Thanks!
I've been intigued and perplexed by niacin as of late.
Niacin is known to demonstrate a positive influence on lipid/cholesterol levels in humans, and as such, many physicians often prescribe it for those reasons.
It may benefit atherosclerosis by reducing the risk of hardening of the arteries. Niacin also promotes normal functioning of the nervous system and gastrointestinal tract, and studies show that it benefits people with cardiovascular disease, and may help prevent a second heart attack.
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Here's where it gets a little interesting:
Some people use niacin as a fat-loss catalyst, despite the fact that niacin functions as a "fat-immobilizer," meaning it prevents fat-breakdown.
It sounds as if some folks mistake niacin's histamine-induced flush to be some kind of thermogenic effect, which is inaccurate.
Now, niacin DOES exhibit a favorable effect on the
metabolism of fats, as well as carbohydrates and proteins. Initially, this may seem to contradict niacin's "fat-immobilizer" role. While I can't find many details on the individual mechanisms, I would presume that the difference lies between preventing additional vs. losing existing fat. If anyone here has the knowledge/facts, I'd appreciate if you could confirm this for me.
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One more neat point:
Some of you know of my interest in hormone manipulation techniques - specifically with regards to the ways diet, exercise, and OTC supplementation influence Human Growth Hormone release.
Here's what is known concerning niacin:
At doses of 1 to 3 g per day, niacin is shown to cause an acute increase in hGH output peaking approximately 3-5 hours post-ingestion.
BE ADVISED: 1-3 GRAMS OF NIACIN IS CONSIDERED AN EXCESSIVELY HIGH AMOUNT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. NO ONE IS RECOMMENDING YOU TAKE THESE AMOUNTS; THEIR MENTION HERE IS MERELY IN REFERENCE TO THE STUDIES.Niacin also enhances the hGH response to exercise, causing training to stimulate greater growth hormone release than normal. But, there's a catch 22: we know that hGH thrives in a biological environment that is low in fatty acids, low in carbohydrates, and high in amino acids. It appears that niacin increases exercise-induced hGH secretion by suppressing lipolysis
(fat-breakdown) during exercise, resulting in a reduction in systemic free fatty acids, thereby fascilitating hGH secretion.
hGH is a lipid-catabolist. Niacin suppresses lipolysis. If losing fat is your goal, I would think it better to avoid consuming niacin prior to exercising, unless you know for certain that the amount of hGH would yield greater fat breakdown than the exercise itself; I don't know that any studies have elucidated this comparison. That being said, taking niacin at other times would probably help bump hGH ouput - particularly during the day when circulating hGH levels are the lowest.
I would never consider taking the amounts of niacin used in these studies, but I may begin adding some additional niacin to my daily supplement intake - especially since I am not currently using any vit B complex - which often contains a healthy amount of B-3 - and the only niacin I'm getting is from my multi and trace amounts from food.
CAUTION: TAKING TOO MUCH NIACIN / NICOTINIC ACID / VITAMIN B-3 MAY CAUSE ACUTE AND/OR LONG-TERM ADVERSE HEALTH ISSUES. YOU SHOULD CONSULT RELIABLE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS PRIOR TO USING ANY NIACIN-CONTAINING PRODUCT. References:http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/nutritional_disorders/vitamin_deficiency_dependency_and_toxicity/niacin.html ***
http://www.vrp.com/single-vitamins/niacin-the-cholesterol-wars-champion-can-also-raise-growth-hormone
http://jap.physiology.org/content/104/3/724.full
http://healthcorrelator.blogspot.com/2010/06/niacin-turbocharges-growth-hormone.html
