Niacin flush

[chainsaw]

Taking niacin for cholesterol. The flush is pretty intense. Is there an optimal time to take it. 1st thing morning? With or without food? Preworkout?

 

[Beau]

With food, especially fats. To minimize flush, avoid taking it on an empty stomach.

 

[Sparta12]

oh man, I had took some niacin at work one time without knowing about the flush, my god all my pores opened up, I was bright red, my heart rate went through the roof and I thought I was dying... nearly got an ambulance called and I just pretended I was overly stressed and it was a panic attack, got like 3 days off work haha

 

[LeanEngineer]

With food, especially fats. To minimize flush, avoid taking it on an empty stomach.

This. As long as I take it with food I have no issue. If I take it on an empty stomach or first thing in the morning is when I have an issue.

 

[Stacks1]

It's a very common side effect. You can try some of the posters ideas but it's possible Niacin might not be for you.

 

[Smont]

Swap it for carderine or mega dose Fish oil

 

[Beau]

As a note - at one point I had worked up to 3 grams per day of Niacin (I am not recommending others do so, just reporting what I chose to do). I would take much of it pre-workout, and then sit in the steam room - prior to working out. I will allow you to come up with your own image of a sweaty guy, whose skin color resembled a tomato, working out next to you.

But - what I found was that my flush reaction lessened over time - a lot. That may, or may not, help.

 

[Ape McGrapes]

Is niacinamide not an alternative option?

 

[Renew1]

Is niacinamide not an alternative option?

It doesn't work as well for cholesterol.

 

[Smont]

It doesn't work as well for cholesterol.

What makes the flushing version so much better for cholesterol? I've always heard that but never really looked into it myself

 

[Beau]

Generally ...

Niacin comes from in several forms: (1) “true niacin”/nicotinic acid, (2) nicotinamide (also known as Niacinamide), a nicotinic acid amide, and (3) other derivatives (such as inositol hexanicotinate).

Niacin in the form of nicotinic acid can lower triglycerides and increase high-density lipoprotein. HDL helps remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Niacin/nicotinic acid is a B vitamin that's used by the body to turn food into energy. It also helps maintain nervous system, digestive system, and skin health.

As to its cholesterol benefits, Niacin/nicotinic acid can allegedly lower triglycerides by 25% and raise HDL cholesterol by more than 30%. The skin flush that may result from Niacin/nicotinic acid is the result of vasodilation.

Although it is similar in structure to Niacin/nicotinic acid, Nicotinamide contains an amide group absent in nicotinic acid -- the addition of that amide group alters the therapeutic effects. Niacinamide, does not have the same vasodilating effect that Niacin/nicotinic acid has, thus it does not have the same skin flush as Niacin/nicotinic acid.

So, that amide group addition in Niacinamide is the reason that Niacinamide does not impact cholesterol in the same way as Niacin/nicotinic acid.

As to the specific reasons this is the case – well that is way beyond my (novice) level of understanding.

 

[Renew1]

What makes the flushing version so much better for cholesterol? I've always heard that but never really looked into it myself

Yep, basically what @Beau said.

We changed a compound and now it does (at least) 2 things differently: It doesn't help with Cholesterol, and it doesn't cause flushing.

 

[Smont]

Yep, basically what @Beau said.

We changed a compound and now it does (at least) 2 things differently: It doesn't help with Cholesterol, and it doesn't cause flushing.

I missed that, but ya definitely has to be truth to that because I've only seen positive results with regular niacin

 

[Smont]

Generally ...

Niacin comes from in several forms: (1) “true niacin”/nicotinic acid, (2) nicotinamide (also known as Niacinamide), a nicotinic acid amide, and (3) other derivatives (such as inositol hexanicotinate).

Niacin in the form of nicotinic acid can lower triglycerides and increase high-density lipoprotein. HDL helps remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Niacin/nicotinic acid is a B vitamin that's used by the body to turn food into energy. It also helps maintain nervous system, digestive system, and skin health.

As to its cholesterol benefits, Niacin/nicotinic acid can allegedly lower triglycerides by 25% and raise HDL cholesterol by more than 30%. The skin flush that may result from Niacin/nicotinic acid is the result of vasodilation.

Although it is similar in structure to Niacin/nicotinic acid, Nicotinamide contains an amide group absent in nicotinic acid -- the addition of that amide group alters the therapeutic effects. Niacinamide, does not have the same vasodilating effect that Niacin/nicotinic acid has, thus it does not have the same skin flush as Niacin/nicotinic acid.

So, that amide group addition in Niacinamide is the reason that Niacinamide does not impact cholesterol in the same way as Niacin/nicotinic acid.

As to the specific reasons this is the case – well that is way beyond my (novice) level of understanding.

Ok now I see it lol