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How Does Niacin Work to Lower Cholesterol?

High cholesterol has been linked to a variety of conditions, including heart disease and high blood pressure. Lowering cholesterol levels is considered very important to long-term health. There are a number of ways to lower cholesterol, including diet, nutritional supplements, exercise and medically prescribed drugs. Many people consider niacin to be a good, natural way to reduce cholesterol levels.

  1. What is Niacin

    • Niacin, or vitamin B3, refers to the various forms of the vitamin nicotinic acid or compounds derived from it. Common derivatives include nicotinamide and inositol hexaniacinate. Niacin is one of the water-soluble B vitamins.

    Niacin Benefits

    • Niacin has been shown to help in a number of conditions. Among many other conditions that benefit from vitamin B-3 are psychosis, schizophrenia, diabetes, acne, weight loss and high cholesterol.

    Niacin Effects on Cholesterol

    • Of all medical conditions, niacin is most often used to lower cholesterol. People who can not, for whatever reason, take statin drugs often take niacin. In some cases, large medically prescribed doses of niacin can actually lower cholesterol more than some statin drugs. Unlike most statin drugs, niacin does more than lower overall cholesterol levels. In many cases, it lowers LDL, or the "bad" cholesterol levels, while raising HDL, or the "good" cholesterol levels. The ratio of good to bad cholesterol is often considered far more important than the overall levels of blood cholesterol. By both lowering the overall levels and improving the ratio of good to bad cholesterol, niacin is sometimes even more effective than commercial statin drugs.

    Possible Side Effects of Using Niacin to Lower Cholesterol

    • Niacin sometimes has some negative side effects. Because it is a powerful B vitamin, flushing, or reddening, of the skin can occur. Some people report itchy skin and upset stomach. Other people report being dizzy and an increased heart rate. These side effects are not serious and are easily reversed, so it is very important that you work with your physician on the proper dose of niacin.

    Recommendations on How To Use Niacin

    • Good cholesterol management is usually a combination of several things. In many cases, a combination of niacin and statin drugs can work to lower cholesterol without the negative side effects of higher doses of either niacin or statin drugs. In almost all cases, niacin works best with dietary changes and regular exercise.

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