causing Americans to
get plenty of the B vitamin in their diets. .
In the past, doctors also prescribed
niacin to improve cholesterol levels before statins were developed, NBC News reports. .
I don’t think anyone would have
predicted that niacin would have
been pro-inflammatory. , Dr. Amanda Doran, an assistant professor of medicine
in the division of cardiovascular medicine at the
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, via NBC News.
This is a powerful study
because it combines a variety
of techniques: clinical data,
genetic data and mouse data, Dr. Amanda Doran, an assistant professor of medicine
in the division of cardiovascular medicine at the
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, via NBC News