Introduction
One of the most important nutrients for humans is niacin. Niacin is better known as Vitamin B3. A niacin deficiency can have some pretty nasty side effects such as severe headaches, diarrhea and alcoholism. Therefore, it is recommended for healthy adults to consume between 15 and 20 mg per day. Especially in developed countries, this is not hard at all. Many of the foods people consume every day contain some amounts of niacin.
Niacin flushing
One of the newest phenomena in the health world is niacin flushing. Niacin flushing entails consciously consuming more Vitamin B3 than is recommended. Consuming more than 50 mg per day will widen your veins and as a consequence more blood will flow through the capillaries. Capillaries can be seen as the access roads if your vein would be the highway. Normally, little blood flows through these capillaries, so this is actually a good thing. Toxic waste can be stored by the body in the fatty tissues. The increased blood flow, gives your body the chance to get rid of the superfluous waste. This is not only a good method to detox the body; it also improves your cholesterol.
Niacin dose and sources
It is not hard to consume more than 50 mg niacin. Especially, if you know which foods contain the highest dose. The following list contains the best foods for increasing your Vitamin B3 intake.
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Fish (Tuna and Salmon)
- Tamari
- Chicken Breast
Furthermore, most of the dairy products contain an amount of niacin. For people that are strictly vegetarian, I highly recommend the following: Yeast, dates, peanuts and dried apricots.
Beware
However, consuming a niacin overdose isn’t without consequences. Your body will react almost immediately to the increased dosage of Vitamin B3 in your body. The most common symptom is reddening of the skin. This is caused by the fact that the blood flow through your capillaries is stimulated, and the capillaries are located closely to the skin. Moreover, you can feel an itching a burning feeling in the chest or other parts of the body. Some people report diarrhea and headaches. It has to be noted that niacin overdosing very rarely leads to death. Only amounts above 200,000 mg are toxic. Needless to say, it is almost impossible to reach such amounts with proper nutrition alone.
Reducing the side effects
If you want to have less unease from the niacin overdosing, you can do the following. Take in some aspirins 30 minutes prior to your niacin rich meal. Other aiding nutrients that reduce the side effects are garlic and Vitamin C. Furthermore, be sure to pee a lot during the flushing. The flushing side effects can last for 30 minutes or more depending on the dose you took. In this way you can enjoy niacin flush benefits, without having to endure very uncomfortable feelings.