Vitamin B3, Niacin, Can Help Prevent Heart Disease

by Heidi Stevenson

9 November 2009

Vitamin B3, once well-known to medicine as a superb treatment for heart disease, fell out of favor when pharmaceutical drugs, especially statins, were introduced. The results have been dismal. Rather than returning to recommending it, though, B3 (niacin) was demonized as dangerous. However, the danger existed only when researchers tried to turn it into a drug by creating special forms of it. So, rather than returning to the sanity of advising patients to take a supplement known to prevent heart disease, doctors usually tell people to stay away from it.

A recent study reported in the Journal of American College of Cardiology reported that nicotinic acid, in conjunction with so-called "optimized statin therapy", reduced plaque on carotid artery walls. With the usual pharmaceutical-blind approach, they didn't bother to compare vitamin B3 alone with statins alone.

The Cholesterol Myth

The usual claim is that B3 reduces heart disease by increasing the HDL-to-LDL ratio. This is not true. As explained in Cholesterol Doesn't Cause Heart Disease, cholesterol is symptomatic of circulation problems, but not the issue itself. In fact, lowering cholesterol—even in cases of extremely high levels—does not decrease risk of heart attacks.

Cholesterol, whether LDL, HDL, a ratio between them, or any of the myriad refinements trying to explain a failed theory, is merely an indicator of an underlying problem. No cause-and-effect connection exists between cholesterol and heart disease. Both are symptomatic of an underlying problem.

Therefore, B3 must have another effect that protects the heart. Unfortunately, research has focused on the misconception of high cholesterol, squandering resources that might have addressed the real problems. There are, though, indications of what the real benefit is.

Protective Value of Vitamin B3

Thick blood—when red blood cells clump together—cannot pass through capillaries. When blood can't pass through heart capillaries, the muscle is starved of oxygen, which can result in a heart attack. B3 changes the nature of the cells' membranes, making them less likely to cling together. This prevents clumping and results in their ability to pass through capillaries single file. Capillaries in the heart, and arteries that are narrowed by atherosclerosis, are less likely to become blocked.

There may very well be other heart protective benefits of B3. It is known to improve healing, so may be involved with healing blood vessels where plaque has developed. There are other possible benefits from B3, but that's not the concern here. What's important is that vitamin B3 is known to have tremendous benefit in preventing heart disease.

So, why are doctors so convinced that B3 is dangerous? It stems from Big Pharma's attempts to pharmaceuticalize it by creating an extended-release form. The liver removes B3 from the system and needs to rest from processing it. When it gets no breaks, as in an extended-release pseudo-drug form, niacin becomes toxic.

Studies on the extended-release form of B3 documented that 10-20% of subjects suffered liver toxicity from the pharmaceutical extended-release form of B3. Physicians have focused on this experience to deem B3 to be dangerous, rather than taking the two legitimate lessons:

• Since niacin has never been known to be dangerous, the extended release version must be the problem, and more importantly...
• Converting effective natural remedies into hybrid pharmaceuticals is not beneficial to people. It's done only to benefit Big Pharma's profit margin.

Vitamin B3 is a safe supplement that can do wonders for heart health. To read about how to assure it's taken safely, please read part 2, How to Safely Take Vitamin B3 (Niacin) for Heart Health.