Hidden Vitamin Heart Risk You NEED to Know
B vitamins are good.
After all, they help our body convert food into energy and form red blood cells.
But TOO MUCH of anything is bad.
In fact, too much of one specific form of vitamin B could increase your risk of a DEADLY disease…
Vitamin B3 (niacin or nicotinic acid) has been hailed for its heart-healthy benefits.
However, after analyzing the blood samples of thousands of people, researchers found that folks who had excess niacin had a higher risk of heart problems.
The study also found that 25 percent of people have higher levels of niacin than recommended.
The problem with niacin is that when your body breaks it down, it creates a byproduct that triggers inflammation that damages blood vessels.
This leads to atherosclerosis, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
What would cause people to overload on this nutrient?
The first is that niacin is routinely added to products like flour and fortified cereal because lack of niacin during the Great Depression led to a condition (called pellagra).
But we’re NOT in the Great Depression anymore.
And since niacin is in many foods—including meat, poultry, fish, nuts, brown rice, legumes, and bananas—niacin deficiency is rare.
Another potential reason for overload is taking vitamin B3 supplements.
It’s an example of why I don’t think people should take supplements willy-nilly.
If you’re deficient in B3, try eating more foods that contain it. If that doesn’t do the trick, then consider a supplement.
Otherwise, you could be causing more harm than good.
P.S. Are vitamin D supplements a waste of money? (Find out.)
SOURCE:
Ferrell, M., Wang, Z., Anderson, J.T. et al. A terminal metabolite of niacin promotes vascular inflammation and contributes to cardiovascular disease risk. Nat Med 30, 424–434 (2024). doi. org /10. 1038 /s41591-023-02793-8
