Guest guest Posted August 27, 2003 Report Share Posted August 27, 2003 I am still not clear about what you are saying, JoAnn. Is there a problem with Niacin other than that some people find it uncomfortable? Anne, my girlfriend of 20 years ago, used to take 500mg or 1,000 mg of Niacin, sit in a tub of hot water, then when she had a good niacin flush going, she would go outside & roll around in a snowbank naked. I thought she was nuts! I gradually learned to enjoy the niacin flush (but not the snowbank!) enough that I often took my niacin just before a heavy workout on my bowflex unit. Since learning that niacin is not good for my blood glucose measurements because I am a diabetic, I have put aside the niacin & use niacinamide instead. Raven, my ex-wife, sometimes has problems with menstrual cramping. Being much younger than I am, she often stops taking her supplements when money is tight. She also likes the niacin flush. Is there some reason for her to use a non-flush variety of niacin? Or can I just give her the big bottle of niacin I can no longer use? Alobar - " JoAnn Guest " <angelprincessjo Monday, August 25, 2003 7:59 PM Re: Natural Pain Relief > , " Alobar " > <alobar@b...> wrote: > > Why should Niacin be of the non-flushing variety for relief > > of menstrual cramps? Why not the plain niacin? > > Alobar, > One of niacin's most striking effects is its ability to lower > dangerous blood fats, which affect the course of many other serious > conditions. > Niacin (not niacinamide) is one of the most effective broad-spectrum > hypolipidemic (fat-lowering) agents! > > It lowers cholesterol, triglycerides, and the most dangerous Low- > density lipoproteins (LDL). However, watch out for the `flush'. If > you've ever experienced this you know what I mean! Niacin flush is > caused by arteries opening up and bringing blood rapidly to the > head, neck and upper part of the body, making it very warm and in > some cases extremely `hot'. > > There are some products that consist of inositol hexaniacinate, a > special form of niacin composed of six nicotinic acid molecules > bound to, and surrounding one molecule of inositol (a B-vitamin). > > Although inositol hexaniacinate yields slightly better results than > standard niacin, the big advantage is that it is safer and much > better tolerated! > > Several types of niacin supplements are now on the market. They > include immediate release (IM) niacin; sustained release (SR) > niacin; and inositol hexaniacinate (IHN), which contains niacin plus > inositol. When using higher levels of IM niacin, individuals > generally experience a `flushing sensation', which often limits its > use. > Although SR niacin was designed to eliminate this sensation, it > still produces flushing and gastrointestinal upset in some > individuals. SR niacin is generally better tolerated, but at levels > above 1,500 mgs a day, elevated liver enzymes and liver toxicity > have been reported. > > On the other hand, IHN or flush-free, niacin appears to be > completely safe and without any flushing effect. Human studies using > as much as 4,000 mgs daily have shown IHN niacin to be free of side > effects and adverse reactions. IHN has been shown to be beneficial > for circulatory disorders, including Reynard's disease and > intermittent claudication. > > B3 plays a role in the synthesis of sex hormones which is why it is > normally used for female problems. > > B3 requirements may be higher in people who have cancer, women who > are taking *contraceptives* and people who have protein deficiencies. > > Inositol and choline are normally used for menstrual problems. > > Numerous hormones are made from our existing stores of cholesterol. > Progesterone is fat-soluble. Niacin is important for metabolizing > fats and cholesterol. > > The B complex vitamins play an important role in alleviating stress > levels and progesterone works with the thyroid hormone. > Premenstrual syndrome is a condition where there is enough > progesterone present but apparently there is also a prevalence of > cortisol which actually causes a blockade of progesterone. > > Diet: Highly processed " exhausted " food does not give the body the > complex nutrients it needs to function optimally > Stress: Cortisol alters the message the brain sends to the ovaries > Xenoestrogens are " foreign " estrogens that are found in pesticides, > herbicides, plastics, and salad dressings. They damage the > developing follicles of the fetus and tend to cause estrogen > dominance. > > Other interesting facts: > > Niacin deficiency is quite common in people who eat corn-based > diets, because the niacin contained in corn is unabsorbable! B3 > requirements may be higher in people who have cancer, people who are > taking oral contraceptives and people who have protein deficiencies! > > High doses niacin therapy needs to be closely monitored by a > physician, since it can cause elevations in liver function tests. > Also consult with a professional if you have a history of ulcers, as > high doses may also exacerbate a pre-existing gastric or duodenal > ulcer. > > By taking niacin after a meal, you can lessen or prevent the flush > without losing the beneficial effects. Caution must be exercised > when using time or sustained release (SR) niacin, since taking > higher doses of sustained release niacin, even under professional > guidance, yielded reports of liver toxicity. > The newer `flush-free' form, inositol hexaniacinate (IHN) appears to > be much safer. > > " Aging without Growing Old " , Judy Lindberg McFarland > " The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book " Shari Lieberman, PhD > > Best Regards, > JoAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 28, 2003 Report Share Posted August 28, 2003 Many thanks, JoAnn. I passed the info on. Alobar - " JoAnn Guest " <angelprincessjo Wednesday, August 27, 2003 3:09 PM Re: Natural Pain Relief > , " Alobar " > <alobar@b...> wrote: > > I am still not clear about what you are saying, JoAnn. > Is there a problem with Niacin other than that some people find it > > uncomfortable? > > Since learning that niacin is not good for my blood glucose > > measurements because I am a diabetic, I have put aside the niacin & > > use niacinamide instead. > > Raven, my ex-wife, sometimes has problems with menstrual > > cramping. Being much younger than I am, she often stops taking her > > supplements when money is tight. She also likes the niacin flush. > > Is there some reason for her to use a non-flush variety of niacin? > > Or can I just give her the big bottle of niacin I can no longer > use? Alobar > > Alobar, > > It would be very difficult for me to imagine anyone `enjoying' a > Niacin flush as our experiences were so much different than yours. > For example we had some family members who were rushed > to `emergency' after experiencing a relatively severe `niacin flush'. > This episode has taught me that Niacin isn't something that I want > to play around with. In addition, I believe B-vitamins aren't all > that effective unless they are taken synergistically, in combination > with other B's as well. The body isn't made to handle such large > amounts of one specific vitamin even though they are water soluble > and much of it passes on through the body. > > The flush free products consist of inositol hexaniacinate, a > special form of niacin composed of six nicotinic acid molecules > bound to, and surrounding one molecule of inositol (a B-vitamin). > Although inositol hexaniacinate yields slightly better results than > standard niacin, the big advantage is that it is safer and much > better tolerated. > I also wish to emphasize here that according to Shari Lieberman, > PhD relatively high dosages of regular niacin tablets may be linked > to some degree of liver toxicity when taken over a period of time. > This effect is not seen in the flush free tablets. > > In my opinion, the reason that flush free niacin is so much better > ( especially for women) is that it is basically a combination of > some other nutrients in the B family which benefit female problems. > > The inositol (in the flush free variety) is useful for many > menstrual problems and when it is taken in a combination with > niacin, this makes it even more effective in controlling these > irregularities since our hormones originate from cholesterol and > fats and niacin plays a key role in metabolizing fats. > > I wouldn't be in a position to advise as to whether your friend > should take Niacin. It would be dependent on her other health issues > if any, that she is facing at this time and as you say, it is not > advisable to take with any type of sugar problem or with duodenal > ulcers as it may cause gastrointestinal upset. > She may benefit from other brands, however the flush free brand > would benefit her much more in my opinion. > > Cheers, > JoAnn > > Human studies using as much as 4,000 mgs daily have shown IHN niacin > to be free of side effects and adverse reactions. IHN has been shown > to be beneficial for circulatory disorders, including Reynard's > disease and intermittent claudication. > " Aging without Growing Old " , Judy Lindberg McFarland " The Real > Vitamin & Mineral Book " Shari Lieberman, PhD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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