at Fri, 04 Feb 2005 06:33:57 GMT in <hi5601tvg5ftbm9qo7c2n9cfluhl3f1k4r@
4ax.com>, wrote :

>I just got a bunch of vitamins and took soem Niacin. Ten minutes
>later I felt like I was on fire. my skin burned all over. I heard
>that nicain can make a person feel warm, but this was more than warm,
>in fact is was more like painful. I was glad when it wore off in
>about an hour.
>
>Whats the reason for this? I dont know if I want to take them again,
>no matter how health they are.

The niacin flush is the result of 2 effects: first, niacin expands the
capillaries, causing strong bloodflow (visible on the skin surface as
flushing) and second, it releases histamines into the system. The first few
times you take it the reaction may be pretty severe but it will calm down.
All the medical sources I've consulted indicate it's harmless, although
I've seen at least one individual react so severely I don't know that I can
entirely trust that claim.

There's also inositol hexaniacinate (which is NOT the same as timed-release
niacin, and in particular doesn't put you at the same dramatically
increased risk of liver problems), which doesn't cause flushing. If you
wish to supplement, Country Life's Coenzyme B Complex formula has all of
the B vitamins and the niacin is in inositol hexaniacinate form.

IMHO better still is to get your niacin from food. Tuna, peanuts and (beef)
liver all have high amounts of niacin - about 3 mg/oz, so that 10 oz. or so
will give you 30 mg. And just think - which tastes better - a tuna steak or
a pill?

--
Alex Rast

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